Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

After a 6 hour mini van ride from Phnom Penh, we arrived in Siem Reap. Unlike the comfortable bus we’d previously taken to Phnom Penh, this journey was something else. The first sight at this battered old mini van sent shivers down our spine but we had our fingers crossed that the inside would be nice. Wrong! To make matters even worse, we were allocated the back seats. A bolt upright seat, if you could even call it that, without any neck support crammed shoulder to shoulder. To top it all off, the vehicle didn't even have air con (whilst travelling in afternoon sun)! The journey was a nightmare and we'd never been so excited for the next toilet stop. We were so relieved when we finally arrived although this was definitely a low point in travelling so far!

The main reason for visiting Siem Reap is to see Angkor Archaeological Park, containing the remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th century. It is a 400 km2 area and contains the largest religious monument in the world, Angkor Wat, built in the 12th century. The site is typically visited over a three day period although as we were pushed for time we opted for a two day pass. We hired a tuk tuk driver called Sovann who took us around the many different temples and waited for us for as long as needed. He was so friendly and even provided us with cold bottled water and cold towels! We booked him for 2 days and were happy to accept his daily rate of $20/ £16 (his time, his tuk tuk, petrol and cold bottled water) On our first day, he took us to drop off laundry then out to breakfast before taking us to purchase Angkor Wat tickets. We then started the ‘short loop’ day tour at 11am and began with the main temple Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat was constructed as a Hindu Temple, acting as the capital of the Khmer Empire at the beginning of the 12th century, however was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the century. Our visit to Angkor Wat was incredible - it was impossible to capture the entire temple but walking through the grounds gave an appreciation for the immense scale. We wandered for hours and could easily have spent hours more exploring. Returning on the second day, we came across even more parts we had not seen. You really had to see it in person, especially to appreciate the intricate detailing of hand carvings covering almost every inch of the temple walls. We cannot imagine the millions of man hours this would have taken, let alone how they actually managed to construct this. Reading up it apparently took over 300,000 people 35 years to build. The architecture was phenomenal, becoming even more impressive the further into the complex we walked. The central temple was built raised from the ground with the central tower raised even further. Unbelievably complex even by modern day standards let alone back in the 12th century.

On the second day, we had an early wake up call to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat. Sovann collected us at 4.40am and took us to the temple. When we woke up it was raining but we thought we should still go. A little strange walking the temple corridors in darkness, however we made our way to the temple front beside a pond facing east ready for the sunrise. We were so pleased we made the decision to head out in the pouring rain, as just before the sun began to rise, the rain stopped. The sunrise was simply beautiful - pink and orange colours filled the sky behind the temple’s iconic towers. Absolutely worth the early morning!Read more