Angkor Wat, the Great Temple, encompasses a full square mile and is said to be the largest temple complex in the world. Its three spires--shaped like elongated pineapples--are seen on postcards, in TV travel films, and on travel posters the world over.

Begun in the early 1100s, my guidebook said, Angkor Wat took 37 years and the labor of some 25,000 men to complete. And, though what’s now known as Cambodia is a Buddhist country, Angkor Wat was built as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu. (Hindus and Buddhists, I’m told, have long co-existed peaceably in this part of the world. Indeed, according to my guide, the 12th-century Buddhist kings wanted a place of worship for their loyal Hindu subjects.)

On first approaching Angkor Wat, I thought, "IT’S NOT AS BIG AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE." Then I realized: though I was standing on the edge of the moat surrounding it, the temple itself was still more than half-a-mile away, at the end of a long causeway. It wouldn't be until the next morning, as my guide and I walked toward it, that I would appreciate its true size.

Guide Son Bunny wisely approached Angkor Wat from the rear, east side, to take advantage of the morning sun. Even from behind, the famous triple spires were clearly recognizable. Entering the temple required ascending ramps of 20-25 degrees, without handrails but wide enough for all but the most balance-impaired. We found ourselves at the junction of two long, massive corridors, 8-10 feet wide, between the inner and outer walls. Negotiating them required climbing, or stepping over, stone steps up to 15-16" high. Fortunately, my guide had considerable experience in assisting mobility-impaired visitors, and he urged me to explore several passages I might not have attempted on my own.

Good thing! Many of them opened into the temple’s inner courtyards, where one could watch the caretakers and monks at work. And, the main corridor of the lower gallery was festooned with ancient bas-relief art, much like the temples at Luxor and the Elephant Terrace at nearby Angkor Thom. Within the temple were several small shrines where locals often come to meditate.

You’ll need to buy a pass to enter the Angkor Wat complex by car. We paid, I believe, US$20 for a two-day pass. You’ll need the better part of a morning for the main temple itself. You’ll probably want to return to your hotel for a mid-day break: it’s only a 15-25 minute drive.

Allow about three hours for an afternoon tour of Angkor Thom, Tap Rohm, and other nearby attractions. This should put you back at the west portal of Angkor Wat in time for a sunset view--but be prepared for crowds.

"Angkor Wat," my reference booklet said, "represents the high point of Khmer architecture." I’m convinced--except, possibly, for Angkor Thom.