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| Ta Prohm |
We have spent 6 days in Siem Reap, and have made sure we have spent a good chunk of our time at the main attractions - the temples of Angkor.
I won't try and describe their grandeur, as they truly have to be experienced. Suffice to say they are more than you can imagine. What you don't comprehend until you get to Siem Reap is the scale and diversity of the temples. The headline is of course Angkor Wat, but this is only one of the many temples and monuments you can visit. If you are interested in the temples, my advice would be to spend an extra day or two to enjoy the diversity and history.
We visited the temples in three different blocks of time. This allowed us to manage temple fatigue (it can be hot work!), and travelling with kids it allowed us to get some down time and explore Siem Reap.
Before you visit to the temples, you have to buy a pass. You have a variety of options - we brought a 3 day pass, which allowed us to visit temples over any 3 days in a 7 day period.
If your not a part of an organised tour group, the best option to get around is via Tuk Tuk. We organised this from our hotel, and found our driver to be incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. We paid around $20 for a fair chunk of the day.
Baksei Chamrong
Our first effort at Temples on our first evening in Siem Reap. This is the recommended temple for the sunset, and unfortunately a miss for us. Not because it's not spectacular, but because only 300 people are allowed on the temple at one time. I think we got our timing wrong with a public holiday and a Saturday evening. Put this on your list, but make sure you are there at 3:30.
Angkor Wat Sunrise
If you do one thing in Siem Reap, do this. It is spectacular, and followed by time to explore Angkor Wat before it gets too hot. It was an early start at 4:30 from our hotel, but simply breathtaking.
It can be competitive for a great sunrise snap given the popularity, so get your spot and hold your ground! Noting that when we were there, the natural order of things was disturbed by a large pig that came for a drink, and to see what morsels it may claim.
The dress code is strict, and in particular women need to cover shoulders with a a longer shirt, or wrap. This is particularly the case with the royal temple in the centre of Angkor Wat. You have to line up for the royal temple, so consider heading in earlier to avoid the line!
Enjoy Angkor Wat and the surrounds, it is spectacular.
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| Angkor Wat Sunrise |
Bayon temple and Angkor Thom
We made a good call at Angkor Thom by paying for one of the official tour guides at the Bayon temple. You can do this at all of the main temples, and is worth doing at least once because of the history and insight you can't otherwise get. This included an understanding of the machinations between various Hindu and Buddhist times of rule, wars, alliances and the sheer magnitude of what was required to build the temples.
I think Angkor Thom and the Bayon temple is a must see. If I had any advice it would be to visit earlier in the day - we were there from 10AM and it was hot and over run with other tourists.
Ta Prohm
We got to Ta Prohm at opening time (7:30 AM), and this is something I would recommend. Ta Prohm, made more recently famous by the Tombraider movie is a special experience. Vines, and tree trunks intersecting and growing through the temple, which has numerous nooks and crannies to explore and a delight around every corner. Brilliant!
Prah Kahn
The main temple is set out in a series of corridors, and allows for some great photos. Didn't grab me as much as the other temples, but if anything the bridge to the temple is worth the visit.
Banteay Srei
The mini Angkor Wat is quite spectacular and worth the visit if you have time. Banteay Srei is a further 40 minutes from Angkor Thom, so it's a bit of a hike. Its a much smaller temple and doesn't take a lot of time to visit. There are a number of local market shops and a visitors centre in the complex, so you can cool down with a drink and as we did purchased some local craft work!
Overall, we found the temples to be a fantastic experience. My advice is to get to them early to avoid the heat and tourist flocks and if you had time for only two it would be Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm, with the Bayon temple a very close third!
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| Ta Prohm |
