Day 13 Siem Reap

A huge day but we really loved it. We left the hotel at 8 am for a short drive through Siem Reap to Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat, one of the seven wonders of the works, is called the “City/Capital of Temples,” and is Cambodia’s magnificent Hindu-Buddhist temple complex. Spanning an impressive 162.6 hectares (1,626,000 m²; 402 acres) within the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor, it holds the title of the largest religious structure in the world. Initially constructed in 1150 CE as a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Vishnu, Angkor Wat gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the century. We entered the area through gates lined with stone statues of gods and demons. The main temple was hugely impressive and our guide was able to tell us about much of its Buddhist and Hindu history. The carvings on the walls were amazing and there were hundreds of little rooms and corridors. We climbed up to the third floor by going up the outside of the building to the summit of the building - the part closest to the Heavens. Surprisingly there were not crowds of people which made for a relaxing walk, but the heat was immense and it was a relief to get back to the vehicle with our driver ready with cold towels and bottles of water. No sign of any monkeys either as too hot for them! We travelled on to Angkor Thom. Another temple with gates and and this time many ruins caused by a history of wars and people removing parts it over the years. The heat was incredible and we were pleased to be here for just 40 minutes. Our lunch was in a village in a lovely air conditioned restaurant where we ate traditional Cambodian dishes. We then moved on to Ta Prohm, a temple in the jungle. It is renowned for its extensive tree growth, with massive trees and their roots intricately entwined with the temple's structures. This temple is famously known as the "Tomb Raider Temple" due to its appearance in the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Our guide took many of our photos and we were able to get some good tips on how to take good photos. The backdrop of the trees and jungle made this the more attractive temple. We arrived back at the hotel and within minutes were in the beautiful pool as the day was our hottest yet. We then wandered back into town for a relaxing dinner. The highlight was being the tenth customer to order the Tom Raider cocktail and the free drink drink was brought over to us accompanied by enthusiastic ringing of a bell and clapping by the other customers. We were pleased to be back in our cool rooms by 10pm to reflect on such stunning sights.Read more