Angkor
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site,
Angkor is quite simply one of the wonders of the oriental
world.
This incredible temple complex, which lay
forgotten beneath the jungle for centuries, dates back to
the 12th century and represents one of the world's most remarkable
architectural achievements.
Spread over several hundred square kilometres,
the former capital of the powerful Khmer civilisation, Angkor
is truly spectacular with temples, monument and beautiful
sculptures a testament to the extraordinary craftsmanship
of the Khmers..
Angkor cannot be "done in a day."
While most the main temples are clustered within a 10 kilometre
radius, many tourists who visit for 3 days (considered the
minimum time) often say they would like to stay for a week.
Such is the spendour and the allure of the place.
What to See Around Angkor
There are about 60 temple ruins in the Siem
Reap area alone so you need to choose according to your schedule
and level of interest.
On the "must see" list are the
legendary ruins of Angkor Wat, the giant faces of Bayon and
the Giant tree at Ta Prom. The famous South Gate of Angkor
Thom can be seen on route to Bayon. Angkor Thom has some interesting
terraces and the massive "temple-mountain of Baphuon
and Phimeanakas is worth seeing.
Other temples you should visit if time allows
are Pre-Rup, Preah Khan, Neak Pean and Ta Som. If you have
more time, visit the Roulous Group around 12 km outside Siem
Reap, which contains monuments and early Angkor Art. Further
away (38km from Siem Reap) Banteay Srey is also well worth
a visit.
Should I book a Tour?
It is possible to see the temples by yourself
but you're not likely to learn a great deal. Tours allow time,
by letting someone else take care of the details - an important
factor as Angkor has so much to see. Tours provide transport,
entrance fees and knowledegable guides around the most interesting
temples.
Package tours with accommodation provide
the most convenient way to see Angkor and often include a
side trip to interesting places like Tonle Lake. Some start
from Siem Reap while others start from Phnom Penh, Cambodia'
s capital city and include local airfare.
If you're feeling energetic, take a guided
cycling tour for a leisurely look at the temples and local
countryside. Tours include accomodation, guides and equipment.
Multi-country tours through Indochina are
perfect if you want to combine several travel elements into
one trip. Combine a guided tour around the temples with a
river journey along the mighty Mekong river from Siem Reap
to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh)
Angkor - Some Amazing Facts
1. Built from 879-1191 AD at the zenith of
the Khmer civilisation, the temples represent one of the world's
most amazing and enduring architectural achievements.
2. Angkor had a population of over one million,
and was the spiritual centre for the Khmers until it was abandoned
after being sacked by the Thais in 1431. The ruling Khmer
God-kings controlled a vast territory in the twelfth century,
extending south, to the Mekong delta in present-day Vietnam,
north into Laos, and west over large tracts of what is now
Thailand. In its heyday, 1.
3. The surviving structures today are but
a fraction of the whole stunning picture, which included a
huge city whose wooden buildings - houses, markets, shops,
palaces, and public buildings - have long since been destroyed
by war and time.
4. The best preserved, and most visited,
are Angkor Wat, the Bayon, and Ta Prohm, which were first
restored by the French, who established an Angkor Conservancy
in 1908.
Temples
Angkor Wat
Built to honor the Hindu god Vishnu, is the
world's largest religious building and took some 50,000 artisans,
workers and slaves, and nearly 40 years, to complete.
Virtually every surface in the maze of chambers
and courtyards is richly decorated with low-relief scenes
of legends, wars and everyday life, enhanced by carvings of
nearly 2,000 apsaras, or celestial dancers. The amazing structure
as a whole is best viewed in soft light.
The Bayon
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At the centre of Angkor Thom (literally "Great
City"), which forms the heart of the Angkor complex as
it is today. This inner city is surrounded by a moat, and
approached at the four cardinal points via huge stone gates
and causeways flanked by statues of gods and giants. The Bayon
forms a three-tiered pyramid with 54 towers, each dominated
by over 200 huge, 4-metre high, mysterious faces facing out
to the north, south, east and west. Each mystically serene
countenance, with closed eyelids and faint smile, represents
a Bodhisattaya (fully enlightened being) who delays entry
into Nirvana to aid the spiritual development of others.
