[The following post is from the archives of my In Search Of Incredible blog, originally published on 6 October 2013. Minor edits have since been made from the original post to update some links and info.]
2 April 2012, Monday
Morning call: 6:30am
After a good night’s sleep, I woke up refreshed and excited about the day ahead. Angkor Wat was one of the places I was most looking forward to visiting when I embarked on my trip, and I was finally about to see the majestic monument with my own eyes.
I had a terrific continental breakfast set at the guest house, and it was topped off by a plate of super sweet mangoes. At 7:50am, my driver Yon arrived and we set off for my first day of exploring the Angkor temples. We had already plotted out our route the evening before. We would be covering the Small Tour Circuit today.
After travelling for 15 minutes on Yon’s pimped-out tuk tuk, we arrived at the ticket office, where I purchased my 3-day Angkor Pass for US$40. You’ll need to carry the pass with you at all times, as checks are carried out regularly at the various temples. At 8:15am, we arrived at our first stop – Angkor Wat.
As I did not hire a guide, I would be exploring the temples on my own. And Yon’s job was solely to drive me around, so he would not be entering any of the temples with me either. The way he worked is – he would drop me off at the entrance of a temple and tell me where to meet him after I was done. Sometimes, the exit is different from the entrance, but mostly, you exited the same way you entered. No matter what, he would be on standby at all times and ready to spot me when I exited. In any case, based on his experience, he could gauge the amount of time required for each temple, so there was never an occasion when I exited early and couldn’t locate him.
ANGKOR WAT
Angkor Wat is the biggest and most well preserved of all the Angkor temples. It is also the most famous and recognisable, with three of its distinctive lotus bud-shaped towers being depicted on the Cambodian national flag (there are five towers altogether in Angkor Wat). It was built in the early 12th century by the Khmer King Suryavarman II.
One of its special characteristics is that unlike most other Ankorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west, instead of the east. The west is the direction in which the sun sets, and generally associated with death, so some scholars have concluded that Angkor Wat was intended to serve as King Suryavarman’s funerary temple. This view is supported by the fact that the bas-reliefs (carvings on a stone wall that depict scenes from mythology and history) in Angkor Wat proceed in a counter-clockwise direction, the reverse of the normal order.
The entire compound is surrounded by a moat 190m wide, and the main entrance is via a sandstone causeway to the west. As you walk across the causeway, you can see that there are two distinct sections. The section on the left is the original causeway, which is bumpy and uneven, while the right section has been enhanced to make the path smooth and flat for comfortable access.
After crossing the causeway, you will encounter a gopura, which is an entrance building. There is a gopura at each cardinal point and the one at the west is the largest, with three ruined towers. An outer wall 4.5m high surrounds the temple complex, so you only truly step inside Angkor Wat when you step through the gopura.
Outside the doorway of the gopura, you will also encounter nãgas, mythical serpents frequently depicted as having multiple heads (always uneven in number) arranged in the shape of a fan. You will see these nãgas quite frequently at various temples in Angkor.
After stepping through the gopura, you will see just how vast Angkor Wat is. There is another causeway 350m long that connects the western gopura to the temple proper. Flanking each side of the causeway is a library. In front of the library on the left is the pond where the famous shot is taken, with Angkor Wat and its mirror image reflected in the water. I would be returning here the following day for sunrise, so I didn’t spend a lot of time taking pictures at this spot.
After finally entering the temple proper, you will find that there is so much to keep you occupied. The walls are filled with apsaras (divine nymphs or celestial dancing girls) and devatas (minor female deities who are depicted standing about rather than dancing), each one intricately carved and rich in detail. There are also numerous Buddha statues, several of which are now headless due to unrestrained looting in the past.
Then there is the architecture of the building itself. The entire temple is built of stone and you can only imagine the amount of effort required to put each stone in its rightful place. That the structure is still standing strong after over 900 years is truly remarkable. Some of the edges might have weathered over time, but the general structure is still intact and it is really a thing of beauty. I wonder how it looked like when it was first constructed? Must have been jaw-droppingly beautiful.
