"Angkor Thom" a Angkor Thum Travel Page by SirRichard

Angkor Thom is a 3 kilometres square fortified place in the middle of the Angkor complex.
It has walls (8 meters high) all around, 5 gates with huge human faces in each of their 4 sides, and many temples and palaces within.
In the very centre of the square is the Bayon Temple (see pic).
It was built in the 12-13th centuries.

There are many things to see inside:
- The gates. 5. The best preserved is the south one, the one you will enter by if you come from Angkor Wat.
- The Bayon Temple. In the very middle.
- The Phimeanakas. A temple built on the ruins of former Royal palaces.
- The Terraces. This long elevated promenades near the Phimeanakas (south to north) were used by the kings for cremations and other public events.
- And many other little and medium temples, towers...

This was, for me, the best of the many highlights there. I went there once as part of a quick tour around the temples and returned on the next day early in the morning to see the sunrise here and to take a closer and slower look at the bas-reliefs that you can find on the walls all around the first floor of the temple.