Ankor Wat Sunrise

This morning we finally managed to drag ourselves out of bed in time to watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. We arrived at the site as soon as it opened at 5:30 am and walked in the dark over the moat and into the site, trying not to trip on the uneven stones. We stood just to the side of the three peaks to avoid the trees ruining the silhouette and waited for what felt like two hours for the sun to appear. Once it finally did, we made our way into the central temple and explored the amazing murals and climbed the steps to the third-highest tier, which gave a fantastic view over the site. As Angkor Wat was still an active temple, there were a couple of people praying and monks wandering about, which added to the otherworldliness of the place.

By about 9 am, we were pooped and hot, so we headed back to our rooms to get breakfast and nap. After a long rest, we went for lunch at a place around the corner where we'd had good food the previous day and then spent the rest of the day by the pool, planning our next steps. I have to admit, the combo of the heat, humidity, and travel exhaustion meant we were not attempting too much each day anymore as we were struggling to muster the enthusiasm.

In the evening, we went out for a bit of dessert at this fantastic gelato place and went to bed early after our early start that day.Read more