Every day in Siem Reap, thousands of people trek into the vegetation to witness the sun rise amidst ancient stones and religious sculpture. As the light slowly illuminates the ornate towers and carved walls, a sense of awe descends upon the waiting crowd, as they become humble witnesses to a rediscovered wonder of a long-dead kingdom.

Welcome to Angkor Wat.

Literally meaning “City Temple”, Angkor Wat is one of the greatest temple complexes of the world, first devoted to Hinduism and then converted to Theravada Buddhism. Built by King Suyarvarman II in the 12th Century as a testament to Khmer civilization, it was abandoned and swallowed by the jungle. Through the centuries, wandering Buddhist monks tell tales of a lost city deep in the lands of Indochina, and European travelers eventually became aware of the legends. It wasn’t until 1860 that Henri Mouhot, a French explorer, wrote about the temple in 1860 and captivated the Western World ever since.

Today, the 120 square mile Angkor Wat complex is a major tourist attraction and a source of pride for Cambodians, which they even feature in their currency. The walls of the temple are carved with bas-reliefs and devatas (guardian spirits), with huge faces of Buddha images set on several towers and entrance ways. One curious property of Angkor Wat is that is oriented towards the west, unlike other temples which face east.  It is of little wonder that 19th century Europeans could hardly an Eastern Civilization created such a monument, as Angkor Wat outdoes the Roman and Greek temple sites in size and complexity.

As many as 500,000 people travel along the sacred steps of Angkor Wat each year. To make the 5.5 km trip from Siem Reap to the temple grounds, travelers can hire a taxi, a bicycle, or a motorized cycle called a Tuktuk. Tuktuks can be hired for USD 10-12 for the entire day, while taxis go from USD 20-30. Foreigners may bike to the temple grounds, but are no longer allowed to ride motorcycles by themselves. Taxi drivers are usually uncertified as tour guides and thus cannot enter their vehicles inside the site. Visitors can also take part of a tour group and be led around by a certified tour guide instead. An ideal time to arrive is before sunrise, with at least half a day allotted to explore the site. One, three, and five day passes from the tourist authorities allow for a more thorough exploration of the complex. A multitude of visitors arrive at the temple every day and it can get quite distracting, not to mention annoying for avid photographers. To avoid the crowd, visitors can skip Phnom Bhakeng during sunset, as this is the most recommended site for that solar ritual. They may visit the many other temples, each with their own varying degree of crowd numbers. Finally, they may schedule their trip to Cambodia during October, the low season for visitors.

After touring Angkor Wat, try satiating your appetite in a unique restaurant that is making waves in Siem Reap. Pyongyang is an all-North Korean restaurant, the first of its kind outside isolationist country of North Korea. The wall decorations are reproduction prints and the specialties include “Pyongyang Cold Noodles”. The highlight of the evening is a karaoke performance by a dozen pretty North Korean waitresses who mimic the stiff military movements of the national parades of their mother country. Pyongyang is allowed to operate in Cambodia, one of a few countries with ties to Stalinist North Korea after then President Kim Il Sung provided haven for the exiled King Norodom Sihanouk.

Photo Credits: Raffy Celestial

Posted in Attractions, Cambodia

This entry was posted on Monday, September 1st, 2008 at 2:08 pm and is filed under Attractions, Cambodia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.