Phnom Chisor

Ta Prom Tonle Bati Prasat Ta Prom Tonle Bati is a very attractive, but rarely-visited Angkor-period temple a mere hour’s drive south of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. (Well, traffic permitting that is.) Ta Prom is differentiated from its better-known namesake at Angkor (of giant roots and Lara Croft fame) by the addition of ‘Tonle Bati’  – a scenic freshwater lake…

Angkor Roads Little do most people realise when they’re whizzing along in their bright blue bus that many important routes in Thailand’s impressive 21st-century road network follow the traces of, and are built over the top of, ancient Angkor roads dating back the best part of a millennium. (As for example with England’s road infrastructure and the Romans.) The extensive…

King Suryavarman King Suryavarman I acceded to the throne of Angkor in 1006 after a 4-year struggle with rival claimant Jayaviravarman. Later inscriptions do backdate his reign to 1002 – presumably to delete any traces of his pesky antagonist – but Jayaviravarman, ensconced in the imperial capital, Yasodharapura, and a close relative (possibly a brother) of the previous monarch  Udayadityavarman…