If you only have a day, or a few days, to visit, aside from Angkor Wat don’t miss out on these equally breath-taking sights… Angkor Thom – An ancient walled city that includes the Bayon (a temple that is famous for its 52 serene faces of Jayavarman VII), the Elephant and Leper King Terrraces. Not as well preserved as Angkor Wat, the bas-relief carvings in the temples and terraces are fascinating with scenes of legends and depictions of a past life. Ta Prohm – about a kilometer away from Angkor Thom, the temple was reportedly built by King Jayavarman VII as a shrine for his mother. One can marvel at the coming together of nature and manmade wonders. Left virtually untouched by the archaeologists who discovered it, the roots of the giant trees resemble snakes and octopuses that hug and, at times, destroy the passages that stand in their way. This marvelous ruin was also the site of Angelina Jolie’s blockbuster, Tomb Raider. Banteay Srei – Referred to as The Women’s Citadel, it is the smallest temple built but perhaps also the most beautiful. Made of pink sandstone, it virtually glows in pink splendor. Older than Angkor Wat, the Hindi temple Banteay Srei has beautifully made intricate carvings.
my breath away. It is a photographer’s dream, an artist’s canvas, a poet’s inspiration. From the intricacy of the artwork, to the symmetry of its architecture, to the history that every stone brings, beauty is everywhere you look. But Angkor War is much more than just a thing of beauty. Within its environs, I felt a peace I had never felt before. Despite the many tourists that streamed in and out, there was still a sense of serenity, a feeling of oneness. Indeed, you don’t have to be religious to experience the spirituality of the great temple. Angkor Wat, built in the 12th century, is but one of the many temples and structures that are in and around Angkor. It would, in fact, take weeks or even months to view everything. As a Frenchman and his Cambodian wife proudly told me, it was their seventh time to visit and it was still not enough. You find something new every time,
they pointed out, their smiles filled with anticipation of discovering new things. Like them, I plan to go back again one day and discover more old and new things. A six-hour bus ride brought my friends and I from Pnom Penh to Siem Reap where we were immediately
swamped by a multitude of tuk-tuk drivers all wanting us to make use of their services. Thankfully, we’d already booked a ride with Proo, a former tuk-tuk driver who now drives a Toyota camry. From the bus station he brought us to a small hotel in downtown Siem Reap, after which he whisked us off to get tickets to the main event – Angkor Wat. Siem Reap, the gateway to the Angkor temples, is a small seemingly sleepy town. It is home to hotels, motels, guest houses, B&B’s, souvenir shops, bars, restaurants, groceries, banks, internet cafes among other buildings and services that primarily cater to the nonstop stream of tourists. Quite impressive,
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