Siem Reap province is located in the northwest of the Kingdom of Cambodia. It translates literally to "Defeat of Siam"; Siam refers to Thailand.
It boasts of the Angkor Wat ,the largest religious structure in the world and attracts about 3 million tourists a year, one of the most visited places in South East Asia.
Here's my account of the visit to Siem Reap.
20th September,2014
Siem Reap
Stepping into the humid sticky heat of Siem Reap on a Saturday morning, our vacation began. The airport is small and you can't get lost even if you try. The Visa On Arrival (VOA) counter was to our left as soon as we walked into the airport. The process was simple and fast involving filling up of the visa application,one passport size photo and visa fees of 20$. Once submitted, a page is attached to your passport with a validity of 1 month. Took a 5$ tuk-tuk ride to the hostel we were staying at, Jasmine Family Hostel. The room wasn't cleaned out yet,so we left our bags at the reception albeit the passport and important things. Over a quick breakfast ,we drew circles on the map of the Angkor planning the day ahead.
We had emailed Sam Pho(http://www.angkordriver-sam.com/), a tour guide about our arrival and possible itineraries before coming to Angkor. Very impressed with his promptness in replies and detailed suggested itinerary ,we decided to go ahead with him. Greeted by Mr. Pol and tuk-tuk driver Mr.Hoy at 10:30am, we began our temple visits!
ANGKOR WAT :
You must posses a temple pass to visit the temples in the Angkor Archeaological Park. You can purchase the passes for a day,three days or seven days. We bought the one day pass that cost 20$. The passes are checked for at the entrance of every major temple, so make sure to keep them somewhere safe.My romancing with the breeze and tall trees that lined the road was cut short by the sight of a huge lake, the broad man-made moat around the mighty Angkor Wat. The reflection of the Angkor outer wall on the rather clean moat water was stunning. Stone lions with missing tails (because the plunderers stole the iron rod used in the tail) and Nagas(mythological Snake) flank the causeway across the moat. Angkor literally means "city" and wat means "temple". King Suryavarman II and is men took over 37 years to complete the temple structure as we see it today and work started on it in the 11th century. Angkor was the capital then and temple is dedicated to Hindu God, Lord Vishnu. We saw the three beautiful domes of the main temple as we entered in through the outer gate. There is a long causeway connecting the outer enclosure to the main temple. One doesn't realize the vastness of area until you enter past the outer gate. HUGE! 400 sq km and well maintained. Manicured gardens and lush green on either side. Libraries are pressent on either side, one for the women and other for the men or one for higher sect of people and the other for the lower sect (Hindus had a prevalent caste system). A lotus pond on the left, in the garden gives the best photographic opportunity to capture the reflection of the main temple. The temple is stunning, every meticulous carving, the planned architecture, the stories on the walls. One wide wall has the entire epic "Mahabharatha" carved on it precisely. Another wide wall with epic "Ramayana". Another with churning of the cosmic ocean where Lord Vishnu is in the Koorma Avatar (Tortoise holding the mountain on his back to prevent it from dissolving while the churning happens). One with King Suryavarman II ,the monarch himself and the life in those times. The heart of the temple is the central tower with steep stairs leading to an idol of Lord Buddha ,although I read the history that says an idol of Lord Vishnu was here. The temple was converted into a Buddhist one (and still remains so) in the 14th century by the Kings ruling at that time.
The temple lives up to the hype and more than that. Unbelievable architecture and precision and to think of the timeline when it was built.
After a tiring 90 minutes around the Angkor Wat and it's many towers, we headed to Ta Prohm in the tuk-tuk. Hoy was kind enough to provide us with chilled water and a wet tissue. We passed by Bantaey Kdei on the way to Ta Prohm and glanced at it. Bantaey Kdei was built by Jayavarman VII dedicated to his teacher. The route also showed us Srah Srang reservoir, or a "royal bathing pool", vast! Quite a swimming the king wanted!
