"Under Construction - The Last Angkor City" Top 5 Page for this destination Angkor Thum by bpacker

Angkor Thum Travel Guide: 248 reviews and 840 photos

Greeted by Gods at the Gates of Angkor Thom

The Last Great City of Angkor

Other than the famous Angkor Wat, the fortified city of Angkor Thom also beckoned to me. I had to see this place, the last capital of the Khmer Kingdom. The place where the LAST royal priests, officials, military and administrators of the kingdom lived before they were chased out by the friendly Thai army of Ayuthaya in 1431. How sad they must have been to leave such a magnificent city! Angkor Thom represented the world to them and indeed it was a mini universe. The square wall enclosing the city of Angkor Thom represented the mountain ranges around Mount Meru and the surrounding moat (now dry) around the wall symbolized the ocean. Bayon, the famous temple within represented the link between heaven and earth. Of course, even before I entered, I was awed by the stone sculptures of the Gods. Ay, they greeted me before I entered the famous gates of Angkor Thom..

The Bayon, the link between Heaven and Earth

The Bayon, which lies right at the centre of Angkor Thom is the most famous structure in the whole of Angkor Thom. You might have heard about this wonderful place where you can find the enigmatic smiling faces of Brahma, a four-faced god. Somehow, looking at the faces struck a chord in me, I was reminded of an enigmatic painting I saw at the Lourve. That's right, to me Brahma was the Mona Lisa of the East.

The Elephant Terrace

And not too far from the Bayon, lies Terrace of the Elephants, and other structures. Of course, I loved the Terrace above everything else in Angkor Thom. Why? Because I love elephants!

Pros and Cons

Pros:A must for every temple enthusiast. Intricate carvings found here!
Cons:Do expect some jig-saw puzzle type temple wrecks.
In a nutshell:Wonderful, Magical Walled City of Temples

Last visit to Angkor Thum: Apr 2005
Intro Updated Oct 21, 2005
Add to Trip Planner (?)
Report Abuse

Reviews (14)

Scenes from the Bayon : The Circus Things to Do (9)

Right along the North Gallery, you can can see a circus act of dwarfs (below) and strong men(above, supporting the... more travel advice

Baphuon painted by Lucien Fournereau, 1889 - Angkor Thum

Baphuon - What it was like Things to Do (9)

Here's a watercolor picture of the Baphuon temple as it might have been in ancient Angkor times. Now, do you believe me... more travel advice

Scenes from the Elephant Terrace Things to Do (9)

Here's a close-up of the lion chimera(deviated life form that is part human, part animal) at the Elephant Terrace. He's... more travel advice

Lion, Garudas and Nagas in between - Angkor Thum

Scenes from the Elephant Terrace -... Things to Do (9)

Found alongside the central stairway of the Elephant Terrace in Angkor Thom are life-sized garudas and lion chimeras (... more travel advice

Off The Beaten Path (4)
See All Under Angkor Thom

Restaurants (1)
Delicious Fish Amok

Comments (12)

Reply
- Report abuse
Robmj Dec 5, 2009 at 8:15 PM

nice images in B&W, I recently visited this area as well, you describe it very well
Reply
- Report abuse
tongkeechoi Nov 29, 2006 at 10:14 PM

Thanks for taking me there with the very vivid and lively comments...I wish I was one of the divas with you.
Reply
- Report abuse
robertgaz Jun 11, 2006 at 10:10 PM

Have sympathy for the naga... His Royal Highness may have been horribly hideous ;~)
Reply
- Report abuse
shounakray Apr 29, 2006 at 12:53 PM

Great pages, Glen! Very informative and with a touch of humour for flavour. Would indeed help my planning a trip there. You really know your way through Hindu Mythology, Kudos!
Reply
- Report abuse
mizzzthanggg Mar 20, 2006 at 8:37 PM

tee hee...! i love making like apsaras too - see my hp travelogue, Essential Travelling 101 ;-)
Reply
- Report abuse
muddybok Jan 23, 2006 at 2:15 AM

I don't think this is positive one.
Reply
- Report abuse
umashanker Dec 19, 2005 at 3:13 AM

Yes Glen Angkor temples and Khajuraho temple represent the same school of art and were built in same era.
Reply
- Report abuse
mikelisaanna Dec 11, 2005 at 10:56 AM

Great page. Another place to add to the wish list!
Reply
- Report abuse
BluBluBlu Oct 23, 2005 at 2:06 AM

LOL! Great & funny pages...loved the idea of the Elephant parade song! Stay strong...Blu
Reply
- Report abuse
Roelofsim Jun 17, 2005 at 12:20 AM

Excellent pictures of a magical place. I will surely make another trip there since this wonder has to be visited more than 1 time in a lifetime. (but not anymore by bus from BKK...) Regards, Roelof