Cambodia Travel Guide

Prepare for the divine inspiration! The temples of Angkor, capital of Cambodia’s ancient Khmer empire, are the perfect fusion of creative ambition and spiritual devotion. The Cambodian god-kings of old each strove to better their ancestors in size, scale and symmetry, culminating in the world’s largest religious building – Angkor Wat, and one of the world’s weirdest – the Bayon. The hundreds of temples surviving today are but the sacred skeleton of the vast political, religious and social centre of an empire that stretched from Burma to Vietnam, a city that, at its zenith, boasted a population of one million when London was a scrawny town of 50,000. The houses, public buildings and palaces were constructed of wood – now long decayed – because the right to dwell in structures of brick or stone was reserved for the gods.

The temples of Angkor are the heart and soul of the Kingdom of Cambodia, a source of inspiration and national pride to all Khmers as they struggle to rebuild their lives after years of terror and trauma. Today, the temples are a point of pilgrimage for ails Cambodians, and no traveler to the region will want to miss their extravagant beauty.

It is easy to spend as long as a week at Angkor, seeing the temples at a leisurely pace, returning to the principal attractions several times to see them at different times of day, and taking in newly emerging sites further a field. However, many travelers feel that four or five days is the ideal length of time to spend at Angkor. This is just about long enough to fit in all the highlights of the Angkor area, but even with only two days at your disposal you can pack in a lot (providing you make some early starts). One day at Angkor? Sacrilege! Don’t even consider it.

HIGHLIGHTS

Must see temple of Angkor activities:

• Stare in awe at the mother of all temples, Angkor Wat
• Succumb to the enigmatic smiles of the 216 giant faces of the Bayon, Angkor’s strangest temple
• Experience nature running riot at the mysterious ruin of Ta Prohm, the original Tomb Raider temple
• Marvel at the exquisite carvings adorning the tiny temple of Banteay Srei, the finest seen at Angkor
• Venture into the jungles of Cambodia to discover the River of a Thousand Lingas at Kbal Spean

Angkor Wat is simply unique, a stunning blend of spirituality, and symmetry, an enduring example of man’s devotion to his gods. Relish the very first approach, as that spine-tickling moment when you emerge on the inner causeway will rarely be felt again. It is the largest and undoubtedly the most breathtaking of the monuments at Angkor, and is widely believed to be the largest religious structure in the world. It is also the best-preserved temple at Angkor, as it was never abandoned to the elements, and repeat visits are rewarded with previously unnoticed details. It was probably built as a funerary temple for Suryavarman II to honor Vishnu, the Hindu deity with whom the king identified.

There is much about Angkor Wat that is unique among the temples of Angkor. The most significant point is that the temple is oriented towards the west. West is symbolically the direction of death, which once led a large number of scholars to conclude that Angkor Wat must have existed primarily as a tomb. This idea was supported by the fact that the magnificent bas-reliefs of the temple were designed to be viewed in an anticlockwise direction, a practice that has precedents in ancient Hindu funerary rites. Vishnu, however, is also frequently associated with the west, and it is now commently accepted that Angkor Wat most likely served both as a temple and a mausoleum for Suryavarman II.

Apsara

Angkor Wat is famous for its beguiling apsara (heavenly nymphs). There are more than 3000 carved into the walls of the temple, each of them unique, and there are more than 30 different hairstyles for budding stylists to check out. Many of these exquisite apsara were damaged during Indian efforts to clean the temples with chemicals during the 1980s, the ultimate bad acid trip, but they are now being restored by the teams of the German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP; www.gacp-angkor.de). The organization operates a small information booth in the northwest corner of Angkor Wat, near the wat, where beautiful black-and-white postcards and images of Angkor are available.

SYMBOLISM
Visitors to Angkor Wat are struck by its imposing grandeur and, at close quarters, its fascinating decorative flourishes and extensive bas-reliefs; however, a scholar at the time of its construction would have reveled in its multilayered levels of meaning in much the same way as a contemporary literary scholar might delight in James Joyce’s Ulysses.

David Chandler, drawing on the research of Eleanor Moron, points out in his book History of Cambodia that the spatial dimensions of Angkor Wat parallel the lengths of the four ages (Yuga) of classical Hindu thought. Thus the visitor to Angkor Wat who walks the causeway to the lain entrance and through the courtyards to the final main tower, which once contained a statue of Vishnu, is metaphorically traveling back to lie First age of the creation of the universe.

Monk at Angkor

Like the other temple-mountains of Angkor, Angkor Wat also replicates the spatial universe in miniature. The central tower is Mt Meru, with its surrounding smaller peaks, bounded in turn by continents (the lower courtyards) and the oceans (the moat). The seven-headed naga becomes a symbolic rainbow bridge for man to reach the abode of the gods.