TA PROHM:
We exited Angkor Thom through the "Victory gate" to reach the famous "Tomb Raider" temple. Was originally called "RajaVihara", came to be known as Ta Prohm, and now as the Tomb Raider temple. Was constructed by Jayavarman VII and is dedicated to his mother. The beauty of this temple lies in its relationship with nature. The big silk-cotton trees grown on the ruins and beautifully so. The big towering trees look like they own the ruins. Not much remains of this structure and a few scenic pictures, we headed out to get some lunch.
We stopped for lunch at a place a little off Ta Prohm and in an attempt to try local cuisine, we ordered for the vegetarian version of "Amok" along with some rice and a soup , if my memory recalls correctly "Khmer soup". DELICIOUS!
TERRACE OF THE LEPER KING AND TERRACE OF ELEPHANTS:
We then explored the terrace of the leper king and the terrace of the elephants. Both the terraces are alongside each other. Opposite the terrace are two broken down structures and a field where the King would be entertained. The terrace was a podium for the King Jayavarman VII to view his victorious army returning. The terrace of the Leper King is called thus because of the statue of the king, the original is kept safe at the National Museum at Phnom Penh, and the one here is the copy. The statue with no fists and a shorter structure. Some historians also believed that Jayavarman VII was a leper,although there is no evidence supporting it.
The bas-reliefs are mostly elephants and apsaras. But most of all,the one I was impressed by was that of an angry guard.
BAYON TEMPLE:
Our next stop was Bayon Temple. By far the temple I enjoyed most because of the symmetrical carved smiling Buddha faces.It is believed that King Jayavarman VII built this temple for himself and to signify the 54 provinces he ruled. It is geographically placed at the center of Angkor city but built many years after Angkor Wat. The four faces in each signify different traits including those of sympathy and compassion. The uniqueness yet perfect symmetric of the faces intrigued me,impressive.The boddisattva looks at peace. The stories of a common man's life at Angkor crafted on the walls were interesting and not far from life as we know it today.
We took the quintessential picture of the nose touching that of a smiling buddha face! the cheap camera trick with hilarious outcome.
With a choice of watching sunset at the hill Phnom Bakheng and the other temple of Preah Khan, we chose the latter. Watching the sunset from Bakheng Hill is mostly on every tourist's itinerary,we saved it for the following day.
We exited Angkor Thom through the North gate.
PREAH KHAN:
The king Jayavarman VII dedicated this temple to his father. This temple I noticed had many shiv lingams and also structures with buddha in hermit pose.One of the walls had Lord Vishnu in the sleeping pose as well. The temple is spread over a wide area and most of it in ruins. Nonetheless, this temple had lesser crowd and a huge relief to be able to explore it in peace.
Having some time to spare before heading back, we relaxed our tired legs on top of the building next to the library with a view of the ruins. I sat there in that peace contemplating on how life would have been during Jayavarman's reign. The King and his royal family lived a grand life.
We exited the walled city through the south gate, with demons gods on one side and devas on the other, holding the naga or the snake and churning the cosmic ocean(Hindu Mythology). Of all the gates we went by today,the South gate is the best preserved.
The guide told us about Koulen Restaurant which has Apsara dance shows every night and a buffet dinner of local cuisine. We decided to try it out. The buffet was extensive but the vegetarian that I am, my options were limited. The places were booked,but we managed to get decent seats where we could view the dance. The talented pretty ladies swayed gracefully to the music, there is a striking similarity to Bharathanatyam, although the movements in the dance are subtle and slow.
The tuk tuk ride of 15$ along with the guide fees 35$ seemed well worth it. Back at the hostel, we checked with Sam Pho on our itinerary for the following day ; Watch Sunrise over the Angkor, Bantaey Srei, Beng Melea, Bakong, Preah Ko and spend the night at Pub Street. He suggested we hire a taxi as these temples are farther off from Angkor Thom.
Retired for the night anticipating a great view of sunrise in the morning.
It boasts of the Angkor Wat ,the largest religious structure in the world and attracts about 3 million tourists a year, one of the most visited places in South East Asia.
Here's my account of the visit to Siem Reap.
