Lost Soul Fish in Siem Reap (Day 2): Angkor Small Circuit

Day 2 (21/12/2016) : Small Circuit 

Journey to ticketing office

As I miss the chance to purchase my Angkor Pass the day before, I had to wake up earlier to get one on my way to Angkor Archaeological Park. In fact, I planned to be there before dawn for the famed sunrise view at Angkor Wat. I woke up at 5.00am and hurried to Apsara Authority Office with my rented e-bike.

Direction to Apsara Office: Information online tipped me off that the ticket can no longer be bought conveniently on Road Charles deGaul on the direct way from Siem Reap to Angkor Wat. The ticket is now only available at the Aspara Office. From Siem Reap town, head out towards the temples then turn right at Street 60. Go straight until you reach the big roundabout about 3km along the way. Take the third turning of the roundabout (or 9pm as we call it) and the ticket office is on your right. 

Direction to Angkor Archaelogical Park: To reach the temples from the Apsara Office, take the adjacent Aspara Road all the way until you reach the guard post. There, the guard will check and validate your ticket by punching a hole on it. From there, turn left for Angkor Wat and Bayon (doing the small or grand circuit in clockwise direction) or right for Prasat Kravan and Srah Srang (doing the small or grand circuit in anti-clockwise direction)

Small circuit (photo from Angkor Travels)

It took me 45 minutes to Apsara Office and another 45 minutes to Angkor Wat as I never go beyond 20km/hour with my e-bike. With a tuk-tuk or a motorbike, you may be able to shorter your journey. The is no queue at the ticketing office at 5am in the morning as most people would have bought the ticket the day before. The new ticket price as of 1 February 2017 is US$37 for 1 day, US$62 for 3 days and US$72 for 7 days. A photo of you will be taken on the spot and printed on the ticket as proof of identification.

Angkor Wat – sunrise attempt

Opening hours: 5.00am until 5.30pm (except Central Tower from 7.30am to 5.30pm)

Reached: 6.20am

Beating the crowd strategy: Epic fail!

Sun rising, on the way to Angkor Wat

Sunrise in Angkor Archaeological Park:

They are basically 4 notable spots for a sunrise view in Angkor Archaeological Park and they are Angkor Wat, Phnom Bakheng, Srah Srang and Pre Rup which are all opened at 5.00am. Getting a 3-days pass means you will have at least 2 sunrise and 3 sunset opportunities, considering you get in for free after 5pm on the day before, and leaving the third day for temples further away from Angkor Archaeological Park. 

The early bid catches the worm

Personal experience:

Angkor Wat is the southernmost of Angkor Archaeological Park, and would be the first stop for my small circuit tour, making it a perfect sense to start my first day with a sunrise there. However, I underestimated the journey to Angkor Wat and it was already close to 6.15am by the time I passed through the security hut. It took me another 15 minutes to get to Angkor Wat entrance and the sky has already brightened even on my way there. Knowing that I was late for sunrise, I only took a photo from the main road and did not walk into the temple towards the famed lotus pond (hot spot for sunrise photo). No point crying over spilled milk and I’ve got the next day still, so I proceeded to my next destination – Bayon. Yes, you read that right. My plan was only to stop by Angkor Wat for sunrise then proceed straight to Bayon in order to beat the crowd. 

Angkor Thom and Bayon

Opening hours: 7.30am until 5.30pm

Visited: 7.15am to 8.30am

Beating the crowd strategy: Tremendous Success!

Angkor Thom (photo from Google)

About Angkor Thom:

Leaving Angkor Wat and travel northbound, you will soon be meet with the South Gate to Angkor Thom, with its iconic smiling faces, staring right at you. Angkor Thom or “Big City” is a walled and moated royal city and was the last capital of the Angkorian empire. After Jayavarman VII recaptured the Angkorian capital from the Cham invaders in 1181, he began constructing Angkor Thom as his new capital city, building a grand enclosed city surrounding the existing structures such as Baphuon and Phimeanakas and adding the outer wall. He then constructed his state-temple, Bayon, set at the center of the city. There are five gate entrances to the city – North Gate, South Gate, East Gate, West Gate and the Victory Gate leading to the Royal Palace area. Each gate is crowned with 4 giant faces. Starting your tour from Angkor Wat, one normally enters Angkor Thom through the South and leave via Victory Gate (for small circuit tour), or North Gate (for grand circuit tour).