ARCHITECTURAL LAYOUT
Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat, 190m wide, which forms a giant retangle measuring 1.5km by 1.3km. It makes the moats around European castles look like kid’s play. From the west, a sandstone causeway crosses the moat; the holes in the paving stones held wooden pegs that were used to lift and position the stones during construction. The pegs were then sawn off and have since rotted away. The sandstone blocks from which Angkor Wat was built were quarried more than 50km away (from the district of Svay Leu at the eastern foot of PhnomKulen) and floated down the Stung Siem Reap (Siem Reap River) on rafts. The logistics of such an operation are mind-blowing, consuming the labor of thousands – an unbelievable feat given the lack of cranes and trucks that we take for granted in contemporary construction projects.

The rectangular outer wall, which measures 1025m by 800m, has a gate on each side, but the main entrance, a 235m-wide porch richly decorated with carvings and sculptures, is on the western side. In the gate tower to the right as you approach is a statue of Vishnu, 3.25m in height and hewn from a single block of sandstone. Vishnu’s eight arms hold a mace, a spear, a disk, a conch and other items. You may even see locks of hair lying about. These are an offering by both young women and men preparing to get married or by people who seek to give thanks for their good fortune.

The central temple complex consists of three storeys, each made of laterite, which enclose a square surrounded by intricately interlinked galleries. The Gallery of a Thousand Buddhas used to house hundreds of Buddha images before the war, but many of these were removed or stolen, leaving the broken remnants we see today.

The corners of the second and third storeys are marked by towers, each topped with pointed cupolas (domed structures). Rising 31m above the third level and 55m above the ground is the central tower, which gives the whole ensemble its sublime unity.

At one time, the central sanctuary of Angkor Wat held a gold statue of Vishnu mounted on a garuda (a mythical half-man, half-bird creature) that represented the deified god-king Suryavarmari II. The stairs to the upper level are immensely steep, because reaching the kingdom of the gods was no easy task; modern-day visitors should exercise due care and caution when clambering up or down, as the stairs have claimed victims before.

Once at the central tower, the pilgrimage is complete: soak up the breeze, take in the views and then find a quiet corner in which to contemplate the symmetry and symbolism of this Everest of temples.

Angkor Wat

BAS-RELIEFS
Stretching around the outside of the central temple complex is an 800m long series of intricate and astonishing bas-reliefs. The carvings were once sheltered by the cloister’s wooden roof, which long ago rotted away (except for one original beam in the western half of the north gallery; he other roofed sections are reconstructions). The following is a brief description of the epic events depicted on the panels in the gallery of bas-reliefs. They are described in the order in which you’ll come to them if you begin on the western side and keep the bas-reliefs to your left. The majority of the bas-reliefs were completed in the 12th century, but in the 16th century several new reliefs were added to unfinished panels.

(A)    Battle of Kurukshetra
The southern portion of the west gallery depicts a battle-scene from the Hindu Mahabharata epic, in which the Kauravas (coming from the north) and the Pandavas (coming from the south) advance upon each other, meeting in furious battle. Infantry are shown on the lowest tier, with officers on elephant-back and chiefs on the second and third tier. Some of the more interesting details (from left to right) include: a dead chief lying on a pile of arrows and surrounded by his grieving parents and troops; a warrior on an elephant who, by putting down his weapon, has accepted defeat; and a mortally wounded officer, falling from his carriage into the arms of his soldiers. Over the centuries, some sections have been polished (by the millions of hands that fall upon them) to look like black marble. The portico at the southwestern corner is decorated with sculptures representing subjects taken from the Ramayana.

(B)    Army of Suryavarman II
The remarkable western section of the south gallery depicts a triumphal battle-march of Suryavarman II’s army. In the southwestern corner about 2m from the floor’s Suryavarman II on an elephant, wearing the royal tiara and armed with a battle-axe; he is shaded by 15 umbrellas and fanned by legions of servants. Further on is a procession of well-armed soldiers and officers on horseback; among them are bold and warlike chiefs on elephants. Just before the end of this panel is the rather disorderly Thai mercenary army, with their long headdresses and ragged marching, at that time allied with the Khmers in their conflict with the Chams. The Khmer troops have square breastplates and are armed with spears; the Thais wear skirts and carry tridents.

The rectangular holes seen in this stretch were treated when, long ago, pieces of the scene – reputed to possess magical powers – were removed. Part of this panel was damaged by an artillery shell in 1971.

(C)    Heaven & Hell
The eastern half of the south gallery, the ceiling of which was restored in the 1930s, depicts the punishments and rewards of the 37 heavens and 32 hells. On the left the upper and middle tiers show fine gentlemen and ladies proceeding towards 18-armed Yama (the judge of the dead) seated on a bull; below him are his assistants, Dharma and Sitragupta. On the lower tier is the road to hell, along which the wicked are dragged by devils. To Yama’s right, the tableau is divided into two parts by a horizontal line of garuda (half-man, half-bird creatures): above, the elect dwell in beautiful mansions, served by women, children and attendants; below, the condemned suffer horrible tortures.

