Angkor, the Eighth Wonder of the World

Siem Reap is the city in which you will stay if you intend to visit the ruins of Angkor. Many tourists visit only Angkor before carrying on with their overland journey (to Thailand, Laos, or Vietnam).

Angkor is indeed the most beautiful site in Cambodia and probably one of the most stunning archeological sites of the world, but to get a grasp of Angkor history, you should also visit other temples sites in Cambodia (Sambor Prei Kuk, near Kompong Thom is a good introduction).

The site of Angkor is huge and deserves at least three days of visits. The four main parts are:
- Angkor Wat, one of the most amazing temples/mausoleums you will ever see (but do not limit yourself to its visit).
- Angkor Thom or the Great Royal City with many temples and terraces (Bayon, Baphuon, and Elephant terrace are among the best sites and will give you an insight on the diversity of the architecture of the temples).
- Around Angkor Thom on the 'small circuit', Ta Phrom, an abandoned temple in the jungle and partially renovated is not to be missed; Preah Khan (hindu) and Preah Neak Pean (Buddhist) are other temples worth a visit.
- Outside Angkor, the red Banteay Srei temples have the finest examples of Angkorian sculpture and must not be missed. If you like mystery and abandoned sites, Beng Mealea in the jungle is the perfect place to go: it was never restored and the vegetation has taken over the stone walls.

There are many other temples in the area, only to be visited if you are a true fan of (pre-) Angkorian architecture.

There is not only Angkor to visit. There is a nice floating village nearby, Choeung Kneas where fishermen live. This village is best seen on a boat trip from Siem Reap to Battambang, but it can also be visited during a break between temples visits (and you will need a break otherwise you will have an overdose of temples!).

Also Siem Reap has become very touristy in recent years, and you will find great bargains in the many souvenirs and clothes shops.

Quick Tips:

- A great guidebook to buy in Angkor is "Monuments and Temples of Angkor" by Maurice Glaize. It describes every temple in detail if you are interested by their architecture. It is cheap and can be found in bookstalls near the main temples of Angkor. Many other guidebooks are also available at a low price so do not buy any guidebook about Angkor temples in your country.

- Many shops around Psar Chaa sell pirated DVDs for around 2 USD. The quality of the picture and subtitles is quite low for some movies and some of them will not work on your DVD player even though the regional protection has been broken. Also importing pirated DVDs into your country may be illegal so be careful about this.

- If you intend to buy souvenirs in Siem Reap, 'Les Artisans d'Angkor' is the place to buy them. Genuine handicrafts (statues, cushion sheets, bed covers, etc.) are made by local craftsmen. It is not especially cheap but the quality of the items is unique. If you are looking for cheap souvenirs, it is best to buy them in Phnom Penh as they are cheaper. Otherwise, Psar Chaa market is a good place.

- There are many reflexology parlours in Siem Reap but their quality and prices vary. If your feet hurt after a long day walking among the temples of Angkor, pay them a visit (ask around you first about the best place to go). They are around 6 USD for 1 hour.

- There are anophele (malaria) mosquitoes in Angkor (not in Siem Reap). Take mosquito repellent with you if you intend to stay in Angkor Wat after sunset to watch Khmer dances.

- If you see frogs or geckos in your hotel room, do not scream. They are useful because they eat mosquitoes and other insects.

- You should not give money to children or disabled people in the streets but to NGOs instead. Your money will be better used. Pens and other school items should be given to schools principals only.

Best Way To Get Around:

- Single travellers will use motorbike-taxis to get around (fares start from 1 USD but you can hire a motorbike driver for 10 USD a day). Negotiate prices beforehand because moto drivers may ask you an exaggerated amount of money (I was once asked 2 USD for 500 metres and the next day only 1 USD for 3 kilometres!) There are also taxi-cars and Cambodian-type autorickhsaws at a slightly more expensive rate.

- Your hotel/guesthouse can arrange trips with a driver to Angkor. Prices start around 12-15 USD a day for a motorbike with its driver (I paid 35 USD for 3 days). You should check with the driver the temples you intend to visit instead of letting him decide for you.