South Gate of Angkor Thom

Bayon is the most important and the largest monument of Angkor Thom, and would be the only Angkor Thom’s temple in my small circuit tour, leaving the other temples for my grand circuit tour the next day. This is also my strategy to always be one step ahead of those group of tourists, intending to beat the crowd, and enjoy my visit in peace. 

About Bayon:

Bayon

Tower decorated with Buddha faces

Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII (who also built Preah Khan, Ta Prohm and Banteay Kdei), Bayon stands at the centre of Angkor Thom. Following Jayavarman's death, the temple has undergone numerous additions, alteration and modification under succeeding Hindu and then Theravada Buddhist kings, in accordance to kings’ religion. Eventually, the temple was abandoned to the jungle. 

Literally have this place to myself

The Bayon was the last state temple to be built at Angkor, and the only Angkorian state temple to be built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist shrine dedicated to the Buddha. It is originaly named Jayagiri which literally means "Victory Mountain". After French occupancy, it was named Banyan Temple (after the tree where Buddha is said to have attained enlightened), but there the was mispronounced as Bayon. The name is then stuck and carried on for decades. 

or the King's face

The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the 216 gigantic faces on the temple's towers on the upper terrace. Many scholars pointed out that the faces are representations of Jayavarman VII himself due to their similarity with his statue, while others have said that the faces belong to the bodhisattva of compassion called Avalokitesvara or Lokesvara. Angkor scholar George Coedès has theorized that Jayavarman stood squarely in the tradition of the Khmer monarchs in thinking of himself as a "devaraja" (god-king). 

Carvings of a battle scene

Carving of a royal procession

The outer wall of the outer gallery features a series of bas-reliefs depicting historical events and scenes from the everyday life of the Angkorian Khmer such as a marching Khmer with musicians, horsemen, and officers mounted on elephants, a naval battle on the Tonle Sap between Khmer and Cham forces, scenes from civilian life depicting a market, open-air cooking, hunters, and women tending to children still in the southern gallery, some palace scenes with princesses, servants, people engaged in conversations and games, wrestlers, and a wild boar fight, a royal procession, with the king standing on an elephant, preceded by the ark of the sacred flame, and a land battle between Khmer and Cham forces, both of which are supported by elephants.

At the top tier of Bayon

Apsaras

My thoughts:

Bayon is my favourite temple for this small circuit tour. In fact, I love it so much I’m ranking it as my top 3 favourite temple in Angkor. Each tower supports two, three or four gigantic smiling faces and as you walk around the temple, it felt as if they were smiling at you. I was lost in thoughts as I sat at a corner, mesmerizing over the beautiful architecture and soak in its tranquillity. Skipping Angkor Wat and coming to Bayon first was the wisest decision I made that day as I literally had the temple to myself. There were no loud tourists at every corner, just me, myself and the smiley faces of Bayon.   

Ta Keo

Opening hours: 7.30am until 5.30pm

Visited: 8.55am to 9.55am

Beating the crowd strategy: Tremendous Success!

About Ta Keo:

Ta Keo

One of the tallest monuments of Angkor, Ta Keo is a mountain temple build by Jayavarman V and possibly the first temple to be built entirely of sandstone by Khmers. Ta Keo is intended to be the state temple of Jayavarman V, son of Rajendravarman, who had built Pre Rup. 

Stairs to the top tier

Like Pre Rup, it has five sanctuary towers arranged in a quincunx, built on top of a 22 meter high five-stepped pyramid. Its pyramid shape represents Mount Meru, the mountain that is the center of the world in Hindu mythology and around Ta Keo was a moat, that represents the oceans surrounding Mount Meru. 

Central sanctuary

Its particularly massive appearance is due to the absence of external decorations, as carving had just begun when the works halted. Jayavarman V died before the temple was ever finished, and even though construction on Ta Keo resumed under King Jayaviravarman and King Suryavarman I, it remained unfinished. An inscriptions states that a lightning strike hit the temple’s tower, and is therefore thought as an evil omen, causing the works on the temple to be terminated. 

Steep stairs

The temple was one of the first, if not the first, to be constructed entirely out of sandstone. It would surely be among the finest examples of Khmer architecture if only the construction of the temple was not halted. Today, Ta Keo appears plain in comparison with other temples in Angkor Archaeological Park.

My thoughts:

Paying little attention to surrounding, and my eyes focusing straight ahead on the road I’m riding on, I missed Thommanon and Chau Say Thevoda, and reach Ta Keo next. Since I was already at Ta Keo, I might as well see this place first and detour back to Thommanon later.



