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"Angkor Wat" a Angkor Wat Travel Page by leffe3

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Angkor Wat Pages by leffe3


"Angkor Wat" a Angkor Wat Travel Page by leffe3
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leffe3   
Be well, eat well - and laugh


Real Name: keith lawrence
Lives In: Melbourne, AU
Member Since: Dec 15, 2001
VT Rank: 167

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Page Views: 1,868            Last Visit to Angkor Wat: February, 2001      

Angkor Wat

by leffe3 - last update: Feb 9, 2007

What an extraordinary place. The extensive ruins of an ancient kingdom, like so many places in the world, lost for centuries before being rediscovered by intrepid 19th and early 20th century explorers (Angkor, Petra, the Nile Delta, Mayan & Inca ruins to name but a few). But more recent tragic events (Pol Pot and the Khmere Rouge) kept Angkor out of view to the modern traveller until very recently - consequently, Angkor has yet to become the mass tourism site that it will, eventually, become.

Angkor (Thom & Wat) is only part of an extensive ancient kingdom going back centuries. The Rolous Group to the east is the oldest remaining remains - many of the buildings pre-9th century were made from semi-permanent materials and have been lost. Brick and sandstone constructions at Lolei and Bakong have survived the ravages of history and nature. But it is in Angkor Thom and, in particular the 12th century Angkor Wat that, according to critics, we see the 'pinnacle' of Khmer architecture.

The Angkor sites are some 4kms east of the village of Siem Reap - a sleepy little town on the banks of the Siem Reap river. At the moment, whilst serving tourism, it has yet to be overrun (although this will undoubtedly change in time). A few kms to the south is the Tonle Sap lake (point of arrival by ferry from Phnom Penh) and the floating Vietnamese village. Between the town and lake shores is an incredibly lush and verdant countryside and, probably, the site of many more yet to be discovered ruins.
As a religious site, Angkor remains the home of monks and novices, and throughout the area the incredible-hued orange robes can be seen, juxtaposed against the greys of the stone of the monuments and the green of the jungle.
It is appropriate that the key symbol of Angkor Thom is the enigmatic 'smile' of the carvings of the Bayon. Historians/architects etc still argue as the exact purpose of this huge structure.

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leffe3's Angkor Wat Travel Tips

OverviewThings to Do
Tips: 33 - Photos: 85
 
Restaurants
Tips: 2
Hotels & Accommodations
 
NightlifeOff The Beaten Path
Tips: 9 - Photos: 43
 
Tourist TrapsWarnings Or Dangers
 
Transportation
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
Local Customs
 
Packing ListsShopping
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
 
Sports TravelGeneral Tips

Comments for leffe3 about Angkor Wat
JessH Mon Jul 16, 2007 05:12 UTC
 Hi Keith. What a gorgeous page! Super info, and how did you manage to get all those pics without the hoards of tourists in the shot?! A page well-done :-) Greetings from a Heidelberg-girl in the desert / Jess in Dubai
relax47 Mon Jun 4, 2007 01:59 UTC
 great pics visiting there in august can't wait 2 c them in person
dfactor Mon Jun 6, 2005 14:40 UTC
 kewl pictures u got here. I'm always fascinated by the smilling faces of the buddha in Bayon. I captured some of them on my site too.
Dariana Tue May 17, 2005 16:37 UTC
 Indeed,incredible and misterious smile.Some of your photo are really brethtaking. Cheers!
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