Angkor Wat Day Trip

Holiday and Temples.

Staying in Siem Reap and the focus is on Angkor Wat maybe with guided tours. Since the temple city is opened in the morning and closed in the evening this always comes as a day trip. 
It was known as a sacred town which was true long time ago, today this is an assembly of temple ruins in various conditions and the access to it is via Siem Reap.

Cambodia is a fascinating country not only because of Angkor. The old Khmer technological achievement long time ago was based on the ability to "harness" the water via a wide network of channels integrated with the rivers to create a agricultural prosperity. The prosperity was based on a clever water management and this comes down finally to the facts how the king was able to rule the country. 

The land around had not much water except during the monsoon season but when the dark clouds disappeared over the South China Sea severe drought came every year. To overcome this problem they built "barays" or water storage ponds.

The Angkor Wat Temple Complex is one of the most famous in the world if not the most. This monument combined two style which are Hindu and Buddhism, the old Khmer have been building the shrine over several decades until they forgot it. It was only discovered under the jungle carpet again during colonial times.

This was the sacred capital with temples and several famous kings.

The country has seen many kings some where famous, other not important but they all carefully had the canal system maintained. If their good designed irrigation system  with a couple of man made reservoirs fed by the rivers and connected by a system of canals would deteriorate the water would disappear in the dry season, read more.

The reservoirs also called barays  are still there today and fulfill their purpose which was a rather simple one. They were built at the highest point of the streams and fed a chain of irrigation channels digged into the low land to water vast paddy fields and became the means of prosperity of the Khmer.

Siem Reap and Angkor Wat Walk through.

All tours for Angkor Wat start in Siem Reap and all hotels and accommodations are there means two different locations and not so easy for one walk through. Actually it works quite good and enough lower price range hotels are available to make it affordable also for the younger crowd. Since the Chinese discovered the destination for short trips the accommodation becomes an issue from "time to time".  

The barays are small lakes to store water  for irrigation they are everywhere around. They have been the source of the canal system to distribute water during the dry season and kept Angkor alive. Today people do fishing on a small scale and they are still very important for the micro climate around Siem Reap, read more.

Art has played a key role in Angkor.

The apsara dancer, their bas-reliefs are real artwork, expressive and with an excellent technical knowledge. Also the other scenes visible and the temple walls of battles and countryside are marvelous, read more.

Angkor Bas-Reliefs are somehow history books in stone depicting kings on war and various contemporary lifestyle including "heavenly girls" which were the concubines of the ruler. All real artwork which shows the artistic capabilities of the people, read more. 

Some are just depicting battles, other animals such as elephants but the real amazing are the apsara dancer also called the "Heavenly Girls" they were there to entertain the king by any means.

The slow motion dancing is popular in many countries in SEAsia and is for sure a real attractive performance. They also have faster dancing, when in Cambodia just visit a restaurant with a dinner show that's probably the best approach to this. 

When in Siem Reap have a look at "Pub Street" and enjoy the show in the "Temple Club", it's upstairs in the restaurant, great 

Khmer dancing and no need to pay any entrance.

They also do some other performance, this is a real professional operation including a whole Khmer orchestra in the back. Could definitely be a highlight on your holiday. 

There are a few places in Siem Reap offering a similar show, check with your hotel where and when or just take the Temple Club. 

The Angkor Wat Cambodia temples complex with beautiful artwork. 

One of the most fascinating work are the Apsaras which were created in the 12th century under a great Khmer King, his name was Jayavarman VII ( 1181 - 1219). 

The best way to explore Angkor Cambodia - without stress and best benefit is little by little, consider $ 20,- / day entrance fee and add some for a tour guide in Angkor Wat (book in Siem Reap) since by yourself only you will never find the real interesting things. 

A week would be the right time-frame, when visiting within around three temples per day. That time frame would be enough to find out some about the culture, architecture and the ornamentation at the temples - which require to look a bit closer for understanding of Khmer Art and architecture. 

A good idea for a great Angkor Wat overview could be a walk through on top of an elephant because the elevated panorama is not bad and you feel like the King because this was their preferred way of moving. 

Unique tours to Angkor Wat are by riding an elephant to visit the ruins will at least give a good idea of the temples and the area around, there is no need to see everything because the temples are somehow always similar and only a few are unique. Probably the best would be set around $ 400,- aside and make two helicopter trips over the area, one will fly over the monuments and the other will take a fly over the vicinity, this are real unforgettable impressions worth the money.

The whole enclosure of the temple area is around 1554 x 1370 m and is surrounded by an external cloister. It is When approached from the west by a magnificent road built on a causeway lined by colossal Naga balustrades. 

Rows of lions guard the approach, and the causeway rises to

 a broad cruciform plateau on pillars guarded by Nagas with raised hoods. At this level it penetrates the first of the two main rectangular enclosures which sanctify the shrine, through a towering gate-pavilion whose winged roofs ride down in steps to the level of the enclosure roof. This is formed by high walls on a plinth, cloistered and roofed with stone. 

