Cambodia Things to Do Tips by bkoon Top 5 Page for this destination

Siem Reap : The Angkor Temples

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THE ANGKOR TEMPLES

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Seeing the Angkor Temples is definitely a must when you visit Cambodia. You cannot imagine the majestic architecture and grandeur of the temples until seeing them with your own eyes.

A pass is required to get into any of the Angkor Temples. Mine was a 3-Day Pass which cost me USD40.00. The pass is strictly non-transferrable and a photo will be taken for travellers for FREE to be pasted on your pass. You need to show the pass at the gate of most of the temples. The pass covers as far as the Banteay Srei temple.

During this trip, I covered many temples which I shall elaborate more in the next few tips.

FEES (YR 2005) :
1-Day : USD23.00
1-Week : USD63.00

Address: Siem Reap, Angkor

Temple : Phnom Bakheng

Visitors climb up to Phnom Bakheng for a good view of the sunset. The climb was quite steep. Another option was to take the elephant ride up. The temple was very much in ruins with a little to be seen. You would be able to see aerial view of Angkor Wat from Phnom Bakheng.

Temple : Prah Khan

Prah Khan was one of the major temples I visited. It is similar to a Prohm, just that Prah Khan was better reserved than the dilapidated Ta Prohm.

Temple : Neak Pean

The temple was built as an island and it was very much like an entwined naga. A square central basin had at its centre a circular base for the santuary ringged with 2 entwined nagas. There were 4 smaller basins in each side of the temple compound.

Temple : Banteay Samre

This temple was well-preserved too. There wasn't much tourists when I visited. I liked the temple very much. I enjoyed the silence there. It was believed to have being built a little later than the Angkor Wat. The Samres were people of a mixed origin and lived at the base of te Kulen hills.

Get your driver to stop by Banteay Samre enroute to Banteay Srei or vice versa.

More of Banteay Samre under General Tips and activities

Directions: 14km from Siem Reap

Temple : Pre Rup

The temple was mainly built of bricks and sandstone. Most of the details were gone. The temple looked grand from the outside.

Temple : Banteay Srei

Every visitor MUST visit this temple. Banteay Srei was my FAVOURITE temple. It was so nice. From Siem Reap, the journey was long but the trip was defintely worth it.

Banteay Srei was very well-preserved with most of the carvings still intact. It was made of finely textured rose coloured sandstone. Monumental size and architectural theme gave way to a miniature scale and a dense and exquisite detail in good preservation.

Entrance covered by Angkor Pass

More of Banteay Srei will be covered under General Tips and Activities

Directions: 40km away from Siem Reap

Temple : Srah Srang

It was the royal bath with an elegant landing terrace of magnificient proportion and scale. Many locals still bathe there till this day.

This is also a place to see sunrise (besides the Angkor Wat).

Temple : Banteay Kdei

Banteay Kdei was situated opposite the Sras Srang (see next tip). It was very run-down. The temple had 4 enclosures and it showed at least 2 stages of construction of different styles.

Did not recall much of what I saw there though.

Temple : Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm was a very unique temple. Roots of trees were outgrown into the temple and its structure. It was actually a large Buddhist monastry of 5 enclosures.

More of Ta Prohm in my General Tips and Activities