The good thing about travelling alone was that I could spend as much time taking photographs, and from as many angles as I wished. The bad thing was that I would appear very infrequently in the photographs unless I enlisted the help of a passerby! But it’s ok. Seeing the temples up close and having the luxury of time to explore them properly is more important.
I’ll let the pictures do the talking for now. Here are my images of Angkor Wat, enjoy!
I spent a good one hour 40 minutes exploring Angkor Wat, and exited to meet Yon at 9:55am. By this time, the sun had risen fully and it was very hot. I had my own water bottle with me, but Yon had also very thoughtfully provided bottled mineral water. Now that’s what I call good service!
The second stop was Angkor Thom. At 10:05am, we arrived at the South gate, which is just 1.7km north of the entrance to Angkor Wat. Most of the temples are located quite close to each other, so it’s like a tour, moving from one stop to another.
ANGKOR THOM
Angkor Thom is translated as “Great City”, and it is indeed, great. It comprises of several spectacular temples and covers an area of nine square kilometres. It is laid out in a square surrounded by a moat 100m wide. It was built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. Several of the wooden structures have perished over time, but the stone structures remain.
Approaching the South gate, we had to get across a causeway over the moat. The causeway is flanked by a row of stone figures on each side – demons on the right and gods on the left. At the beginning of the causeway is a nãga with its body extending the length of the causeway, and it is being held by the gods and demons, like they’re playing a game of tug-of-war. Some of the heads on the figures are copies (you can easily tell because the heads differ in colour from the bodies); the original ones have been placed in the Angkor Conservancy in Siem Reap.
The entry tower at the end of the causeway is 23m tall and it is crowned with four heads, one facing each cardinal direction. I’d be seeing a lot of these stone faces later on, at Bayon temple, which contains hundreds of such large, serene faces carved on its 54 towers.
BAYON
The first temple I visited was Bayon, which was located exactly in the middle of the city of Angkor Thom. The temple comprises of three levels – the first and second levels are square galleries featuring bas-reliefs while a circular Central Sanctuary dominates the third level.
Bayon is very different from Angkor Wat. It is much more compressed and its layout feels more haphazard, especially the upper level. It is also not as well-maintained, with some of the towers crumbled into heaps. However, it is precisely because of this reason that I like it more. It feels more real and ancient, not so well-manicured. I especially liked the smiling stone faces that peered out at me from every corner.
Here are my images of Bayon…
I spent 50 minutes at Bayon, covering every nook and cranny. It was much less crowded than Angkor Wat so I managed to get some good photos there, without much human interference. Up next was Baphuon, just 200m northwest of Bayon.
BAPHUON
Baphuon is a three-tiered temple mountain, a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, which is a sacred mountain considered to be the centre of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist cosmology. It is 120m by 100m at its base and 34m tall, taller than Bayon. A 200m-long sandstone bridge connects the east entrance to the main temple.
I spent 40 minutes exploring Baphuon and climbing to the top level, which offered a good view of the surrounding area. As with Angkor Wat, the stairs are quite steep, so those with weak knees or a fear of heights might not wish to attempt the climb.
Images of Baphuon…
PHIMEANAKAS
After that, I visited Phimeanakas, also known as “celestial temple”. It was built as a three-tiered pyramid, with a tower at the top. It isn’t very big, and it stands alone by itself, so you can easily cover it in 10 minutes. Phimeanakas is located in the same 600m by 300m compound as the Royal Palace, both of which are surrounded by laterite walls 5m tall.
The Royal Palace is actually from an earlier time, belonging to the kings of the 10th and 11th centuries. The entry towers still exist, but the buildings inside the enclosure have disappeared, suggesting that they were built of wood and have perished. There are two big rectangular ponds surrounded by tall, leafy trees, providing lots of greenery and shade, making it a perfect spot for a picnic.
TERRACE OF THE ELEPHANTS
Just outside Phimeanakas is the Terrace of the Elephants, a 350m-long terrace with carvings of elephants on its eastern face. To its north is the Terrace of the Leper King, a statue depicting the Hindu god Yama, the god of death. It is a relatively small, U-shaped structure, thought by some to have been used as a royal cremation site.