Within this colonnaded building joins the gate-pavilion to the facade of the inner enclosure. A transverse passage links the triple naves of the colonnaded building. At north and south lie library buildings, whose long axes run west to east.

Inside is yet another cloistered wall, punctuated with corner towers, lesser gate-towers, and towers where the three naves meet the doors in the enclosure wall. Inside the inner enclosure, the main entry raises by a magnificent flight of steps, flanked by two further pavilions, from the

A Khmer Monument

ground level to the summit of the three terraced temple mountain, on which stands the towers.

All are on a cruciform plan with gabled porches extending in the four cardinal directions, all this are beautiful monuments But the central tower - the Shiva shrine - is the most magnificent of them all.

This Mega Temple is about 6 km north of Siem Reap.

There are some Hindu Legends how the temple complex was erected. Various historic parameters show that the design and construction started in the first half of the 12th century initiated by King Suryavarman II who ruled between 1113 and 1150. The buildings were constructed as the king's state temple and the Khmer histories capital city, it was dedicated to Vishnu. 

When Angkor was built the country was still under Hindu influence so the idea was to form their cosmic world on earth. That always has the same ideas even in Buddhism, the center symbolizes Mount Meru, the towers around means the mountain’s peaks and the moat the oceans beyond. Here the moat was extended by barays which functioned as water ponds and even lakes to store the liquid once the monsoon was gone.

The long walk up to the main entrance builds up excitement and once reaching the wall you are overwhelmed by the scenes of Khmer life including battles which have been carved as bas-reliefs into the soft sandstone. 

The first episode of temple building was ended after the King's death. 

In the late 12th century several rebellions took place and in 1177 Angkor was conquered by the Cham, they sailed up the Tonle Sap and launched a navel attack. Battles were fought and finally the Cham burned and occupied the place.  

After about 4 years the empire was restored by Jayavarman VII who built a new capital and state temple which is known as Angkor Thom and the Bayon Temple. He broke the 400 years tradition of Hinduism and moved to Buddhism. 

The face towers are magic > his most famous relics remembered still today are the "face towers" the king had them built, it is not clear what their function was but it looks like as if the ruler wanted to tell the people "I am watching you".  A construction boom followed and hundreds of monuments, temple, palaces and other built in the country, read more.

A religious important time was the 13th century when the Hindu influence gave way to Theravada Buddhism which is still up to present days. The whole was almost forgotten in the 16th century but because of the barays it was not taken by the jungle.

Hinduism >   Buddhism >

The shrine mountain at Angkor Thom > a symbolic mountain actually used as a palace. It shows to what extend the old Khmer were able to build larger structures. Keep in mind that all this stones are only put onto each other with any kind of glue, read more.

Other Khmer temples >

South of Phnom Penh is Tonle Bati > with a small but enchanting temple park which is maintained by an old women and some kids are running around. Very close is another modern temple and monastery complex and large river. A beautiful surrounding and an ideal day trip destination from Phnom Penh, read more.

Phnom Chisor > is a gain a couple of kilometers to the south, the temples are in brick construction and in a great setting. One of the highlights is the view over the plains of Takeo Province with plenty of water, paddy fields and a Buddhist monastery, read more.

Takeo Province an overview and some old ruins with Angkor style, this is a very scenic place and a old culture becomes visible a long distance away from the other Khmer remains. The only little problem is it needs to walk up the hill over hundred of steep stairs which is not fun for everyone. This is a tropical environment with temperature well above 30 degree centigrade, read more.

Siem Reap Angkor Wat at night here is a Khmer folklore show in the Temple Balcony restaurant at Pub Street, a really amazing professional show with 2 dance groups and a orchestra. It becomes even better, they don't charge entrance and dinner prices are just the same as anywhere. A absolute must visit place, when I remember how they "loot" you in similar venues in Thailand a pleasant surprise, read more.    

The trip for a Angkor Wat Tour starts at the border of Aranyaprathet which is shown here and after it's a awful ride over terrible roads for several hours. I think in Cambodia the companies who build the roads are cheating on a high scale since it is visible that they don't pack enough material underneath so that the surface breaks down with holes every year, read more.

• Angkor Thom is the second bigger temple complex but more ruins.
• Takeo Temple Mountain is one of the most famous structure.
• Apsara Dance Theater, Cambodia (Khmer) Dancing is well known who don't know this slow motion movements? 
• The Bayon Temple is the center in Angkor Thom with the incredible sculptures.
• Face Towers could mean the king is watching you.
• Elephant Terrace in Angkor Thom is from where the king was watching festival events and sports.
• Phnom Chisor Temples are in a similar style as Angkor but a much smaller complex south of Phnom Penh.
• National Museum in Phnom Penh has most of the good treasures from Angkor. 
• Royal Palace in Angkor Thom is an old one the new one is in the capital.
• Angkor Bas-Reliefs is like a open air book showing life and history at the palace.