"Angkor Wat is a Must See part of Cambodia!" Cambodia by atufft

Cambodia Travel Guide: 8,397 reviews and 23,237 photos

Ankgor Wat is the name of the main temple

Built during the peak of the classic period in the Khmer Empire, the name Angkor Wat actually refers to the largest temple within a region of temples also frequently referred to Angkor Wat. Within bicycle riding distance though, one enters Angkor Thom which is a walled city of temples. Huge hand dug water bodies known as Barays accent the setting. Over a period of about 800 years, dozens of temples were built with the earliest generally brick built structures. Later, the Hindu concept of the Mount Meru, the idealized center of the universe, were built, and eventually the largest and most impressive of these concentric structures is Angkor Wat. The amount of stone easily compares with the scale found in the Great Pyramids at Giza. I have some general tips about Cambodia here on this page, but you can also use the destination search for Angkor Wat itself and find most of my best images and tips regarding the details of this world's wonder.

Bayon

Face from the Bayon

The Bayon is inside Angkor Thom and is "the temple of a thousand faces", and while less grand than huge Angkor Wat itself, it's eerie beauty haunts me. It is situated at a crossroads of great temples at the center of Angkor Thom.

Tonlee Sap provided a fish diet

Boys swimming near the Bayon

Part of the Mekong River backs up into a swampy area known as Tonlee Sap. This region is rich in fish and may have provided the diet required to feed workers. Agricultural drainage and irrigation was probably the early motivation for creating the moats and Barays, and so eventually, in a like manner to the monuments in Egypt, the engineering skills and division of labor required for building dikes and canals evolved into a temple building culture. Today, local residents still worship in the temples, now erroneously referred to by the government as Buddhist. Children swim in the water, and fisherman casting nets is a common sight.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Angkor Wat easily rivals a trip to Egypt for monument climbers
Cons:Cambodia remains an unstable and sometimes dangerous country
In a nutshell:Can't miss this must see trip

Last visit to Cambodia: Apr 1997
Intro Updated Jun 5, 2006
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Reviews (7)

Elephants are used for transportation... Transportation (2)

In the region of Angkor Wat, we saw Asian elephants working in much the same way they probably did during construction... more travel advice

Angkor Wat remains a religious shrine... Local Customs (1)

The Khmer heritage is most evident in the work at Angkor Wat, in a way even more meaningful than the Egyptian pride of... more travel advice

Climbing around the monuments Things to Do (1)

Just outside of Siem Reap, the government national park of Angkor Wat does require a fee for admittance. I can't recall... more travel advice

Rolus Group Temples easily worth... Off The Beaten Path (1)

About a 30 to 45 minute drive over a washboard like gravel road, one can get to other Khmer monuments in the area. The... more travel advice

Hotels (1)
Siem Reap has plenty of good hotels

Nightlife (1)
The old Angkor Hotel hosts cultural...

Comments (6)

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easterntrekker Sep 10, 2008 at 2:35 PM

Great pages . I'm sorry I didn't get there on our trip to Thailand. Another time!!
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mad4travel Feb 2, 2007 at 12:55 AM

Agree with your sentiments on both Cambodia and Guatemala. Troubled history but fascinating countries. Greetings from the UK.
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celene.tacuba Sep 27, 2006 at 9:40 AM

Mr. Tufft, This place is amazing, I think is a great place to visit with your family. I'm sure my brother would enjoy elephant riding.
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planxty Jun 5, 2006 at 6:02 PM

Hi Alan, interesting tips on one of my favourite countries. fergy.
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jpourtaverdi Sep 11, 2005 at 8:00 PM

Mr. Tufft, These pictures are my personal favorite, i would have never imagined that Cambodia would have been this remarkable. -jason
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MelindaBarney Aug 30, 2005 at 10:00 PM

Hi Mr. Tufft. I love your pictures of Cambodia! They are very pretty.