(D)     Churning of the Ocean of Milk
The southern section of the east gallery is decorated by the most famous of the bas-relief scenes at Angkor Wat, the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. This brilliantly executed carving depicts 88 asura (devils; on the left), and 92 deva (gods) with crested helmets, churning up the sea to extract the elixir of immortality, which both sides covet. The demons hold the head of the serpent and the gods hold its tail. At the centre of the sea, the serpent is coiled around Mt Mandala, which in the tug of war between the demons and the gods turns and churns up the water. Vishnu, incarnated as a huge turtle, lends his shell to serve as the base and pivot of Mt Mandala. Brahma, Shiva, Hanuman (the monkey god) and Lakshmi (the goddess of beauty) all make appearances, while overhead a host of heavenly female spirits sing and dance in encouragement. Luckily for us the gods won through, as the apsara (heavenly nymphs) above were too much for the hot-blooded devils to take.

(E)     Elephant Gate
This -gate, which has no stairs leading to it, was used by the king and others for mounting and dismounting elephants directly from the gallery. North of the gate is a Khmer inscription recording the erection of a nearby stupa in the 18th century.

(F)     Vishnu Conquers the Demons
The northern section of the east gallery .shows a furious and desperate encounter between Vishnu, riding on garuda and innumerable danava (demons). Needless to say, he slays all comers. This gallery was only completed at a later date, most likely in the 16th century, and the carving is notably inferior to the original work from the 12th century.

(G)     Krishna & the Demon King
The eastern section of the north gallery shows Vishnu incarnated as Krishna riding a garuda. He confronts a burning walled city, the residence of Bana, the demon king. The garuda puts out the fire and Bana is captured. In the final scene Krishna kneels before Shiva and asks that Bana’s life be spared.

(H)     Battle of the Gods & the Demons
The western section of the north gallery depicts the battle between the 21 gods of the Brahmanic pantheon with various demons. The gods are feared with their traditional attributes and mounts. Vishnu, for example, has four arms and is seated on a garuda, while Shiva rides a sacred goose.

(I)     Battle of Lanka
The northern half of the west gallery shows scenes from the Ramayana. In the Battle of Lanka, Rama (on the shoulders of Hanuman), along with his army of monkeys, battles 10-headed Ravana, seducer of Rama’s beautiful wife Sita. Ravana rides a chariot drawn by monsters and commands an army of giants.

PHNOM KROM

The temple of Phnom Krom, 12km south of Siem Reap on a hill over- looking the Tonle Sap lake, dates from the reign of Yasovarman I in the late 9th or early 10th century. The name means “Lower Hill” and is a reference to its geographic location in relation to its sister temples of Phnom Bakheng and Phnom Bok. The three towers, dedicated (from north to south) to Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma, are in a ruined state, but this remains one of the more tranquil spots from which to view sunset, complete with an active wat. The fast boats from Phnom Penh dock near here, but it is not possible to see the temple from beneath the hill. If coming here by moto or car, try and get the driver to take you to the summit, as it is a long, hot climb otherwise.

PHNOM BOX

Making up the triplicate of temple-mountains built by Yasovannan I in the late 9th or early 10th century, this peaceful but remote location sees few visitors. The small temple is in reasonable shape and includes two frangipani trees growing out of a pair of ruinous towers – they look like some sort of extravagant haircut when in full flower. However, it is the views of Phnom Kulen to the north and the plains of Angkor to the south from this 212m hill that make it worth the trip. The remains of a 5m linga are also visible at the opposite end of the hill and it’s believed there were similar linga at Phnom Bakheng and Phnom Krom. Unfortunately, it is not a sensible place for sunrise or sunset, as it would require a long journey in the dark to get here or get back.

Phnom Bok is about 25km from Siem Reap and is clearly visible from the road to Banteay Srei. It is accessible by continuing east on the road to Banteay Samrt for another 6km. It is possible to loop back to Siem Reap via the temples of Roluos by heading south instead of west on the return journey, offering some pleasant glimpses of rural life. There is a long, winding trail (not suitable for bikes) snaking up the hill, which takes about 20 minutes to climb, plus a new faster cement staircase, but the latter is fairly exposed. Avoid the heat of the middle of the day and carry plenty of water, which can be purchased near the base of the mountain.

CHAU SREI VIBOL

This petite hilltop temple sees few visitors, as it is only easily accessible by motorcycle. The central sanctuary is in a ruined state, but is nicely complemented by the construction of a modern wat nearby. Surrounding the base of the hill are laterite walls, each with a small entrance hall in reasonable condition. To get here turn east off the reasonable dirt road between Phnom Bok and Roluos at a point about 8km north of NH6, or 5km south of Phnom Bok. From this point, the trail deteriorates and crosses several small, rickety bridges, helping to explain why tour buses don’t make it here. The path also crosses a small Angkorian bridge, built at the end of the 12th century, complete with naga balustrades. The route is easy to lose, so keep asking locals for directions at junctions and eventually you will find yourself in a monastic compound at the base of the small hill.

