Blog posts related to Angkor tours
More off-the-beaten-track Angkor Temples The sheer number of ancient temple sites, along with the limited time-frames available to the majority of visitors, mean that many of the smaller and more off-the-beaten-track Angkor temples remain almost completely overlooked. You certainly can’t see all the sites in a single visit, even with a 3-day pass – there’s little point in trying to…
A morning temple hunting expedition around Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
Cambodia’s Beng Melea; chaotic, decaying ancient ruins and rampant tropical vegetation, is today a spectacular synthesis of man’s handiwork and untamed nature.
An excursion to discover the (very) hidden Angkor-period Prei Khmeng Temple, Cambodia. You can find an ancient Khmer temple marked on a map or dig one up on Google – Cambodia is covered in Angkorian and pre-Angkorian ruins – but for only a tiny fraction, notably, the most famous ones, will you find any accompanying images or explanations. Discovering what…
Coming up, based on over 20 years of leading tours to Cambodia’s UNESCO World Heritage site; are the following few Angkor tips and suggestions on how to optimise your temple visit. Firstly, though, one very important tip! Try and time your visit for the low season. The awesome, often jungle-clad, temples in Western Cambodia are obviously today a huge draw…
Baphuon Prior to the construction of Angkor Wat, Baphuon – the 11th-century royal temple of King Udayadityavarman II – was the largest temple of the Angkor empire. With a main tower surmounting the massive sandstone pyramid, said to have originally been clad in bronze, and its spectacular, raised entrance causeway, Baphuon must have been a truly impressive sight. Unfortunately, for…
Banteay Kdei Temple Prasat Banteay Kdei, or Banteay Kdei Temple, in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Angkor complex is not generally considered one of the ‘major’ Angkor temples and is often skipped by visitors and tour groups. However, we make a point of including it on all our Angkor tours precisely because much of the time you’ll have the spectacular temple…
Apsaras of Angkor Wat A few photos we came across in a far corner of our hard drive – kind of a computer equivalent of down the back of the sofa we guess. These are some of our favourite Apsaras of Angkor Wat; just a few among the estimated 2000 plus carved figures to be seen in the World Heritage…
Kutisvara As with Ak Yum, Kutisvara temple is another of those minor Angkor temples whose historical importance is equalled by its lack of tourist cachet! The 3 unspectacular and ruined brick towers are never going to get 5* in any temple guide but it is considered by many historians to be the oldest temple in the entire central Angkor area,…
Bakheng Temple “Though the identity of Bakheng Temple (or Phnom Bakheng) is today firmly established, the place hardly gets the respect it deserves…..Late every afternoon, just before sunset, crowds troop up the hill, on foot or by elephant at 20 dollars a ride. Then they climb the temple’s steps to the standing room only, plaza-like upper tier. …….Then they throng…
The slightly underwhelming ruins of Kapilapura at Angkor -probably the least-visited, least-known of any temple that actually appears on most maps of the Angkor Archaeological Park. Just look slightly above and to the right (northeast) of Angkor Wat on any standard map and you’ll see a small spot marked Kapilapura. What’s interesting about it though, apart from being able to…