Siem Reap - Day 2 ( Angkor Wat & Temples)

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Day 2

Our Siem Reap tour today is temple day. We set off at about 8am. We made use of the services of cambodiantaxidriver and booked the taxi for the day for US$50. It includes a guide as well. Taxi driver and guide were punctual as they were already waiting for us outside the hotel Steung Siem Reap.

Map of Angkor Wat Temples

Google Aerial view below

Map of the Angkor Wat Temples

View The Angkor Wat Temples Cityin a larger map

Along the way to the temples, we stopped by the ticket booths area to purchased a day pass which cost US$20 per person to visit the various Angkor Wat temples.

1) The first temple is Angkor Wat, 6km north of the city. It is the largest religious monument in the world. The 200 metres wide moat and causeway with the 350 meters entrance portico is impressive enough, but the grandeur within its square mile of walls is truly stunning. Over 1 kilometer of spectacular carvings lie within its outer galleries and a vast labyrinth of passages, courtyards and the five lotus flower towers at its centre.

Tired tourists taking a rest

2) The second temple was Bayon Temple. Dating from the 12th century, Bayon Temple is the spectacular central temple of the ancient city of Angkor Thom. The complex is located just to the north of the famous Angkor Wat.

Bayon is known for its huge stone faces of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, with one facing outward and keeping watch at each compass point. The curious smiling image, thought by many to be a portrait of Jayavarman himself, has been dubbed by some the "Mona Lisa of Southeast Asia." There are 51 smaller towers surrounding Bayon, each with four faces of its own.

3) The third temple we visited is the infamous Ta Prohm Temple and its root systems. This huge temple complex looks much the same as when it was first discovered. Many centuries of history lie twisted and broken with the monstrous root systems of huge trees enveloping doors and windows in a stranglehold. 

Ta Prohm is extensively ruined, but you can still explore numerous towers, close courtyards and narrow corridors, discovering hidden gems of stone reliefs beneath the encroaching foliage. Many of the corridors are impassible, thanks to the jumbled piles of carved stone blocks that clog their interiors.

There are 39 towers at Ta Prohm, which are connected by numerous galleries. Visitors are no longer permitted to climb onto the crumbling galleries, due to the potential damage to both temple and visitor.

These are the 3 main temples that one needs to visit in Siem Reap. Each has its own unique architecture and design.. Of course there are many more temples in the vicinity but to us this is more than enough as far as temple hopping goes.

One tip for visitors: The weather in Siem Reap can be hot and humid. There is not much shade at the temples. So don't forget to splash plenty of sunblock, and have an umbrella and a hat or cap always at hand. Of course, don't forget to protect your eyes with a good pair of sunglasses.

Enjoy !!