Siem Reap Town | Stunning Temple Complex in Cambodia

March 1, 2011 1 Comment

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Visiting Siem Reap is a must when you travel to Cambodia. It is an area which has many ancientBest Places To Go in Athens, Greece. Read more ... » structures. After the death of Khmer Rouge’s Leader Pol Pot, Siem Reap today is known as Cambodia’s fastest growing city, a gateway to Angkor Archaeological Park. Large numbers of hotels, restaurants and modern architectures are everywhere as well as the growth of Cambodia Tourism, altogether with the people who still preserve their culture and traditions.

In Siem Reap area, there are hundreds of temples with various conditions. Angkor Wat, a UNESCOPlitvice Lakes - Best National Park in Croatia. Read more ... » WORLD HERITAGE SITE, is the most popular temple in Siem Reap to visit. It was built in 12^th century as King Suryavarman’s state temple and capital city. At first it was dedicated to worship god Vishnu and then in 13^th century Angkor became Buddhist temple. You can see many Buddhist statuesLeshan Giant Buddha, The World's Tallest Stone-carved Buddha Site | China. Read more ... » decorating inside Angkor. Angkor Wat is surrounded by huge squared form moat, which makes it looked exclusive. You cannot visit the whole temple in a day trip since Angkor Wat is huge. The best time to visit Angkor Wat is when the sun rises and sets, when the shadow formed by the shining light will be so spectacular. The temple itself is a powerful symbol to Cambodia, which is depicted as a part of Cambodian National Flag. So, you’ve got to visit Angkor simply when you visit Cambodia.

Find hotel rates in Siem Reap:  Siem Reap Hotels

Find hotel rates in Cambodia: Cambodia Hotels

PLACES TO VISIT IN SIEM REAP

Angkor Thom, which means “Great City”, was built in the late 12^th century by King Jayavarman VII. Asian people believe in the luck of “number 9”, which pronunciation is similar to “construction”. This “number 9” can be found in almost everything you see in Angkor Thom, such as 54 carved towers, 216 tower faces,  54 gods’ statues at the left side of entrance gate, and 54 evils at the right side of entrance gate. Angkor Thom is grander than Angkor Wat. However, the components in Angkor Thom are not as accessible and well-preserved than in Angkor Wat, makes it more to archaeologists’ interest than to tourists.

Siem Reap, Cambodia | Angkor Thom

Bayon Temple, located at the exact center of Angkor Prohm. Bayon is the the last state temple to be built at Angkor and the only temple built dedicated to BuddhaLeshan Giant Buddha, The World's Tallest Stone-carved Buddha Site | China. Read more ... ». Known also as Face Towers, the uniqueness of Bayon can be seen through smiling face towers surrounding the areas. The time you step inside the tower there are hundreds of face towers looking at you. Those face towers were built from either four huge stones or maybe three and two huge stones.

Siem Reap, Cambodia | Bayon, The Face Towers

Other famous temple in Angkor is Ta Prohm, a temple where Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’s first movie was shot. Ta Prohm was a main temple at Jayavarman VII era.  Located in 1 km east from Angkor Thom, it consists of galleries with gopuras surrounding the area. Ta Prohm was left for centuries, until it was found again by western outsiders. The time it was found, the roots of banyan trees grew out and penetrated the temple. The roots makes it looked like octopus legs.

Siem Reap, Cambodia | Ta Phrom from above

 

Banteay Srei is another stunning temple to visit, which has full of amazing sculptures in every inch of the stone. The patterns are difficult and made from red sandstone, giving the building a golden color. It is still well-maintained by the people and makes it a beautiful temple. Be careful when you step inside the temple as the door is quite low for your head.

Siem Reap, Cambodia | Banteay Srei

THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN VISITING TEMPLES IN SIEM REAP

1. Pay attention to what you wear. Since the temperature and humidity would be another challenge for you, wear sweat absorbent T-Shirt. Bringing handkerchief and mineral water is advised.  Also, protect your head with hat for possibly sunny day.
2. When you visit Ta Prohm, it is not advised to wear sandals. It is a sandy footpath to pass by and the distance from the gate to the temple is more or less than 1 kilometer.
3. Be prepared to climb up stairs when you visit Bayon and Angkor Wat.
4. Since Angkor Wat is a huge temple, it is best to visit it twice; at the afternoon before sunset and at morning to welcome sunrise.

PLAN YOUR OWN TRIP TO SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA

If you are not considering to take a tour with travel agents in Cambodia, you can have your own planned Cambodia trip by finding and comparing rates on hotels in Siem Reap and hotels throughout Cambodia.

There are many hotels in Siem Reap with various rates available for you to pick:

1. Khemara Angkor Hotel Siem Reap (starts from US$29)
2. Pacific Hotel Siem Reap (starts from US$38)
3. Tara Angkor Hotel Siem Reap (starts from US$42)
4. Borei Angkor Resort & Spa Siem Reap (starts from US$64)
5. FCC Angkor Hotel Siem Reap (starts from US$79) .. and many more.

Tags: angkor tours, angkor wat tours, angkor wat travel, cambodia tourism, siem reap hotels, tours angkor watASIA, Cambodia