Temple Adventures in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Cambodia, Siem Reap – I’ve always found the construction of the Angkor Wat fascinating. How did these people manage to build something so complex without using tower cranes and forklifts? After watching countless videos about it, I wanted to see the Angkor Wat for myself. As the saying goes “It’s better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.”

Day 1

I travelled to Angkor Wat with my sister. We took a late-night flight from Manila and arrived at Siem Reap International Airport at around 1 am the following day. Our Tuk-tuk driver picked us up and dropped us at our accommodations. Tired from our travel, we caught up on some much-needed sleep in the morning and did a little exploring later that day.

• We took a lesisurely stroll along the Royal Independence Garden and enjoyed the peace and quiet.
• Address: Charles De Gualle St., Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia

• Next, we headed to the Pub street to grab our dinner, where we were greeted high energy, neon lights and loud music. There are many restaurants and pubs to choose from, we chose to sample the local cuisine and ordered Chinese sausage, stir-fried vegetables and rice.
• Address: Old Market Area, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia

• The Siem Reap Night Market was just around the corner and we did some window shopping.
• Address: Angkor Night Market St., Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia

Day 2-4

On our 2^nd day at Siem Reap, we woke up early and got on the Tuk-tuk we chartered for the day. Our first stop was to buy our Angkor Wat Pass at the Authority for Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (APSARA). You can choose from a 1-day pass, 3-day pass or a 7-day pass. We bought the 3-day pass for 62 USD per person.

• Address: All temples are located within The Angkor Archeological Park, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia

Tips:

• Dress in comfortable and breathable clothes since there will be a lot of walking and stairs to climb. Make sure your shoes or sandals are comfy as well.
• Slather on some sunblock and keep yourself hydrated. You can always buy some coconut water from the vendors to combat dehydration.
• Get your Tuk-tuk driver’s number to make pick-ups and drop-offs easier. It’s hard to look for your Tuk-tuk amidst all the other Tuk-tuks in the parking lot.
• I can tell from experience that taking decent photos is going to be a challenge. There will always be a limb or an umbrella in your photos.
• It is very important that you don’t lose your Angkor Wat pass. You will need to present your pass at every temple you visit.

We visited more than 10 temples during our trip, here are some pictures of my favorite temples

• Preah Khan Temple.

Our tour guide informed us that after the temple was cleared from land mines, the restoration on this temple was kept to a minimum. Allowing nature to takeover gave an otherworldy effect on the place.

• The Bayon

This temple was built in the 12^th century and is adorned images of Avloketesvar.

• The Angkor Wat at sunrise.

The Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world. It symbolizes Cambodia, it’s a key element in their National flag. I recommend going to the temple early, so you can find a nice spot for taking photos while waiting for the sun to rise.

• Did I mention, you’ll have a hard time taking good photos? Behold the huge crowd at the Angkor Wat

• Ta Phrom Temple, popularized the movie Tomb Raider.

Day 5

On our last day at Siem Reap, we visited the The Angkor Silk Farm. I’ve never been to a silk farm before, so I found this visit educational. The tour guide explained the entire cycle of silk production, from growing mulberry bushes for the silk worms to munch on to processing the cocoons to make spools of silk thread. The entire process takes so much effort, no wonder silk scarves are quite expensive.

• Address: Puok, Cambodia

That ends my post about my adventure in Cambodia. It was definitely worth the visit. I flew back home sunburnt and happy. Till the next adventure!

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