BANTEAY SREI

Banteay Srei is considered by many to be the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art. A Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, it is cut from stone of a pinkish hue and includes some of the finest stone carving seen anywhere on the planet. It is one of the smallest sites at Angkor, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in stature. It is wonderfully well preserved and many of its carvings are three-dimensional. Banteay Sriei means “Citadel of the Women” and it is said that it must have been built by a woman, as the elaborate carvings are too fine for the hand of a man.

Construction on Banteay Srei began in 967 and it is one of the few temples around Angkor not to be commissioned by a king, but by Brahman who may have been a tutor to Jayavarman V. The temple is square and has entrances at the east and west, the east approached by a causeway. Of interest are the lavishly decorated libraries and the three central towers, which are decorated with male and female divinities and beautiful filigree relief work.

Classic carvings at Banteay Srei include delicate women with lotus flowers in hand and traditional skirts clearly visible, as well as breathtaking recreations of scenes from the epic Ramayana adorning the library pediments (carved inlays above a lintel). However, the sum of the parts is no greater than the whole – almost every inch of these interior buildings is covered in decoration. Standing watch over such perfect creations are the mythical guardians, all of which are copies of originals stored in the National Museum.

Banteay Srei is 21km northeast of Bayon or about 32km from Siem Reap. It is well signposted and the road is surfaced all the way – a trip from Siem Reap should take just 45 minutes. Moto and remorque will want a bit of extra cash to come out here, so agree on a sum first. It is possible to combine a visit to Banteay Srei with a trip to the River of a Thousand Lingas at Kbal Spean and Beng Mealea, or to Banteay Samri and Phnom Bok. It can be very busy in the morning; lunchtime is quiet, but very hot; late afternoon is probably best, although not so late that the sun has dropped beneath the tree line.

KBAL SPEAN

Kbal Speto is a spectacularly carved riverbed, set deep in the jungle to the northeast of Angkor. More commonly referred to in English as the “River of a Thousand Lingas”, the name actually means “bridgehead”, a reference to the natural rock bridge at the site. Linga have been elaborately carved into the riverbed, and images of Hindu deities are dotted about the area. Kbal Spean was “discovered” in 1969, when EFEO ethnologist lean Boulbet was shown the area by an essai; the area was soon off-limits due to the civil war, only becoming safe again in 1998.

Following the river down, there are several more impressive carvings of Vishnu, and Shiva with his consort Uma, and further downstream hundreds of linga appear on the riverbed. At the top of the waterfall, there are many animal images, including a cow and a frog, and a path winds around the boulders to a wooden staircase leading down to the base of the falls. Visitors between February and June will be disappointed to see very little water tiere. The best time to visit is between September and December.

PHNOM KULEN

Phnom Kulen is considered by Khmers to be the most sacred mountain in Cambodia and is a popular place of pilgrimage during weekends and festivals. It played a significant role in the history of the Khmer empire, as it was from here in 802 that Jayavarman II proclaimed independence from Java, giving birth to modern-day Cambodia. There is a small wat at the summit of the mountain, which houses a large Buddha carved into the sandstone boulder upon which it is built. Nearby is a large waterfall and above it are smaller bathing areas and a number of carvings in the riverbed, including numerous linga. The bad news is that a private businessman bulldozed a road up here in 1999 and now charges a US$20 toll per foreign visitor, an outrageous fee compared with what you get for your money at Angkor. None of the toll goes towards preserving the site. You can buy a cheaper ticket for US$12 from the City Angkor Hotel in Siem Reap, surprise, surprise, owned by the same businessman!

BENG MEALEA

Beng Mealea is a spectacular sight to behold. It’s one of the most mysterious temples at Angkor, as nature has well and truly run riot here. Built to the same floorplan as Angkor Wat, exploring this titanic of temples is Angkor’s ultimate Indiana Jones experience. Built in the 12th century under Suryavarman II (r 1112-52), Beng Mealea is enclosed by a massive moat measuring 1.2km by 900m, much of which has dried up today.
The temple has been utterly subsumed by jungle, and standing just a few metres away from the trees it is hard to tell what lies beneath. Entering from the south, visitors wend their way over piles of masonry, through long dark chambers and between hanging vines to arrive at the central tower, which has completely collapsed. Hidden away among the rubble and foliage are several impressive carvings, as well as a well-preserved library in the northeastern quadrant. The temple is a special place and it is worth taking the time to explore thoroughly. There is also now a large wooden walkway to the centre, constructed during the filming here of Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Two Brothers (2004).

