TA PHROM, SIEM REAP (CAMBODIA) – It rained so hard while we were still walking around Angkor Thom and exploring the other towers of The Bayon. Mr. Sambo, our English speaking tour guide, told us that we arrived in the middle of the rainy season. But it was not all bad. Just like today, we arrived in extremely sunny Siem Reap with the sun almost scorching our skin and melting us alive. The weather suddenly changed after twelve noon when the clear skies were suddenly enveloped by dark gray rain clouds that brought the rain which drenched us to the bones.

After the rain stopped, Mr. Sambo asked Mr. Rith to drive us to our next destination. It was time for us to go to the next temple on our list, Ta Phrom.

Did you get to watch the Tomb Raider movie of Angelina Jolie wherein she played the famous character of Lara Croft? If yes, then I am pretty sure that you have seen the part when Lara Croft went to Cambodia and visited a particular temple. There were shots of huge trees that are entwined among the temple’s ruins. Yes, several parts of the movie were shot right in the heart of Ta Phrom. How cool is that?

Ta Phrom is specifically located about a kilometer east of equally marvelous Angkor Tho which is why most visitors head to Ta Phrom after touring Angkor Thom. Ta Phrom was constructed following the Bayon style and was built sometime in the 12th and 13th centuries by Jayavarman VII. Later on, it was enlarged by Indravarman II. This is considered one of the major temples of Jayavarman VII because of its breathtaking structures, galleries and corner towers. The original name of Ta Phrom was Rajavihara which meant “the royal monastery.” Aside from the fact that a Hollywood film was shot on location here, the Ta Phrom is different from the other Angkor Temples because of its level of collapse. This place has become highly popular among tourists because of the unbelievable sight of gigantic trees interlaced with the ruins and growing out of olden rocks.

Two kinds of trees abound within the temple grounds. One kind (the larger one) is a silk cotton tree called Ceiba Pentandara or Thitpok called Tetrameles Nudiflora. This tree is characterized by its huge and light brown roots. The smaller kind is either the Ficus Gibbosa which is a strangler fig that has thinner gray roots or the Gold Apple which is Diospyros Decandra. The tree trunks and never ending roots coil around huge boulders and temple ruins as if they are giant serpents of anacondas strangling their prey.

Even if the place was carefully maintained to look like it is in the utmost state of neglect, there were still a couple of evident signs showing that the government is doing its part in maintaining this mind-blowing temple-monastery. The tallest trees were already supported by braces and some structures were already barricaded from the public. This is certainly commendable as these efforts can ensure that Ta Phrom will still be enjoyed by a lot more people from future generations.

My partner and I also felt the romantic atmosphere that Ta Phrom is known for. We took time to explore as there were a lot of hidden corners and passageways. It even felt like we were explorers on some age-old deserted place searching for some treasure. This is certainly not hard to imagine given that the temple proper’s one hectare land area is only a small part of the total sixty hectares.

Our guide also showed us a lot of interesting points of interest within Ta Phrom. We took souvenir photos of the huge trees, temple ruins, wall carvings, and the trees reflections on the puddle of rain water. There is also one area where you can see a face on the wall hidden behind tree roots. It looks like there is a creature peeking into our world. That’s not all! In one of the enclosed areas within the temple, Mr. Sambo instructed us to position our backs against the stone wall and pound on our chest. To our surprise, the thumping was magnified about ten times and echoed within the enclosure. Now that was something that you won’t get to experience every day.

After visiting Ta Phrom’s maze-like passageways, your body will surely be sore and craving for a hot steaming bath and soft warm bed. Make sure you arrange for a room in any of Siem Reap’s wonderful hotels like the Angkorland Hotel Siem Reap. You would definitely need all the rest that you can get to be fully recharged for another day of exploring marvelous Angkor Temples. In our case, we needed all the rest we can get for we will be going to Angkor Wat the following day. Yippee!

Posted in Attractions, Cambodia

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