Cambodia: Angkor Temples

Okay, the temples at Angkor are amazing. I hadn't realized that Angkor was an entire city, meaning that the temples are several kilometers apart - up to 30km! Here's a map.

Angkor Wat + kids.

We bought a 3-day pass which enables you to visit any 3 days within a 7-day period. Taking a day off between visits made each day much more enjoyable, not rushed or repetitive. In the end, I feel immensely fulfilled by our experiences at Angkor - I didn't get too "templed out" as they say, but I do feel that we saw a huge variety of what exists in the ancient city (in terms of restoration level and temple purpose) at varied times of day. We went for one sunrise and two sunsets, and while none were particularly impressive alone (rainy season = cloudy morning/evening), being at the temples to watch the changing light of day left me speechless.

Sunrise at Angkor Wat as seen from the south pond.

Sunrise spectators at the north pond.

Sunrise meditation in front of Angkor Wat.

Sunset over the West Baray as seen from Phnom Bakheng.

View of Angkor Wat from Phnom Bakheng.

Sunset spectators.

I struggled to balance fully immersing myself in the physical presence of such a magnificent complex while also wanting to take pictures of every little thing that struck me as noteworthy (read: essentially everything in sight). Here are some of my favorites.

Ta Phrom

Cows grazing alongside the temples.

Phimeanakas.

Carvings at Angkor Wat's entry.

I enjoyed the layering of Hindu and Buddhist architecture/art. The temples were originally built as Hindu places of worship, one king converted to Buddhism, a successor went back to Hinduism and when the city was abandoned, it was cared for by Buddhist monks so there are a few pagodas along the roads.

Buddha in the temple.

Ta Phrom.

Banteay Srei.

Locals enjoying a Sunday at Angkor Wat.

Preah Khan.

I was surprised to learn that there are many villages within the complex, often made up of those who sell souvenirs/food to tourists, but also farmers. There are rice paddies in between temples and cows grazing right up against them. It's a much more lax atmosphere than any other historic sight I've been to. This makes for a fascinating juxtaposition of the ancient temples and children herding their cattle back home and also raises some concerns about being able to preserve the temples given the many freedoms a visitor has when touring - i.e. climbing atop the fallen stones to reach the next chamber. There are many restoration projects in progress and it's interesting to see the remnants of the pillaging that occurred here - most statues had their heads stolen, so what we see now are replicas. In 1992, when it was declared a world heritage site, it was also put on the danger list due to the looting and unsustainable tourism.

There's a lot to learn about the temples at Angkor and they are still uncovering more buildings today. It's an awe-inspiring place and I feel so lucky to have been able to see it with my own eyes!