PRASAT SUOR PRAT
After that, I crossed the small road to the eastern side and visited Prasat Suor Prat, a series of 12 towers built of laterite and sandstone, arranged in a symmetrical fashion. The exact function of these towers remains a mystery. There is a large pool measuring 80m by 60m, behind the towers.
It didn’t take long to cover this area, so at 12:50pm, I met up with Yon again, and we walked to a row of eateries just north of Prasat Suor Prat for lunch. I had curry vegetable with chicken and rice (I swear there was cheese in the curry!), and a bottle of Pepsi, costing US$7. It was quite expensive, but I suppose that was to be expected in a tourist attraction.
After refilling my stomach and quenching my thirst, we left Angkor Thom at 1:34pm via Victory Gate and headed east, arriving Ta Prohm at 1:45pm.
TA PROHM
Ta Prohm is my favourite among all the Angkor temples, because unlike most others, it has been left in much the same condition in which it was found. Dense jungle had taken over the compound over the centuries, with trees spreading their snake-like roots over stones, prising them apart. It is also not uncommon to see huge trees perched atop the buildings or walls.
Ta Prohm is one of Angkor’s most popular temples, no doubt fuelled in part by the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, starring Angelina Jolie. Some key scenes were shot here, providing the perfect setting for the archaeologist/adventurer in search of ancient relics.
Images of Ta Prohm…
Looking back, I think I was probably inspired to visit the Angkor temples because of my Desktop Publishing lecturer in university. He was also a photojournalist, and an amazing photographer. He had given us an assignment to do the layout for a magazine article, about his recent trip to the Angkor temples. Among the many photos he provided as materials were stunning shots of these richly-textured, huge tree roots stuck to the stone walls, and shots of sun rays streaking through the foliage, casting deep, mysterious shadows. These images probably stuck with me, and it was a delight to finally witness them with my own eyes.
I spent almost an hour at Ta Prohm, trying my best to avoid capturing the hordes of visitors in my shots. Next time, I will visit it early in the morning, when it is less crowded, and even more beautiful and serene. The sun rays and shadows will also be even more dramatic early in the morning, resulting in even more striking photographs.
SRAH SRANG
We left Ta Prohm at 2:39pm, heading east to Srah Srang and arriving at 2:45pm. Srah Srang is a large lake (reservoir) measuring 700m by 300m. There is a viewing platform leading to the water’s edge, but it was under repair. There was nothing much to see or do there, so we left after five minutes, moving on to Banteay Kdei, located right beside it.
BANTEAY KDEI
Banteay Kdei means “A Citadel of Chambers”, and it is similar in plan to Ta Prohm but less complex and smaller. It is also unrestored and there are some giant tree roots in there, similar to Ta Prohm, but much less majestic. Several walls are adorned with asparas, and there are many frame-like windows scattered around. Combined with its relative obscurity, this makes Banteay Kdei a good spot for photography.
PRASAT KRAVAN
At 3:23pm, we departed Banteay Kdei and headed to Prasat Kravan, arriving at 3:30pm. Prasat Kravan is a small 10th century temple consisting of five reddish brick towers in a row on a common terrace. Only the central tower is still completely intact. There are sculptures on the interior of two of the five towers, with the carvings in the central tower being the most impressive. However, I was not aware of this at the time, so I did not enter the tower to view them.
PHNOM BAHKENG
After 10 minutes, we left Prasat Kravan and headed for our last stop, Phnom Bakheng, which is perched on top of a hill. Yon said that it is a very popular spot for viewing the sunset, so we would have to go early to secure a place. Apparently, there is a quota on the number of visitors allowed to go up the hill, a measure imposed by the authorities to prevent overcrowding and damage to the temple.
Phnom Bakheng is a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, emphasised by its hilltop location. The temple measures 76m square at its base, and is built in a pyramid form of six tiers. There are five towers on the top level – one in the centre and the other four occupying one corner of the square each.
