Temples and bikes

Today began early for the sunrise tour of Angkor Wat, followed by a bike tour of the surrounding villages, jungle, and three other temples: Ta Phrohm (favourite!), Ta Nei, and Angkor Thom. We have come at such an ideal time: while tourism is picking up - much to the joy of the people who rely upon it so much for income - it is still only about 1/10th of the numbers usually seen. We consequently enjoyed walking through the temples without the usual crowds, and at Ta Nei, we were the only ones there. The temples were all built around the 12th or 13th century, and while there has been much devastation (often from wars or deliberate vandalism from the Khmer Rouge), they are still incredibly "in-tact" for sites now 800-900+ years old. Our guide, Chhay, was so knowledgeable and a great companion. He was a Buddhist Monk for 3.5 years and he has a passion for education, believing it is more important than money. He also had a wicked wit! Our bike tour wove through muddy village streets, through the jungle, to each of the temples, across a river, and finally, around the wall of Angkor Thom. It was such a fantastic way to see this incredible region. Trip Advisor is getting a five star review for today!Weiterlesen