After successfully beat the crowd at Bayon, I also had Ta Keo (almost) all to myself. The tourists buses must be at Bayon by then and there were only a selected few Caucasions who were at Ta Keo when I arrived. It’s still early morning, and so it has yet to be hot and sunny and I got to enjoy this place peacefully.

Thommanon and Chau Say Thevoda

Opening hours: 7.30am until 5.30pm

Visited: 10.10am to 10.35am

Beating the crowd strategy: Success!

About the temples:

Thommanon

Thommanon and Chau Say Thevoda are a pair of Hindu temples built during the reign of Suryavarman II, which is dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu. The two temples are similar in design with the architectural style of their towers akin to the Angkor Wat temple. Thommanon however is better preserved than the Chau Say Tevoda.

One of the tower of Thommanon

 The reason for better preservation of Thommanon is attributed to the fact that its superstructure does not have stone-enclosed wood beams. Thus, adoption of sandstone as the medium for carvings in this temple has made it more advanced in its architectural design vis-à-vis other temples in its vicinity, which were mostly wood-based. 

Chau Say Thevoda

All doorways include carved pediments. Images of Devatas, the female divine carved figurines, are seen in profusion here, as in other Khmer temples. They are the center of attraction in Thommanon.

Carved pediments

Chau Say Thevoda seems like a twin to Thommanon, but in fact was built much later in Suryavarman II’s rule. Its well-executed carvings are in still fairly good condition, especially those on the eastern gopura. Though the temple was built under Hindu kings during the 11th and 12th centuries with predominantly Hindu deities such as Shiva and Vishnu, but there are also some Buddhist-themed reliefs which have likely been added during the reign of Dharanindravarman, father of Jayavarman VII, who ruled from Preah Khan Kompong Svay. 

Chau Say Thevoda

My thoughts:

I rode passed Thommanon on my way from Bayon to Ta Keo, and then made a u-turn back to Thommanon after done with my Ta Keo, all the while hoping my e-bike can handle the extra km. And of course, my e-bike survived that extra mileage.



Thommanon and Chau Say Thevoda are probably my least favourite temple in my 3 days itinerary and if I’d known earlier, I probably wouldn’t detour back from Ta Keo. But then again, I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t turn back, did I? Anyway, no matter how less interesting it is, it’s still conveniently located along the way to Ta Keo, and I’d recommend stopping for a good half an hour visit if you aren’t rushing for a day tour. 

Ta Prohm

Opening hours: 7.30am until 5.30pm

Visited: 11.15am to 12.15pm

Beating the crowd strategy: Fail!

Ta Prohm

 Not a stranger to those who have watched Tomb Raider, Ta Prohm is one of the most popular temple here, only second to Angkor Wat. Shoot to fame following its feature in Angelina Jolie’s most representative film, Ta Prohm has become one of the site’s top tourist draws, with number of tourists ushered in and out of the temple whole day. 

Fallen rubbles

Built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, Ta Prohm was founded by the King Jayavarman VII, as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Originally name “Rajavihara” which means “monastery of the king”, the modern name “Ta Prohm” means “ancestor Brahma” and is constructed to honour his family. This is evidenced with the temple’s main image, which represents Prajnaparamita, was modelled on the king’s mother. Preah Khan which was also built by Jayavarman VII, on the other hand had its main image which represents Bodhisattva of compassion Lokesvara modelled on the king’s father.

Tree roots

When the Khmer empire fell in the 15th century, Ta Prohm was abandoned and neglected for centuries. When it was later discovered, silk cotton trees and strangler figs were growing out of this ruins, with branches and roots weaving through the bricks. It was decided that the temple would not be restored to its original state but only preserved to make the temple looks like the state it was discovered back then. The most popular of the many strangulating root formations is that on the inside of the central enclosure, nicknamed the “Crocodile Tree”. You won’t miss this during your tour, as all the tourists would be gathered there to take a photo.

Crocodile Tree

It is one of the few temples in the Angkor region where an inscription provides information about the temple’s dependents and inhabitants. According to records, it was home to more than 12,500 people, including 18 priests and 615 dancers, an additional 800,000 souls in the surrounding villages working to provide services and supplies. The inscription also notes that the temple amassed considerable riches, including gold, pearls and silks. Even if the numbers were exaggerated to glorify the king, Ta Prohm must have been an important and impressive monument.