20th September,2014
Siem Reap
Stepping into the humid sticky heat of Siem Reap on a Saturday morning, our vacation began. The airport is small and you can't get lost even if you try. The Visa On Arrival (VOA) counter was to our left as soon as we walked into the airport. The process was simple and fast involving filling up of the visa application,one passport size photo and visa fees of 20$. Once submitted, a page is attached to your passport with a validity of 1 month. Took a 5$ tuk-tuk ride to the hostel we were staying at, Jasmine Family Hostel. The room wasn't cleaned out yet,so we left our bags at the reception albeit the passport and important things. Over a quick breakfast ,we drew circles on the map of the Angkor planning the day ahead.
We had emailed Sam Pho(http://www.angkordriver-sam.com/), a tour guide about our arrival and possible itineraries before coming to Angkor. Very impressed with his promptness in replies and detailed suggested itinerary ,we decided to go ahead with him. Greeted by Mr. Pol and tuk-tuk driver Mr.Hoy at 10:30am, we began our temple visits!
ANGKOR WAT :
You must posses a temple pass to visit the temples in the Angkor Archeaological Park. You can purchase the passes for a day,three days or seven days. We bought the one day pass that cost 20$. The passes are checked for at the entrance of every major temple, so make sure to keep them somewhere safe.My romancing with the breeze and tall trees that lined the road was cut short by the sight of a huge lake, the broad man-made moat around the mighty Angkor Wat. The reflection of the Angkor outer wall on the rather clean moat water was stunning. Stone lions with missing tails (because the plunderers stole the iron rod used in the tail) and Nagas(mythological Snake) flank the causeway across the moat. Angkor literally means "city" and wat means "temple". King Suryavarman II and is men took over 37 years to complete the temple structure as we see it today and work started on it in the 11th century. Angkor was the capital then and temple is dedicated to Hindu God, Lord Vishnu. We saw the three beautiful domes of the main temple as we entered in through the outer gate. There is a long causeway connecting the outer enclosure to the main temple. One doesn't realize the vastness of area until you enter past the outer gate. HUGE! 400 sq km and well maintained. Manicured gardens and lush green on either side. Libraries are pressent on either side, one for the women and other for the men or one for higher sect of people and the other for the lower sect (Hindus had a prevalent caste system). A lotus pond on the left, in the garden gives the best photographic opportunity to capture the reflection of the main temple. The temple is stunning, every meticulous carving, the planned architecture, the stories on the walls. One wide wall has the entire epic "Mahabharatha" carved on it precisely. Another wide wall with epic "Ramayana". Another with churning of the cosmic ocean where Lord Vishnu is in the Koorma Avatar (Tortoise holding the mountain on his back to prevent it from dissolving while the churning happens). One with King Suryavarman II ,the monarch himself and the life in those times. The heart of the temple is the central tower with steep stairs leading to an idol of Lord Buddha ,although I read the history that says an idol of Lord Vishnu was here. The temple was converted into a Buddhist one (and still remains so) in the 14th century by the Kings ruling at that time.
The temple lives up to the hype and more than that. Unbelievable architecture and precision and to think of the timeline when it was built.
 |
| View from the library |
 |
| The King Suryavarman II |
 |
| One of the libraries |
 |
| The Buddhist influence. |
 |
| The library for the Brahmins. |
After a tiring 90 minutes around the Angkor Wat and it's many towers, we headed to Ta Prohm in the tuk-tuk. Hoy was kind enough to provide us with chilled water and a wet tissue. We passed by Bantaey Kdei on the way to Ta Prohm and glanced at it. Bantaey Kdei was built by Jayavarman VII dedicated to his teacher. The route also showed us Srah Srang reservoir, or a "royal bathing pool", vast! Quite a swimming the king wanted!