The fortified city of Angkor Thom (Great Angkor or Great City), some 10sq km in extent, was built by Angkor’s greatest king, Jayavarman VII (r 1181-219), who came to power following the disastrous sacking I the previous Khmer capital by the Chams. At its height, it may have supported a population of one million people in the surrounding region.

Centred on the Bayon, Angkor Thorn is enclosed by a jayagiri (square wall) 8m high and 12km in length and encircled by jayasindhu (moat) 100m wide, said to have been inhabited by fierce crocodiles. This is yet another monumental expression of Mt Meru surrounded by the oceans.

The city has five monumental gates, one each in the northern, western and southern walls and two in the eastern wall. The gates, which are 20m in height, are decorated with stone elephant trunks and crowned by four gargantuan faces of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara facing the cardinal directions. In front of each gate stands giant statues of 54 gods (to the left of the causeway) and 54 demons (to the right of the causeway), a motif taken from the story of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk illustrated in the famous bas-relief at Angkor Wat. The south gate is most popular with visitors, as it has been fully restored and many of the heads (usually copies) remain in place. However, this gate is on the main road into Angkor Born from Angkor Wat, and it gets very busy. More peaceful are the east and west gates, found at the end of uneven trails. The cast .gate was most recently used as a location on Tomb Raider when the bad guys broke into the “tomb” by pulling down a giant (polystyrene!) apsara. The causeway at the west gate has completely collapsed, leaving a jumble of ancient stonal sticking out of the soil like victims of a terrible historical pile-up.

The Southern Gate

In the centre of the walled enclosure are the city’s most importaint monuments, including the Bayon, the Baphuon, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas and the Terrace of Elephants,

BAYON

Unique even among its cherished contemporaries, Bayon epitomizes the creative genius and inflated ego of Cambodia’s legendary king, Jayavarman VII. It’s a place of stooped corridors, precipitous flights of stairs and, best of all, a collection of 54 gothic towers decorated with 216 coldly smiling, enormous faces of Avalokiteshvara that bear more than a passing resemblance to the great king himself. These huge heads glare down from every angle exuding power and control with a hint of humanity – this was precisely the blend required to hold sway over such a vast empire, ensuring the disparate and far-flung population yielded to his magnanimous will. As you walk around, a dozen or more of the heads are visible at any one time – full -face or in profile, almost level with your eyes or staring down from on high.

Bayon is now known to have been built by Jayavarman VII, though for many years its origins were not known. Shrouded in dense jungle, it also took researchers some time to realize that it stands in the exact centre of the city of Angkor Thom. There is still much mystery associated with Bayon – such as its exact function and symbolism – and this seems only appropriate for a monument whose signature is an enigmatic smiling face.

A number of locals suggest that the Khmer empire was divided into 54 provinces at the time of Bayon’s construction, hence the all-seeing eyes of Avalokiteshvara (or Jayavarman VII) were keeping watch on the kingdom’s outlying subjects.

The eastward orientation of Bayon leads most people to visit it early in the morning, preferably just after sunrise, when the sun inches upwards, lighting face after face with warmth. Bayon, however, looks equally good in the late afternoon, and if you stay for the sunset you get the same effect as at sunrise, in reverse. A Japanese team is restoring several outer areas of the temple.

BAPHUON

Baphuon would have been one of the most spectacular of Angkor’s temples in its heyday. Located 200m northwest of Bayon, it’s a pyramid’s representation of mythical Mt Meru Construction probably began under Suryavarman I and was later completed by Udayadityavarman II (r 1049-65). It marked the centre of the city that existed before the construction of Angkor Thom.

Baphuon was the centre of EFEO restoration efforts when the Cambodian civil war erupted and work paused for a quarter of a century. The temple was taken apart piece by piece, in keeping with the anastylosis method of renovation, but all the records were destroyed during the Khmer Rouge years, leaving experts with die world’s largest jigsaw puzzle. The EFEO resumed a 10-year restoration programme in 1995, which should see the temple fully reopen to the public during 2005. Baphuon is approached by a 200m elevated walkway made of sandstone, and the central structure is 43m high.

On the western side of the temple, the retaining wall of the second level was fashioned – apparently in the 15th or 16th century – into a reclining Buddha 40m in length. The unfinished figure is difficult to make out, but the head is on the northern side of the wall and the gate is where the hips should be; to the left of the gate protrudes an arm. When it comes to the legs and feet – the latter are entirely gone – imagination must suffice. This huge project undertaken by the Buddhist faithful 500 years ago demonstrates that Angkor was never entirely abandoned.