Temple ruins

There aren’t many narrative bas-relief in Ta Prohm despite its importance, probably because the Buddhist relief may have been destroyed by Hindu iconoclasts following the death of Jayavarman VII. Fortunately, some depictions of scenes from Buddhist mythology do remain, such as an eroded bas-relief which illustrates the "Great Departure" of Siddhartha, the future Buddha, from his father's palace, stone reliefs of devatas, meditating monks or ascetics, and dvarapalas. 

Dinosaur carving

Walk to the far west of Ta Prohm, below one of the tower, is a vertical line of carving that resembles a stegosauras. Some has argued it was not a stegosauras as it was not possible to have dinasour still living till 12th centuries, and therefore could possibly be either a rhinoceros or a boar and the supposed plates are believed to be a leafy background. Whether it is a stegosauras or not remains debated as to this date, but this discovery makes for a fun treasure hunt experience. 

My thoughts:

The iconic Crocodile Tree

Ta Prohm is said to be a unique temple unlike other temples in Angkor as it was left to be the way it is, with trees growing out of the ruins. It was one of the most imposing temple and had best merged with the jungle but not yet to the point of becoming part of it, creating a picturesque spot. This is only partly true, as in actual reality, unlike Beng Mealea, only large trees remained in Ta Prohm. This could have been because of the increasing number of visitors following the popularity of Ta Prohm in recent years, making it necessary to clear the site of small unkept vegetation, keeping only the big iconic trees, for safety reasons.

Some carvings in Ta Prohm

It’s my first visit and this is my wild case. In fact, steel railings were put in place in certain areas to prohibit access. Needless to say, the place is crowded with tourists during my visit and it was close to lunch time. I could probably avoid this if I were to visit Ta Prohm first thing in the morning, but risk compromising my peaceful solitude in other temples. There’s probably no win-win for this situation. Overall, Ta Prohm pales in comparison with Beng Mealea, both in the annoying large crowd and jungle-adventure. Still, it’s still worth a visit, for its historical value, to see for yourself, how this temple could have been “more”, and perhaps to hunt down the “dinasour carving” just for the fun of it. 

Hearing about a place fuels imagination, but seeing it creates memories

Charging Point – Khmer Cooking Empire

The one and only charging point for small circuit tour is at a restaurant called Khmer Cooking Empire which is located passed Ta Prohm, on the way to Pre Rup and directly opposite Srah Srang. The restaurant provides free charging for all e-bike bearing the logo of Green E-Bike. It’s probably a business collaboration between the two and betting on the customers to rest and have lunch at this site before continuing their tour. But being a cheapskate, I did not buy any lunch here as I was aware of how expensive the food there could be and since I barely have enough cash for the entire trip, I bought snacks from convenience store the day before instead. After all, this restaurant seemed to be doing quite well seeing how it is filled with quite a number of patrons during lunch hour. They can certainly afford not doing my business. As it took more than an hour to fully charge the bike, I parked it there for charging and walked over to Banteay Kdei then Srah Srang, before finally back to the restaurant to pick it up. 

Banteay Kdei

Opening hours: 7.30am until 5.30pm
Visited: 1.00pm till 1.30pm
Beating the crowd strategy: Success!

About Banteay Kdei:

Banteay Kdei

Another temple built by Jayavarman VII, Banteay Kdei’s modern name means "Citadel of Chambers” or "Citadel of Monks' cells". Built in the mid-12th to early 13th centuries, it is a Buddhist temple in the Bayon architectural style, similar in plan to Ta Prohm and Preah Khan, but less complex and smaller in size.

Doorway to inner enclosure

The temple’s original name was Kuti, a village which Jayavarman bestowed upon family of the Brahman scholar Sivakaivala, his chief priest for the Devaraja cult. This temple was constructed as a Buddhist monastic complex. It was built using an inferior grade of sandstone, resulting in weak, unreliable structures. In addition to that, the building techniques employed were poor and sloppily executed, leading to its deterioration as time passed. 

Bayon style architecture

The temple’s design is similar to that of Ta Prohm but receives lesser traffic as it most tourists prefer the more ornamented Ta Prohm. However, those who prefer to explore quieter place would appreciate the beauty of Banteay Kdei.

My thoughts:

Out of the many temples in Angkor, Banteay Kdei is the one which I barely remember. Perhaps it wasn’t too distinctive in its own. Perhaps it wasn't so splendid. Perhaps I was tired. Perhaps I got temple-out. The only thing which was fresh in my mind was that it was lunch time, the weather was hot, I was walking under the hot sun to get there and it was quiet.