- To go to the floating village of Choeung Kneas (where you can also take a boat to Battambang or Phnom Penh), a taxi is the only solution (motorbike or car). I paid 8 USD for the return drive by moto-taxi (one way is also more or less the same price because the driver has to go back to Siem Reap alone). Go there only when it has not rained recently because there is mud everywhere on the road.

I had arrived in Siem Reap just before night and there were many touts at the bus station; the majority of them were showing a sign "500 riels to go has any hotel, but at once someone accepted, they would turn the sign over and they would show him photos of a particular hotel (often a guesthouse).

Following other backpackers' recommendations, I had already chosen to go to the Fresh Air Guesthouse, in Psar Chaa area, south of the city centre, on the other side of the river.

It is only 1km from Siem Reap city centre but with my bags, I did not want to walk all the way so, ignoring the touts pestering at me, I took a moto-taxi to go there (1 USD)

The guesthouse is ideally located 500 metres south of the old market (where most cheap restaurants are). At least, it is a peaceful area out of bounds for touts.

One night is only 3 USD and I slept in a cute but dark bedroom with wooden walls, a double bed, a fan and anti-mosquito nettings on the windows. The attached bathroom (with cold shower and Western toilets) is very small but clean. Overall there are a dozen rooms in the guesthouse.

The front yard is a great place to relax in the hammocks or to write your travel diary on one of the big tables with wooden chairs. There is a fridge in the front yard where you can take drinks yourself.

The guesthouse also has a restaurant which has a Western and Cambodian menu. Food is cheap and delicious and I ate most of my meals there but service is a bit slow.

The guesthouse can arrange one to three days trips to Angkor with a motorbike and a driver (in 2006, I paid 35 USD for three days, not including entrance to the sites, but it included a ride to every temple in Angkor, even the Banteay Srai, 35 km from the main site). It can also help you arrange international flights and other excursions in Cambodia for a small fee.

At night, it is fun counting the many frogs wandering in the front yard looking for insects to eat.

I would definitely go back there as the staff is very friendly and helpful. I had a great time meeting other backpackers and watching television in a hammock.

Take a torch with you as it is dark in the streets at night.

I had planned to visit the magnificent site of Angkor for three days with a moto and its driver for 35 USD. To visit Angkor and its surroundings, you need to buy a pass (20 USD for 1 day, 40 USD for 3 days, and 60 USD for one week. It is definitely worth every cent).

After the entrance, we still had to drive several kilometres before arriving on the main site, Angkor Wat, and I could barely see anything after having arrived at the car park. The place was buzzing with tuk-tuk drivers, buses, retailers, beggars, cops in front of the entrance of the Wat hidden behind a high stone wall. The atmosphere was full of the effervescence of a good Sunday Market, but dustier.

So, it was only at the very last minute that I could contemplate the eighth wonder of the world, a symetric Hindu temple and mausoleum whose domes partially reminded me of Borobudur Temple in Java.

It was only 8am but it was already very hot and humid (in April). Before being able to contemplate Angkor Wat in full, I had to cross a crowded gallery and a few seconds later, I had the monument before my eyes.

It was total amazement, total grace, a feeling that you only experience when you see one of the few true architectural wonders of the world. It was really difficult for me to describe what I was feeling when looking at the 12th-century monument, the biggest religious building of the world. I had only felt like this twice before in my life. The first time was at sunrise in Palmyra, Syria and the second time in front of the Taj Mahal in India.

As for any majestic monument, it is very hard to capture on photo the magic of the place you are visiting. Angkor is one of these kinds of monuments, one of the architectural wonders of the Middle Ages.

The monument is huge and I could have spent hours admiring its fine sculptures of army battles, of beautiful women, of stories of Hindu Gods, starting by the west side of the temple or losing myself in awe in the temple galleries.

The three majestic domes are absolutely picturesque and the best photos are taken early in the morning (just after sunrise) or late afternoon (when the sun is behind you when you are looking at the Wat.

Also to have a panoramic view on the site, I was driven to Phnom Bakheng, about 400 m south of Angkor Thom (the Royal enclosure) just before sunset. From there, after a steep walk uphill, it is possible to take great photos of Angkor Wat.