TA PROHM

Ta Prohm is undoubtedly the most atmospheric ruin at Angkor and should be high on the hit list of every visitor. Its appeal lies in the fact that, unlike the other monuments of Angkor, it has been left to be swallowed by the jungle, and looks very much the way most of the monuments of Angkor appeared when European explorers first stumbled upon them. Well, that’s the theory, but in fact the jungle is pegged back and only the largest trees are left in place, making it manicured rather than raw like Beng Mealea. Still, a visit to Ta Prohm is a unique, other-world experience. The temple is cloaked in dappled shadow, its crumbling towers and walls locked in the slow muscular embrace of vast root systems. If Angkor Wat, the Bayon and other temples are testimony to the genius of the ancient Khmers, Ta Prohm reminds us equally of the awesome fecundity and power of the jungle. There is a poetic cycle to this venerable ruin, with humans first conquering nature to rapidly create, and nature once again conquering humans to slowly destroy.

Built from 1186 and originally known as Rajavihara (Monastery of the King), Ta Prohm was a Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of Jayavarman VII. It is one of the few temples in the Angkor region where an inscription provides information about the temple’s dependents and inhabitants. The numbers quoted really are staggering, although possibly include an element of exaggeration to glorify the king: close to 80,000 people were required to maintain or attend at the temple, among them more than 2700 officials and 615 dancers.

Ta Prohm is a temple of towers, close courtyards and narrow corridors. Many of the corridors are impassable, clogged with jumbled piles of delicately carved stone blocks dislodged by the roots of long-decayed trees. Bas-reliefs on bulging walls are carpeted by lichen, moss and creeping plants, and shrubs sprout from the roofs of monumental porches. Trees, hundreds of years old – some supported by flying buttresses – tower overhead, their leaves filtering the sunlight and casting a greenish pall over the whole scene. The most popular of the many strangulating root formations is that on the inside of the easternmost gopura (entrance pavilion) of the central enclosure. However, there are several other astounding growths including the famous Tomb Raider tree where Angelina Jolie picked a jasmine flower before falling through the earth into…Pinewood Studios. It used to be possible to climb onto the damaged galleries, but this is now prohibited to protect both the temple and visitor. Many of these precariously balanced stones weigh a tonne or more and would do some serious damage if they came down.

Because there’s such a maze of rubble and vegetation, there are predictably some children who manage to duck the security and want to guide you through the temple. Some readers don’t like-this idea, some do. Either way, the fact of the matter is that these are mostly poor kids from poor families looking for the chance to make some money. It is easy to say that it is somehow wrong and that they should be at school or doing a traditional job, but most Westerners have never experienced poverty in a Cambodian sense, and the desperation it breeds. Some of the kids will certainly make more money than their parents ever did, struggling in the rice-fields under the shadow of land mines. If you don’t want them to follow you around, politely tell them so, but try not to be rude or aggressive, as they are only young. If you want help to find some photo spots and the like, try and agree on a price (2000r or whatever) in advance. Throwing around dollar bills is not such a good idea, as it breeds expectancy and contempt.

BAKSEI CHAMKRONG

Located southwest of the south gate of Angkor Thom, Baksei Chamkrong is one of the few brick edifices in the immediate vicinity of Angkor. A well-proportioned though petite temple, it was once decorated with a covering of lime mortar. Like virtually all of the structures of Angkor, it opens to the east. In the early 10th century, Harshavarman I erected five statues in this temple: two of Shiva, one of Vishnu and two of Devi.

PHNOM BAKHENG

Around 400m south of Angkor Thom, the main attraction of Phnom Bakheng is the sunset view of Angkor Wat. Unfortunately, and inevitably, the whole affair has turned into something of a circus, with crowds of tourists gasping up the steep slope of the hill and jockeying for space once on top. Coming down can be even worse as there is nothing at all in the way of lighting. Still, the sunset over the Tonle Sap take is very impressive from the hill. To get a decent picture of Angkor Wat in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun you will need at least a 300mm lens, as the temple is 1.3km away.

Phnom Bakheng is also home to the first of the temple-mountains built in the vicinity of Angkor Yasovarman I (r 889-910) chose Phnom Bakheng over the Roluos area, where the earlier capital had been located.

The temple-mountain has five tiers, with seven levels (including the base and the summit). At the base are – or were – 44 towers. Each of the five tiers had 12 towers. The summit of the temple has four towers at the cardinal points of the compass as well as a central sanctuary. All of these numbers are of symbolic significance. The seven levels, for example, represent the seven Hindu heavens, while the total number of towers, excluding the Central Sanctuary, is 108, a particularly auspicious number and one that correlates to the lunar calendar.

It is now possible to arrange an elephant ride up the hill, and the location certainly makes for a memorable journey, if you’re OK the idea of elephants hauling themselves up the steep hill day after day. It is advisable to book in advance, as the rides are very popular with tour groups.

PRASAT KRAVAN

The five brick towers of Prasat Kravan, which are arranged in a north-south line and oriented to the east, were built for Hindu worship in 921. The structure is unusual in that it was not constructed by royalty; this accounts for its slightly remote location, away from the centre of the capital. Prasat Kravan is just south of the road between Angkor Wat and Banteay Kdei.