There were not many tourists there at that particular time, and I was happy. Do I remember the carvings? No, I didn’t. And I bet you might not remember too, after all the temples you have visited in a day. But one thing for sure, I had a pleasant time there after experiencing what felt like a marketplace in Ta Prohm.  

Srah Srang

Opening hours: 5.00am until 5.30pm
Visited: 1.45pm to 2.00pm
Beating the crowd strategy: Not a concern… 

About Srah Srang:

Srah Srang

 Built during the reign of Rajendraverman but beautified by Jayaverman VII, Srah Srang or “the royal bathing pool” is a vast pool located to the east of Banteay Kdei. The pool is set amidst large trees and has turquoise blue waters all the year round. On the banks of the pond facing the sun, steps of laterite stones with external margin of sandstone are built. 

Guardian lion

The approaching steps to the water edge are flanked by two stone statues of guardian lions. The pond was reserved for use by the king and his wives, but the water from the lake is now used for rice cultivation by farmers of the area. 

My thoughts:

Exiting Banteay Kdei through its east entrance (the same way I entered), I crossed the main road to Srah Srang where it is located. It’s a convenient-along-the-way pit stop, but nothing much to see, hence it’s just a stopover of less than half an hour before I walked back to the restaurant for my bike. If the weather is good, this large lake-like pool should be a picturesque spot for photographers and shutterbugs. Facing the east, it’s also an ideal alternative for sunrise if the mainstream Angkor Wat is too crowded for your liking. It’s also a popular to watch sunset reflection.

Mirror of the sky

Prasat Kravan

Opening hours: 7.30am until 5.30pm
Visited: 2.35pm to 2.50pm
Beating the crowd strategy: Huge Success!

About Prasat Kravan:

Prasat Kravan, literally “cardamon temple”, is a small 10th-century temple consisting of five reddish brick towers on a common terrace. It is one of the few Angkor temples that was not built by a King, but by a high-ranking Hindu priest. The temple was dedicated to Vishnu in 921 CE, according to an inscription on doorjambs. The temple is oriented to the East and surrounded by a small moat. Its exterior is striking for its classical lines and symmetry. The central and the south tower have superstructures which take advantage of false perspective by simple means of diminishing tiers. 

Prasat Kravan

The sanctuary's interiors are remarkable for the large bas-relief depictions of Vishnu and Lakshmi that have been sculpted directly into the brick wall. This type of sculptured artwork is rather common in Cham temples, but rare in known Khmer monuments.

Eight-armed Vishnu

There are three bas-reliefs on the interior walls of the central tower which are representations of Vishnu:

• Four-armed Vishnu on his Garuda and holding his standard appurtenances: the globe, the conch, the discus, and the baton;
• Four-armed Vishnu liberating the world from the powerful demon Bali by three strides. This image illustrates the story of Bhagavata Purana, an ancient Hindu tale originating from India. In the tale, Vishnu in his incarnation as Vamana dwarf requested Bali, the King of Asura demons to give a plot of land he could cover with three  strides. Vishnu then reveal his real size and power with three steps covering the entire universe
• Eight-armed Vishnu standing in the position of a statue, surrounded by six rows of tiny devotees and images of reptiles.

The northernmost tower on the other hand, was dedicated to Laksmi, wife of Siva. She holds the symbols of her powers in her four hands and is flanked by kneeling devotees, praying to her. 

Laksmi and her devotees

My thoughts:

With my bike fully charged, I made my way to Angkor Wat, my last stop for the day, stopping for Prasat Kravan along the way. Though small in size and scale, this temple neat, symmetrical architecture impressed me. Tourists may give this unpopular temple a miss due to its size and plain-looking exterior, but the charm lies in its interior’s sculptured artwork which are sadly overlooked by those who speed their way pass. The orange colour brick stone stands out among the green surrounding. 

The glory of a garden lies in more than meets the eyes

Angkor Wat

Opening hours: 5.00am until 5.30pm (except Central Tower from 7.30am to 5.30pm)

Visited: 3.15pm to 6.00pm

Beating the crowd strategy: Mission Impossible

About Angkor Wat:
Literally means "Capital Temple", Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world, with the site measuring 162.6 hectares. Built by King Suryavarman II, it is originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu but gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. Angkor Wat was built as the king’s state temple and capital city of Khmer Empire. The temple was originally named “Vrah Viṣṇuloka” (Sanskrit) meaning the sacred dwelling of Vishnu.