When we arrived at the foot of Phnom Bakheng at 3:53pm, there was already a healthy crowd, so it was good that we arrived early. As a guideline, I think you should arrive no later than 4:30pm if you wish to be allowed to go up. You can pay to ride an elephant to get to the top of the hill, or you can simply just trek for about 12 minutes. The hill is not that steep so it should be manageable for most people.
I reached the hilltop at 4:05pm, one hour 45 minutes before sunset. I wandered around the temple, trying to find the best spot to capture the perfect sunset shot. After some time, I decided to find a place to sit down and write my journal, since there was still a long time to go.
Yon had already warned me that it was a cloudy day so the conditions weren’t ideal for watching the sunset. Nevertheless, there were still a few hundred determined people up on Phnom Bahkeng. As the witching hour approached, the temple got even more crowded, with all the tourists jostling for space. It didn’t help that the weather was humid so you can imagine the amount of sticky bodies coming in close contact with one another.
Finally, at around 5:40pm, the sun began to set. As it was cloudy, we didn’t get to see a well-defined, round ball of light, but the overall effect was still quite nice. It wasn’t so much a sunset as a general darkening of the sky as the sun gradually withdrew into the horizon. At 5:50pm, it disappeared from view, and I quickly made my way back down, before the rest of the crowd converged on the narrow path.
That was the end of the day’s itinerary, so Yon sent me back to Encore Angkor for a well-deserved shower and respite for my aching feet.
For dinner, I headed back to Pub Street for more cheap and good food. I ordered a plate of vegetable fried rice, fried morning glory (kang kung vegetables) and a glass of banana milk shake, all for just US$4. Super cheap!
As seating was limited, three local Cambodian young men joined my table. Seeing that I was alone, they struck up a conversation with me. Chatting with them, I learnt that they were university students. I thought they looked younger than that, then I realised that they didn’t have to serve National Service like we do in Singapore.
I shared my morning glory vegetables with them, since it was a big plate and I couldn’t finish it anyway. They also reciprocated by sharing their dishes with me. They were very friendly and we had a good chat. They asked me what I thought of Cambodia, and said they felt a little sad that their country is not a popular destination among Asians. They see a lot of Westerners but not many Asians.
I think the reason why more Westerners than Asians visit Cambodia is because of Orientalism. Many Westerners tend to have this idea of the Far East (as they like to call it) as being “exotic” and “mysterious”, and Siem Reap, the Angkor temples in particular, fits this mental model perfectly. Also, Westerners are more adventurous in their travels, so they like to go on backpacking trips to East Asian countries like Cambodia, where the exchange rate is also generally in their favour.
Most Asians, on the other hand, prefer to visit cooler and more developed countries like Australia, Europe and U.S.A., to escape the hot and humid weather back home, and to experience the comfort of four-star hotels, glitzy shopping malls and a different culture from their own. Thus, most Asians don’t naturally pick Cambodia as a top choice for their vacations. However, with the proliferation of budget airlines and affordable airfares in recent years, I believe more Singaporeans are now travelling to our neighbouring countries like Cambodia.
If I am a teacher in a secondary school, I will highly recommend to my principal to send our students for exchange/immersion programmes in Cambodia. It’s a beautiful country with beautiful people, and a rich history to boot. There is so much a teenager can learn from a visit to Cambodia – the history of the Angkorians, the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, and valuable lessons on humility and not taking things we have back home for granted.
After the fruitful chat, I wished my three young comrades the best of luck, and bade them farewell. I chanced upon a banana chocolate pancake pushcart stall by the roadside, and immediately felt hungry again, so I forked out US$1 for the treat. It was basically a crêpe with a generous spread of Hersheys chocolate sauce and sliced bananas. Yummy.
After that, I wandered around the night market and did some shopping. I bought an Angkor T-shirt (US$2) and a small bag made of a recycled Elephant-brand cement bag (US$7). To round off the night, I retreated to a bar and had two Anchor draft beers for US$1. Life was good…