The Prasat Kravan Group was partially restored in 1968 and is particularly notable for the stunning brick carvings cut into the interior walls. The images of Vishnu in the largest central tower show the eight-armed deity on the back wall, taking the three gigantic steps with which he reclaimed the world on the left wall, and riding a garuda on the right wall. The northernmost tower displays bas-reliefs of Vishnu’s consort, Lairshmi.

One of Vishnu’s best-loved incarnations was when he appeared as the dwarf Vamana, and proceeded to reclaim the world from the evil demon-king Bali. The dwarf politely asked the demon-king for a comfortable patch of ground upon which to meditate, saying that the patch need only be big enough so that he could easily walk across it in three paces. The demon agreed only to see the dwarf swell into a mighty giant who strode across the universe in three enormous steps. From this legend, Vishnu is sometimes known as the “long strider”.

BANTEAY KDEI & SRA SRANG

Banteay Kdei, a massive Buddhist monastery from the latter part of the 12th century, is surrounded by four concentric walls. The outer wall measures 500m by 700m. Each of its four entrances is decorated with garuda, which hold aloft one of Jayavarman Vll’s favourite themes: the four faces of Avalokiteshvara. The inside of the central tower was never finished and much of the temple is in a ruinous state due to hasty construction. It is considerably less busy than nearby Ta Prohm and this alone can justify a visit.

Just east of Banteay Kdei is a basin of earlier construction, Sra Srang (Pool of Ablutions), measuring 800m by 400m. A tiny island in the middle once bore a wooden temple, of which only the stone base remains. This is a beautiful body of water from which to take in a quiet sunrise.

TAKEO

Ta Keo is a stark, undecorated temple that undoubtedly would have been one of the finest of Angkor’s structures, had it been finished. Built by Jayavarman V (r 968-1001), it was dedicated to Shiva and was the first Angkorian monument built entirely of sandstone. The summit of the central tower, which is surrounded by four lower towers, is almost 50m high. This quincuncial arrangement (with four towers at the corners of a square and a fifth tower in the centre) is typical of many Angkorian temple-mountains.

No-one is certain why work was never completed, but a likely cause may have been the death of Jayavarman V. However, some scholars have also attributed it to an inauspicious lightning strike during construction.

TA NEI

Tanei, 800m north of Ta Keo, was built by Jayavarman VII (r 1181-219). There is something of the spirit of Ta Prohm here, albeit on a lesser scale, with moss and tentacle-like roots covering many outer areas of this small temple. It now houses the Apsara Authority’s training unit and can be accessed only by walking across the French-built dam. To get to the dam, take the long track on the left, just after Spean Thmor when coming from Siem Reap.

PREAH KHAN

The temple of Preah Khan (Sacred Sword) is one of the largest complexes at Angkor – a maze of vaulted corridors, fine carvings and lichen-clad stonework. It is a good counterpoint to Ta Prohm, although it generally gets fewer visitors. Preah Khan was built by Jayavarman VII (it probably served as his temporary residence while Angkor Thom was being built), and like Ta Prohm it is a place of lowered enclosures and shoulder bugging corridors. Unlike Ta Prohm, however, the temple of Preah Khan is in a reasonable state of preservation and ongoing restoration efforts by the World Monuments Fund (WMF; www.wmf.org) should ensure stabilization.

The central sanctuary of the temple was dedicated in 1191 and a large stone stele, originally located within the first eastern enclosure, but now housed safely at Angkor Conservation, says much about Preah Khan’s role as a centre for worship and learning. The temple was dedicated to 515 divinities and during the course of a year 18 major festivals took place here, requiring a team of thousands just to maintain the place.

Preah Khan covers a very large area, but the temple itself is within a rectangular enclosing wall of around 700m by 800m. Four processional walkways approach the gates of the temple, and these are bordered by another stunning depletion of the Churning of die Ocean of Milk, as in the approach to Angkor Thorn, although most of the heads have disappeared. From the central sanctuary, four long, vaulted galleries extend in the cardinal directions. Many of the interior walls of Preah Khan were once coated with plaster that was held in place by holes in the stone. Today, many delicate carvings remain, including essai (wise men) and apsara.

The main entrance to Preah Khan is, as with most of the other Angkorian temples, in the east, but the standard practice is to enter at the west gate near the main road. You then walk the length of the temple to the east gate before doubling back to the central sanctuary and making your way to the north gate (drivers usually offer to wait at the north gate). Approaching from the west, there is little clue to nature’s genius, but on the outer retaining wall of the east gate, a pair of trees with monstrous roots embrace as they reach for the sky. There is also a curious Grecian- style two-storey structure inside the east gate, the purpose of which is unknown, but it looks like an exile from Athens.