The structure is rich in decoration, detailing scenes from
battles, religious rituals, and everyday life. On approaching
from a distance, it resembles a rather formless initially
disappointing jumble of stone, but inside, the visitor discovers
a maze of galleries, towers and passageways on three different
levels. Under the sightless gaze of the ever-present faces,
it is here, particularly if alone, that many tourists experience
a feeling of profound spiritual awe. There are several other
sites of interest within Angkor Thom, including the Terrace
of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. At its
height, the city had a population of nearly one million, and
its 9 square km area was comparable in size to anything in
Europe at that time.
Ta Promh
If Angkor Wat and the city of Angkor Thom
are best known for grandeur and majesty, then to the east,
the temple and monastery of Ta Promh wins hands down for sheer
dramatic effect. Unlike most other monuments, Ta Promh has
been left the way it was originally found. The ancient structure
is thus still gripped by massive strangler fig and banyan
tree roots ("spongs") giving the feeling of discovering
the archeological treasure for the first time.
Faced with this extraordinary image, it is easy to relive
the emotions of the French naturalist Henri Mouhot when he
came across it hidden in the jungle in 1860. At its peak,
over 70,000 people, including high priests, monks, assistants,
dancers and laborers, populated this vast 600-room monastery.
The structure measures 145 by 125 meters and contains a maze
of courtyards and galleries, many impassable because of the
dense overgrowth of creepers and roots.
Prah Kahn
Another temple that has been left to creeping
jungle, with huge trees and multi-coloured lichen infiltrating
the structure's stone corridors and often gloomy interiors.
Although it is not as visually arresting as Ta Prohm, this
fascinating temple is formed in a cross by a long 200-metre
central passageway cut by another wide perpendicular corridor.
Both of these have networks of smaller passages, which themselves
open to breezeways, courtyards, and rooms of all sizes. Although
the central portion is fairly clear, exploring the outer passageways
becomes increasingly adventurous with fallen stones, surreal
looking tree roots, and tiny apertures leading into almost
pitch dark interiors.
Banteay Srei
Approximately 25 kilometres from the main
complex, this relatively small 10th century monument in pink
sandstone is dedicated to Shiva. Its perfectly proportioned
decoration and detail with exquisite sculptures, lintels,
and friezes, makes it one of the oldest and most aesthetically
beautiful. Almost every surface is a masterpiece of superb
detail, each one it seems, more beautiful than the one before.
Phnom Bakheng
Built on the highest hill in the area and
offering spectacular views, especially at dawn and sunset,
this small but attractive temple makes an ideal start or end
to the day's sightseeing, although most tourists congregate
here toward dusk
East Mebon Temple & The Baray Lakes
One of the Khmers' most notable hydrological
accomplishments were the West and East Barays, huge, perfectly
rectangular artificial lakes covering 14 and 16 square km
respectively, and used to irrigate thousands of acres of surrounding
farmland. A temple was built in the middle of each lake, and
since East Baray was drained, the East Mebon Temple is now
easily visited. West Baray (2 km wide & 8 km long) is
still filled with water. The boat service is accessible to
the west Mebon Temple which is in the middle of the west Baray.
East Mebon, however, is a fascinating site, best known for
the almost life-size stone elephants on the corners of its
tiers. Since each one appears to have been hewn from a single
block of stone , the task of carving and transporting such
huge pieces must have been tremendous. Smaller stone figures
flank the stairways leading up to the central elevated platform.
From here, the bed of the lake, now fertile paddy, stretches
below you in every direction.
The Ruluos Group
Lying approximately 10 km from Siem Reap
town, is a cluster of three 9th century temples, namely Prah
Ko, Bakong and Lolei. Being the oldest in Angkor, and ostensibly
the site of the capital at that time, they are interesting
in their own right, particularly Bakong, which is the best
preserved of the three. Stairways lined with stone lions lead
up the five tiers of the pyramid shaped structure, terminating
in a sanctuary on top. Eight small sanctuaries also encircle
the base, an architectural concept common to many other Angkor
temples.
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