Cambodia Part II, Siem Reap

Pictures from Siem Reap can be found here from Picasa!

Siem Reap is nowadays a popular tourist destination, with a large number of hotels and restaurants. Many of the smaller establishments are concentrated around the Old Market area, like our hostel Angkor Thom with rooms for 8 USD per night so 4 USD per head. More expensive hotels can be found between Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport and the town along National Road 6. There is a vast variety of mid-range hotels and restaurants along Sivatha boulevard, and mid budget to mid-range hotels in the Phsar Leu area. The Pub Street is the center of backpacker life day or night!

As the tripadvisor and lonely planet plus some local tour procures suggested we decided to do the small and grand circuit tours of the Angkor Temples, first starting with the small one and then next day the grand one. Of course we did some minor modifications to the plans so that we were able to catch the sunset and sunrises in best locations.

The Small Circuit takes in several of the major and minor temples in the area. Beginning at Angkor Wat and running for seventeen kilometers the circuit takes in the major elements of Angkor Thom, Ta Phrohm, and Banteay Kdei, and some of the minor but interesting temples such as the Baphoun, The Terrace of the Leper King, The Terrace of the Elephants, the Twelve Prasats, Spean Thma and Sras Srang before returning to Angkor Wat.

We started our tour from the Spean Thma and Sras Srang skipping the Angkor Wat on the first day because we had planned to catch the sunrise there on the next morning. We ended our first day with a sunset view from top of the mountain temple Phnom Bakheng.

Ta Phrom was built in the late 12th century by Jayavarman VII as a shrine to his mother and is another must for anyone coming to Siem Reap. As a monastery there were nearly three thousand priests here including eighteen high priests. Ta Prohm is unforgettable due to the massive trees that were left here intentionally by the archaeologists working on the site. While clearing back the forest it was decided to leave them in place to serve as a reminder of how the original discovers found it and other temples. Many of the trees have grown around and through the remains, and soar high above the temple.

Phnom Bakheng served as the temple mountain of the first city of Angkor as opposed to the previous center of Roluos. The capital built on a lone hill offers panoramic views of Angkor Wat. Angkor Thom and the surrounding areas. It is best visited in the late afternoon for a spectacular sunset or in the early morning for sunrise over Angkor Wat.

Angkor Thom was built by Cambodia's greatest builder, Jayavarman VII. This ten square kilometer city is enclosed by an eight meter high wall and encircled by a hundred meter moat said to have been inhabited by fierce crocodiles. There are five twenty meter high gates in the wall in each of the North, West and South walls and two in the East Wall. Access is via causeways over the moat that are flanked by the statues of fifty four Gods on the left and fifty four devils on the right, all seemingly engaged in a game of tug of war.

Bayon is located in the geographical heart of Angkor Thom. The fifty four tower temple is a quite remarkable sight. Initially the temple seems to be a shapeless mass of grey and brown stone but as one approaches one realizes that each of the towers is in fact carved and there are over two hundred huge enigmatic faces of Avalokitesharva bearing down on you wherever you turn. The amazing and unique temple of Bayon is easily the most popular sight after Angkor Wat.

The twenty-six kilometer Grand Circuit is an extension on the little circuit but taking in Preah Khan, Preah Neak Pean to the Eastern Mebon and the various monuments like Ta Som, Preah Rup, before returning to Angkor Wat and is highly recommended for anyone spending three or more days in the complex. The Big Circuit encompasses a good representation of the rich variety of architecture here.

We started the second day waking up at 4:30 am to catch the sunrise over the Angkor Wat and otherwise it went as preplanned. Although we decided not to visit the Rolous Group locating further away as it seemed that they had nothing more to offer for us. So we ended up changing our plans to cover the Water Village locate also further away.


Angkor Wat is the cultural home of the Khmer people and its form, in various guises has appeared and is still on the national flag. Had it been located in the Mediterranean basin it would have been one of the eight wonders of the world. The Lost City of Angkor was to remain undiscovered by Western archaeologists until the late 19th century and ever since has continued to amaze all who see it for the first time: neither words nor pictures do it justice. Angkor Wat is a legacy of the might that was once the Khmer Empire, a detailed history of which has been carved into the many walls of this fortified temple. The temple is accessible by a giant stone causeway across the hundred ninety meter moat, itself an incredible feat of engineering, to the west face of the Wat.

The tuk-tuk ride to the Water Village took around 30 minutes to get there followed by another 30 minutes of small boat ride. In the village we enjoyed some refreshments before renting local style canoes to visit the Flooding Forest and the Flooding fields. The trip took altogether around 4 hours back and forth, we were really pleased. A must thing to do if visiting, but just to note, make sure that it is watery season, because in two months those fields and forest will be without water, just bare land.

The tuk-tuk with a driver for two whole days cost us 31 USD for four people. In the end we decided to tip the driver with 4 extra making total 35 USD and he ended up hugging us. He was so kind to us with waiting and helping to get the best out of our trip, he was also really patient with us wanting to catch the sunset and sunrise. Normally you have to pay extra to see them. The 3 day tickets to see the temples were 40 USD per head.

On the third day I joined my Danish buddy to the shooting range, he was destined to shoot a clip with AK 47. After 30 rounds and 60 USD, the day followed with mostly all manly activities starting with beers, drinks and pizzas continuing 14 hours straight. We also enjoyed some great frog barbecue and burgers, yarrr! We also met again with some guys we first met in Phnom Penh and partied with them, great and crazy night!

Last day was just for resting before leaving to the next country. Actually there has been some changes to our plans. We are not continuing to Laos but rather than taking a night bus to Bangkok, Thailand from where I'll continue with just my Danish bro to Phuket with a domestic flight followed by a ferry ride to the Phi Phi paradise islands.

Ps. I already bought train tickets from Helsinki to Seinäjoki on December 23rd at 13:06 o'clock! Just wait Christmas, here I come!