TA PROHM:
We exited Angkor Thom through the "Victory gate" to reach the famous "Tomb Raider" temple. Was originally called "RajaVihara", came to be known as Ta Prohm, and now as the Tomb Raider temple. Was constructed by Jayavarman VII and is dedicated to his mother. The beauty of this temple lies in its relationship with nature. The big silk-cotton trees grown on the ruins and beautifully so. The big towering trees look like they own the ruins. Not much remains of this structure and a few scenic pictures, we headed out to get some lunch.
 |
| The famous tree structure that holds uncanny resemblance to that of a buttock! |
 |
| Spot the dinosaur! |
We stopped for lunch at a place a little off Ta Prohm and in an attempt to try local cuisine, we ordered for the vegetarian version of "Amok" along with some rice and a soup , if my memory recalls correctly "Khmer soup". DELICIOUS!
TERRACE OF THE LEPER KING AND TERRACE OF ELEPHANTS:
We then explored the terrace of the leper king and the terrace of the elephants. Both the terraces are alongside each other. Opposite the terrace are two broken down structures and a field where the King would be entertained. The terrace was a podium for the King Jayavarman VII to view his victorious army returning. The terrace of the Leper King is called thus because of the statue of the king, the original is kept safe at the National Museum at Phnom Penh, and the one here is the copy. The statue with no fists and a shorter structure. Some historians also believed that Jayavarman VII was a leper,although there is no evidence supporting it.
The bas-reliefs are mostly elephants and apsaras. But most of all,the one I was impressed by was that of an angry guard.
 |
| The Angry Guard |
BAYON TEMPLE:
Our next stop was Bayon Temple. By far the temple I enjoyed most because of the symmetrical carved smiling Buddha faces.It is believed that King Jayavarman VII built this temple for himself and to signify the 54 provinces he ruled. It is geographically placed at the center of Angkor city but built many years after Angkor Wat. The four faces in each signify different traits including those of sympathy and compassion. The uniqueness yet perfect symmetric of the faces intrigued me,impressive.The boddisattva looks at peace. The stories of a common man's life at Angkor crafted on the walls were interesting and not far from life as we know it today.
We took the quintessential picture of the nose touching that of a smiling buddha face! the cheap camera trick with hilarious outcome.
With a choice of watching sunset at the hill Phnom Bakheng and the other temple of Preah Khan, we chose the latter. Watching the sunset from Bakheng Hill is mostly on every tourist's itinerary,we saved it for the following day.
We exited Angkor Thom through the North gate.
PREAH KHAN:
The king Jayavarman VII dedicated this temple to his father. This temple I noticed had many shiv lingams and also structures with buddha in hermit pose.One of the walls had Lord Vishnu in the sleeping pose as well. The temple is spread over a wide area and most of it in ruins. Nonetheless, this temple had lesser crowd and a huge relief to be able to explore it in peace.
Having some time to spare before heading back, we relaxed our tired legs on top of the building next to the library with a view of the ruins. I sat there in that peace contemplating on how life would have been during Jayavarman's reign. The King and his royal family lived a grand life.
 |
| The headless guards. |
 |
| For some strange reason,they only cut off the heads. |
 |
| Hermit Pose |
We exited the walled city through the south gate, with demons gods on one side and devas on the other, holding the naga or the snake and churning the cosmic ocean(Hindu Mythology). Of all the gates we went by today,the South gate is the best preserved.
 |
| South gate with the devas and asuras on either side. |
The guide told us about Koulen Restaurant which has Apsara dance shows every night and a buffet dinner of local cuisine. We decided to try it out. The buffet was extensive but the vegetarian that I am, my options were limited. The places were booked,but we managed to get decent seats where we could view the dance. The talented pretty ladies swayed gracefully to the music, there is a striking similarity to Bharathanatyam, although the movements in the dance are subtle and slow.
The tuk tuk ride of 15$ along with the guide fees 35$ seemed well worth it. Back at the hostel, we checked with Sam Pho on our itinerary for the following day ; Watch Sunrise over the Angkor, Bantaey Srei, Beng Melea, Bakong, Preah Ko and spend the night at Pub Street. He suggested we hire a taxi as these temples are farther off from Angkor Thom.
Retired for the night anticipating a great view of sunrise in the morning.
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