Angkor Thom, the great royal city was my next stop after Angkor Wat. It covers about 10 square kilometres and has many temples and monuments it is definitely worth a visit.

If you do not have a guide to explain you the meaning and the symbolic of the temples and other monuments in Angkor, it is best to buy like I did, the book written by Maurice Glaize "Monuments and Temples of Angkor," you can find it on Siem Reap bookshops or on street bookstalls in Angkor.

My first stop in Angkor Thom is the Bayon, an enigmatic complex with 216 stone faces of Avalokiteshvara directed towards the four cardinal points. This time, I read attentively the explanations in Maurice Glaize’s book in order not to have to come back again because I would have not noticed something. Bayon is less monumental but more mysterious than Angkor Wat. It is pleasant to sit down on the third floor terraces and meditate in front of the enigmatic faces, some of which seeming to impassively look at me. It would be great to come back at different times of the day since the sun enlightens each face one after the other.

Then, I briefly visited the Baphuon, a temple being renovated since the 1960s (renovations were interrupted in 1970 until 1995 because of the civil war and the genocide). I could see how renovations were processed thanks to several explanatory panels. I noticed laterite stones among sandstones (laterite is used as a provisional support), and thousands of stones have been dismounted and stored on the ground close to the entry of the temple; each stone has its own number and will find its place of origin at the end of the renovations.

As I was heading back to the exit of Angkor Thom, I was welcomed by two huge stone lions at the Elephant Terrace, next to the Baphuon. There is a long wall with relieves of elephants on each side of the stairs leading to a 350 metres long terrace used for public ceremonies. It was quite hard to take pictures there because of the crowd in front of the terrace. Behind that terrace, I could see the Royal Enclosure and the Phimeanakas, the Royal Palace (there is almost nothing left nowadays), but it is a nice walk in a shaded park and a great escape from the sun.

The remaining monuments in Angkor Thom (Kleang, Prasat Towers, Preah Palilay, etc.) were less interesting for me and could be easily skipped if you do not have time or are already fed up with visiting temples.

After Angkor Thom, I started visiting temples scattered throughout the ‘Great Circuit,’ a 27km long road. It is possible to visit about 20 temples on this road, but in order to avoid an overdose, it is best to limit yourself to a few of them. Here are a selection of the temples I was shown.

My first stop was the Oriental Mebon, a lovely 10th-century Hindu temple where I got the opportunity to admire wonderful elephant statues (some of them are still in a perfect state) on the corners and carved relieves. It was the last temple built like a tower; the ulterior temples were built as a succession of galleries and halls.

I then met a little girl who asked me in a good English to change euros into dollars but I did not have small change on me. I left her to visit Ta Som, a temple where lies one of the most picturesque temples of Angkor: a huge tree covers the East gopura.

The 12th century Preah Neak Pean is an unusual place: four square basins surround a large central square basin. In the middle of the central basin, lies a small tower housing a Buddha statue. This is one of the few Buddhist temples in Angkor.

The weather was now too hot so for me to go down in the (dry) basin to visit the temple. I was perfectly happy to sit down in a shaded area near one of the basins and meditate a bit in this peaceful place. Very few people come here.

My last stop was at Preah Khan, a huge complex of corridors and galleries dating back to the 12th century. The site is immense but the temple itself is a 700m long and 800m wide rectangle. I was told to look for carved reliefs and I found some of them to be not too damaged.

My legs were hurting more and more and I quickly visited that temple in order to be able to rest afterwards.

For your information, after your visit of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the temples surrounding Angkor Thom, you will have an overall picture of the architectural evolution of the Angkorian temples. To sum up (and especially if I memorized well my history lesson), there are four main steps in Angkorian architecture:

1. Simple sanctuaries

2. Simple sanctuaries built on a terrace (Sambor Prei Kok, near Kompong Thom)

3. Terrace with several levels (Bayong, Angkor Wat, Beng Melea), more and more elaborate through time

4. "Galleries and corridors" sanctuaries (Ta Phrom, Preah Khan)

To finish my visit of the 'Great Circuit', I went back to Angkor Wat for sunset to take a few more pics from the Phnom Bakeng, whose only interest is the view on the site of Angkor, and especially on the Wat hidden between jungle trees.