It’s an image covering Cambodia, on the flag, on the riels, on the minds of every traveler visiting this country. Angkor Wat. It may be only one of hundreds of temples you can visit within the Siem Reap area, but it’s certainly the most famous for its three towered silhouette. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the largest religious monument in the world, and the most visited place in the country. But what’s the big deal?
I sought to find out one early morning and tuk tuk ride later. At 9 am it was already crowded with tourists who had come for sunrise and stayed on to explore. The sky was hazy and overcast but still emitted great heat and humidity. This is certainly the most crowded temple in the entire complex during nearly every waking hour. Pushy tourists all trying to get the best photo and vendors aggressively selling postcards and books are enough to make anyone go a little crazy, but I tried to keep my cool while wandering the paths.
Angkor Wat, the main temple of the Angkor complex, was originally built as a Hindu temple by Khmer King Suryavarman II in the 12th century. It was located in the capital of the empire and was where the king was later buried. It represents the Golden Age of Khmer history. Cambodians regard this site as the most holy of the temples and while the other sites are mostly just ruins, Angkor Wat still serves as a temple, which is why it’s respectful to dress appropriately.
Despite Angkor Wat’s age and history, it’s well preserved. The nearby Thai empire sacked the city in 1431 and in the 1800s, a French-led expedition returned to the historic site that had been taken over by the jungle. During the period of French protectorate status, the government controlled the Angkor complex and oversaw its restoration. During the reign of the Khmer Rouge, the monuments sustained small scale damage, including looting, but avoided complete destruction. Today the ASPARA group runs the complex and various organizations from countries like Germany and India aid in restoration.
We skipped the sunrise and sunset perspectives of Angkor Wat due to hazy visibility throughout our time in Siem Reap. While I love a good sunset, it just wasn’t worth the trip back to the archaeological park if the sun was going to set behind the clouds and without any of the fanfare you see on postcards. If I were to go back, however, I would definitely try to make it to one of them.
While it wasn’t my favorite of the temples I visited, which I’ll tell about later, I certainly couldn’t have missed out on visiting Angkor Wat. It’s very easy to book your own trip using the tuk tuk drivers parked outside your guesthouse, but you can also book a tour of the Angkor complex through local companies.
Victoria says
I really like this post Caroline but regretfully, I didn’t manage to get to Cambodia, maybe next time. I did go to Vietnam though and had a brilliant time!
Keep the posts coming. :)
Jayne says
Heading yo Cambodia the end of August/beginning of September. I can’t wait.
Todd @ Visit50 says
Cambodia was incredible! In a half year trip across SE Asia, my 2-day trip through the Angkor area was a highlight.
We had the same crowded experience – if you’ve not going to arrive at the sunrise, you might as well start at one of the other temples, since most people start at Angkor Wat. Bayon was one of my favorites.
If interested, I just posted about my experiences with a captioned photo driven post of the incredible temples here – you can see how close I got to them without any obstructions.
http://visit50.com/amazing-angkor-wat/