Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Angkor Wat temple complex is Cambodia’s main tourist attraction, and it was also our first stop.
I arranged private tours through the hotel with a guide, and opted for the small circuit, which included the following temples: Angkor Wat, South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphuon, Elephant Terrace, Leper King, Ta Prohm.
All information about ticket prices can be found at the following link, where you can also buy tickets online for 1, 3, or 7-day pass to suit your preference: https://www.angkorenterprise.gov.kh/
We bought a one-day ticket at the ticket office on our way to the temples, and everything was very well organized. There were no queues, and we were promptly attended to, I think it was around 9 am.
Visiting the temples at sunrise and sunset is quite popular, and experiencing the view with the sun on the horizon must be truly stunning, however, I thought it would be pushing our luck to wake up a five-year-old at 4 am to go and see the sunrise…
Everything went smoothly when we travelled by Tuk Tuk, but as soon as Maria Rita realized she would have to walk to get to the temples, problems began… amidst many complaints of “I hate temples” and “this is not interesting at all,” we ended up cutting short our visit to the gigantic archaeological site of Angkor Wat.
The temple of “Ta Prohm” (in the last two photos) became famous all over the world when it was used as a set for the film “Tomb Raider,” starring Angelina Jolie. It’s impressive to see how the trees swallowed up the temple with their roots and trunks, covering it with the jungle after the fall of the Khmer Empire.
Fortunately, in the 20th century, there was a growing interest in the preserving and restoring the temple ruins, and when Angkor Wat was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, conservation efforts were combined, contributing to the preservation of this heritage.
Today many tourists queue up next to the tree featured in the film to take photos, which I wasn’t up to.
Final thoughts on Angkor Wat
Although I only saw the ruins of the main temples, I really enjoyed what I saw and learned about the way of life of the Khmer people during the years when the Khmer Empire ruled the region that formed the basis of Cambodia.
The Angkor Wat temple complex was first built as a Hindu temple around the beginning of the 12th century, and then gradually became a Buddhist temple by the end of the 12th century (today, around 90% of Cambodia’s population is Buddhist).
It’s impressive that, after so many centuries, the ruins are still here to tell this story.
Don’t forget to check out the other great tours suggested in Things to do in Siem Reap.
Hi,
Before I was a bit afraid of travel to Cambodia, after your story I think I might travel there one day, to see the temples, to feel the power of nature and of course “Rolls Royce”. Looking forward to see your other stories. Cheers