PREAH NEAK PEAN

The late-12th-century Buddhist temple of Preah Neak Pean (Intertwined Naga; pronounced preah neak po-an) is a petite yet perfect temple constructed by…surely not him again…Jayavarman VII. It has a large square pool surrounded by four smaller square pools. In the centre of the central pool is a circular “island” encircled by the two naga whose intertwined tails give the temple its name. Although it has been centuries since the small pools were last filled with water, it’s a safe bet that when the Encore Angkor casino is eventually but inevitably developed in Las Vegas, Preah Neak Pean will provide the blueprint for the ultimate swimming complex.

In the pool around the central island there were once four statues, but only one remains, reconstructed from the debris by the French archaeologists who cleared the site. The curious figure has the body of a horse supported by a tangle of human legs. It relates to a legend that Avalok iteshvara once saved a group of shipwrecked followers from an island of ghouls by transforming himself into a flying horse.

Water once flowed from the central pool into the four peripheral pools via ornamental spouts, which can still be seen in the pavilions at each axis of the pool. The spouts are in the form of an elephant’s head, a horse’s head, a lion’s head and a human’s head. The pool was used for ritual purification rites and the complex was once in the centre of a huge 3km- by-900m baray serving Preah Khan, now dried up and overgrown. It must have been truly spectacular to approach this island temple by boat.

TASOM

Ta Som, which stands to the east of Preah Neak Pean, is yet another (if the late-12th-century Buddhist temples of Jayavarman VII, the Donald Trump of ancient Cambodia. The central area of Ta Som is in a ruined state, but restoration by the World Monument Fund is getting closer to completion. The most impressive feature at Ta Som is the huge tree completely overwhelming the eastern gopura, providing one of the most popular photo opportunities in the Angkor area.

EASTERN BARAY & EASTERN MEBON

The enormous one-time reservoir known as the Eastern Baray was excavated by Yasovarman I (r 889-910), who marked its four corners with steles. This basin, now entirely dried up, was the most important of the public works of Yasodharapura, Yasovarman l’s capital, and is 7km by 1.8km. It was originally fed by Stung Siem Reap.

The Hindu temple known as the Eastern Mebon, erected by Rajendravarman II (r 944-68), would have been on an islet in the centre of the Eastern Baray, but is now very much on dry land. This temple is like a smaller version of Pre Rup, which was built 15 to 20 years later and lies to the south. The temple-mountain form is topped off by the now familiar quincuncial arrangement of towers. The elaborate brick shrines are dotted with neatly arranged holes, which attached the original plasterwork. The base of the temple is guarded at its corners by perfectly carved stone figures of harnessed elephants, many of which are still in a very good state of preservation.

PRE RUP

Pre Rup, built by Rajendravarman II, is about 1km south of the Eastern Mebon. Like its nearby predecessor, the temple consists of a pyramidshaped temple-mountain with the uppermost of the three tiers carrying five square shrines arranged as a quincunx. The brick sanctuaries were also once decorated with a plaster coating, fragments of which still remain on the southwestern tower; there are some amazingly detailed lintel carvings here. Several of the outermost eastern towers are perilously close to collapse and are propped up by armies of wooden supports.

Pre Rup means ‘Turning the Body’ and refers to a traditional method of cremation in which a corpse’s outline is traced in the cinders, first in one direction and then in the other; this suggests that the temple may have served as an early royal crematorium.

This is one of the most popular sunset spots around Angkor, as the view over the surrounding rice-fields of the Eastern Baray is beautiful.

BANTEAY SAMRE

Banteay Samre dates from the same period as Angkor Wat and was built by Suryavarman II (r 1112-52). The temple is in a fairly healthy state of preservation due to some extensive renovation work, although its isolation has resulted in some looting during the past two decades. The area consists of a central temple with four wings, preceded by a hall and also accompanied by two libraries, the southern of which is remarkably well preserved. The whole ensemble is enclosed by two large concentric walls around what would have been the unique feature of an inner moat, sadly now dried up.

Banteay Sarnre is 400m east of the Eastern Baray, which in practical terms means following the road to Banteay Srei to the village of Pradak and continuing straight ahead rather than following the tarmac to the right. A visit here can be combined with a trip to Banteay Srei or Phnom Bok.

WESTERN BARAY

The Western Baray, measuring an incredible 8km by 2.3km, was excavated by hand to provide water for the intensive cultivation of lands around Angkor. Just for the record, these enormous baray weren’t dug out, but were huge dykes built up around the edges. In the centre of the basin is the ruin of the Western Mebon temple, where the giant bronze statue of Vishnu, now in the National Museum in Phnom Penh, was found. The Western Mebon is accessible by boat from the dam in the southern shore. The baray is also the main local swimming pool around the  Siem Riep. There is a small beach of sort at the western extreme (complete with picnic huts and inner tubes for rent), which attacts plenty of Khmers at weekends.