Angkor Archaeological Park

The millennium-old ruins of Angkor, situated just outside Siem Reap, are an incredible insight into ancient Khmer civilization. Angkor Archaeological Park is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a preservation challenge with the crumbling ruins and thousands of visitors that flock to view them every day. Wanting to minimise our impact on these historical wonders, we chose to explore slowly on bicycles rather than use the smokey tuk tuks and buses that rushed past us. Fueled by a big breakfast, and with our three day photo passes in hand, we headed eagerly towards the most famous of the ruins, Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is the world's largest single religious monument, an incredible visual sight with huge towers, a large moat and internal lakes.  Built by Suryavarman II,  no expense was spared and the huge structure is distinctly and intricately carved with apsara art, including the famous "Churning of the Ocean Milk". Originally a Hindu temple, it was converted when Buddhism became the dominant religion in Cambodia. As long as you aren't afraid of heights, you can climb to the top for spectacular views from above.

Angkor Wat

View over Angkor Wat from the Inner Temple

Baksei Chamkrong
It was thanks to our slow cycle that we found this temple nestled between tall trees.  Most pass it without realising.  Baksei Chamkrong was built in the first decades of the 10th century, and is the only temple of it's time to be found at the foot of the Phnom Bakheng (Central Mountain). Marc climbed the precarious steps to the top to discover a nun watching over a reclining Buddha.

Baksei Chamkrong

Bayon
Probably the second most famous of the Angkor temples, Bayon is well known for it's giant stone faces now one of the most recognisable Khmer images. It is not known who the faces belong to. It was built over the period of a century as Jayavarman VII's state-temple. Detailed carvings preserve historical stories and awe visitors to this day. Painstakingly slow preservation construction was in progress during our visit. We sat next to a pond and ate lunch overlooking this stunning temple.  

The Many Faces of Bayon

Outside Bayon 

Baphuon
This temple was only reopened in 2011 after decades of difficult restoration.  If you look closely, you can see an impressive stone reclining Buddha.

The Reclining Stone Buddha, Baphuon

This was our last temple for the day before our cycle home.  Although we were exhausted and hot, we were already making plans to explore further the following day!

Angkor Wat
Of course we had to return to Angkor Wat again to see it at sunrise. It was definitely worth the early start.

Angkor Wat at Sunrise

The early morning brought other pleasant surprises. We captured this photo of a skinny white Zebu as the sun was gaining height. Seconds after the photo, it approached us and searched us for food until it was marched away by it's chuckling owner, an old barefoot man.

Ta Prohm
We made our way as quickly as we could to Ta Prohm to try and avoid the crowds. This overgrown temple was one of the sites in the Tomb Raider film. Large areas have been reclaimed by the forrest adding to the beauty of the crumbling ruins. Ta Prohm was once a very wealthy monastery that held control over 3000 villages.

Ta Prohm 

Banteay Kdei
Just opposite Sras Srang Lake, this particular temple seemed to attract locals attempting to sell souvenirs including temple rubbings and guide books. Many of the Buddhist images had been damaged through vandalism in the 13th century, and the degradation of this temple was particularly bad due to the type of sandstone that was originally used to build it.

Inside Banteay Kdei

Pre Rup
We cycled on to Pre Rup which we excitedly spotted in the skyline from a distance. Known as a temple-mountain design, it showcases breathtaking views around the countryside from the top. This impressive Hindu ruin was originally the state-temple of Rajendravarman II. After climbing to the top, we rested in the shade outside the temple grounds with a picnic lunch.

Pre Rup

Ta Som
This was the furtherest temple on our cycle tour. Similar in style to Bayon, but much smaller, there were well preserved stone faces to admire amongst the overgrown trees.

Stone Face at Ta Som 

Preah Khan
This was the final temple we explored. The name Preah Khan means 'sacred sword'. It was once a Buddhist monastery and school to over 1000 monks. Overlooking a beautiful lake, it was expansive and the only temple with cylindrical columns forming part of the building structure which may indicate that it was built at a later date compared to some of the surrounding temples.

Giant Trees Grow on the Walls of Preah Khan

Lake Outside Preah Khan

We cycled a total of 44km over 10.5hours completing the Grand Circuit Tour. We had no energy left for a third day of exploring but felt fully satisfied with what we had seen. Once back in Siem Reap we watched a fascinating documentary about the construction of the temples. A labor force upwards of 20,000 was needed daily to complete Angkor Wat, and many lives were lost during construction. It is thought that in it's glory days, Angkor Wat would have been painted entirely in white and gold for maximal impact. Each temple was unique and equally fascinating. It was truly an unforgettable experience!