The ruined city
So a few things has happened since I last told you about my whereabouts. I headed down to the south of Laos and 4000 islands to enjoy some relaxing time instead I got food poisoning. I wouldn't share this if it didn't have a significant impact on my next visit. This just happened to be one of the places I've been looking forward to the most on this trip: Siem Reap and Angkor Wat.
Now there are many ways to explore the archipelago area, the cheapest one being on a bicycle (though unless you are a super cyclist you might want to stick to the small circuit), e-bikes, tuk-tuks, cars etc. If I wouldn't have been ill recently I would have liked to explore the area on bicycle but as my energy level was down I went for the safe bet of a tul-tuk.
On my first day we started just before 9am and set off to purchase my 3 day pass for US$40 (336 SEK/€33) with my first temple being Bayon. It's a beautiful ruin with 54 towers covered in a total of 216 smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara.
The ruin also has a lot of little hidden passways at the bottom to explore which are almost empty as everyone seem to flock to the top.
Just a short walk away and I had reached Baphuon temple.
This was followed by a visit to the Terrace of the Elephants which is a 350m wall covered in carved elephants along its way.
After a quick stop for lunch we passed through the Victory Gate, which got its name as it was the gate the army entered after a victory. It's sad to see but a lot of the statues along the way has been chopped off by the neck. As before the area got recognised to the significance it has today people used to chop them off and sell them.
I visited two smaller temples next with a lot less people, Chau Say Tevoda and Themmanon temple.
The final temple of the day was one I had looked forward to the most and of course is one of the most popular ones, especially since Tomb Raider was filmed there, Ta Prohm.
It was built back in 1186 and its crumbling walls and towers are locked in by century old tree.
You get reminded of the power of the jungle as you see the amount of impassable walkways and pathways covered in ruins. A truly magical place.
The next morning I was up before the roosters for once so that I could see the famous sunrise over Angkor Wat. Yes, there were masses of crowds. No, you can not get a shot without people in it but you sure can try. But yes, it was worth it!
Angkor Wat was built between 1113-1152 and is the Khmers' national symbol. Unlike the rest of the monuments in the area, it was never abandoned to the elements and has been in virtually continuous use since it was built.
After a few hours exploring Angkor Wat I decided to venture out to one of the monuments furthest away: Banteay Srei. It is the only temple in the complex which is made from pinkish stone and the it is said to have been built by women as the carvings are too fine for the hand of a man.
On our way back we stopped at the oldest monument in the complex which I unfortunately forgot the name of but was decorated with big elephants on each corner.
Finally, the last temple ended up being Ta Som.
I rounded off my days at about 2pm everyday as I was simply tired and the heat from the beaming sun was at its worse at that time. From what I could see from passing by some of the temples on my way back was that it seemed there was a lot less people in the afternoons and towards closing.
No matter how you choose to do it I would recommend a minimum of two days exploring this sight. Then you can simply take your time and enjoy all the ancient beauty that surronds you.
Now there are many ways to explore the archipelago area, the cheapest one being on a bicycle (though unless you are a super cyclist you might want to stick to the small circuit), e-bikes, tuk-tuks, cars etc. If I wouldn't have been ill recently I would have liked to explore the area on bicycle but as my energy level was down I went for the safe bet of a tul-tuk.
On my first day we started just before 9am and set off to purchase my 3 day pass for US$40 (336 SEK/€33) with my first temple being Bayon. It's a beautiful ruin with 54 towers covered in a total of 216 smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara.
The ruin also has a lot of little hidden passways at the bottom to explore which are almost empty as everyone seem to flock to the top.
Just a short walk away and I had reached Baphuon temple.
This was followed by a visit to the Terrace of the Elephants which is a 350m wall covered in carved elephants along its way.
After a quick stop for lunch we passed through the Victory Gate, which got its name as it was the gate the army entered after a victory. It's sad to see but a lot of the statues along the way has been chopped off by the neck. As before the area got recognised to the significance it has today people used to chop them off and sell them.
I visited two smaller temples next with a lot less people, Chau Say Tevoda and Themmanon temple.
The final temple of the day was one I had looked forward to the most and of course is one of the most popular ones, especially since Tomb Raider was filmed there, Ta Prohm.
It was built back in 1186 and its crumbling walls and towers are locked in by century old tree.
You get reminded of the power of the jungle as you see the amount of impassable walkways and pathways covered in ruins. A truly magical place.
The next morning I was up before the roosters for once so that I could see the famous sunrise over Angkor Wat. Yes, there were masses of crowds. No, you can not get a shot without people in it but you sure can try. But yes, it was worth it!
Angkor Wat was built between 1113-1152 and is the Khmers' national symbol. Unlike the rest of the monuments in the area, it was never abandoned to the elements and has been in virtually continuous use since it was built.
After a few hours exploring Angkor Wat I decided to venture out to one of the monuments furthest away: Banteay Srei. It is the only temple in the complex which is made from pinkish stone and the it is said to have been built by women as the carvings are too fine for the hand of a man.
On our way back we stopped at the oldest monument in the complex which I unfortunately forgot the name of but was decorated with big elephants on each corner.
Finally, the last temple ended up being Ta Som.
I rounded off my days at about 2pm everyday as I was simply tired and the heat from the beaming sun was at its worse at that time. From what I could see from passing by some of the temples on my way back was that it seemed there was a lot less people in the afternoons and towards closing.
No matter how you choose to do it I would recommend a minimum of two days exploring this sight. Then you can simply take your time and enjoy all the ancient beauty that surronds you.
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