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat combines two basic architecture plan of Khmer temples – the temple-mountain and galleried-temple. Like many other temples in Angkor, it is designed to represent Mount Meru of Hindu mythology. Its central tower rises from the center as a symbol of the mythical mountain, Meru, which is the center of the universe. Its five towers correspond to the peaks of Meru. The outer wall corresponds to the mountains at the edge of the world, and the moat that surrounds it represents the oceans. Another interesting fact about the design of Angkor Wat is that all five towers are only visible at certain angle. You won’t be able to see all five towers from the front entrance.

5 towers visible from left lotus pond

Angkor Wat was constructed with sandstone blocks quarried from the holy mountain of Phnom Kulen, which was more than 50km away, and floated down Siem Reap River on rafts. According to inscriptions, it took 300,000 workers and 6,000 elephants to build Angkor Wat, yet it was not fully completed. Construction work seemed to have ended shortly following the death of King Suryaverman II, leaving some of the bas-relief decoration unfinished and was then sacked by the Chams. When Khmer empire was later restored by King Jayavarman VII, he established a new capital and state temple (Angkor Thom and the Bayon) a few kilometres south of Angkor Wat instead.

Beautiful columns

Nonetheless, Angkor Wat is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation. Even though it was somewhat neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned, but instead function as a Buddhist temple by the 17th century. The temple was continued to be cared for by Buddhist monks, even when the capital of Cambodia moved to Phnom Penh. Unlike other temples, the surrounding moat of Angkor Wat somehow protected the temple from encroachment by the jungle. 

Apsaras

Another distinctive aspect that differentiate Angkor Wat from other Angkorian temples was the fact that it is oriented to the west rather than the east. As such, scholars believed that Suryavarman intended it to serve as his mausoleum. This is further evidenced by the design of the bas-reliefs to be viewed from left to right, which is in the order of Hindu funeral ritual. Others suggest that Angkor Wat's orientation to the west could possibly due to its dedication to Vishnu, who was associated with the west. While Suryavarman II may have planned Angkor Wat as his funerary temple, he died in a war and hence was never buried there.

More Apsaras

Besides known for its grandeur and harmony of the architecture, Angkor Wat’s fame is also attributed to its extensive bas-reliefs. Some of them are the Battle of Lanka, the Battle of Kurushetra, and the Churning of the Sea of Milk. The temple is also decorated with depictions of more than 3000 apsaras and devatas, each of them remarkably different in terms of their hair, headdresses, garments, stance, jewellery and decorative flowers

Central Tower:

The stairs to the central tower are immensely steep. Known as Bakan Sanctuary, it is open to a limited number per day with a queuing system. Being a sacred religious site to the Khmer people, visitors are asked to dress modestly, without clothing covering upper arms and legs, as a form of respect. It is opens from 7.30am to 5.30pm.

Steep stairs of the Central Tower

My thoughts:

Angkor Wat stays true as the symbol of Cambodia, as it appears on the national flag and is the country’s number one tourist attraction. It is in fact the biggest religious monument in the world. With that said, the site was swarmed with tourists and travellers-alike during the time of my visit. With such a big crowd and hot weather, queuing for the central tower isn’t such a pleasant experience. Angkor Wat is extremely huge and it is a site worth spending hours to explore, but sadly, I hadn’t enough hours to truly admire the beauty of the architecture and carvings. If I were to be given a chance to revisit this place, I would definitely cut short my visit at Banteay Kdei and Ta Keo and dedicate more hours at Angkor Wat. So take my advice and allocated more than 2 hours to truly see Angkor Wat (and that excludes sunset).

A monk blessing a visitor

Architecture is visual art, and the building speaks for itself

Angkor Wat – sunset attempt

Opening hours: 5.00am until 5.30pm (except Central Tower from 7.30am to 5.30pm)

Visited: 3.15pm to 6.00pm

Beating the crowd strategy: Success with effort

Sunset in Angkor Archaeological Park:

The 4 notable spots for a sunrise view in Angkor Archaeological Park are also popular spots for watching sunset, which Angkor Wat and Phnom Bakheng being most crowded. For Phnom Bakheng, only 300 visitors are allowed to go up for sunset and you will need to go early to grab a spot, and many information online reveals that the view would also be obstructed by trees. Pre Rup had become a contender to Phnom Bakheng in recent years, as an alternative to those who would like to shy away from overcrowded Phnom Bakheng and Angkor Wat. 

Right lotus pond

My thoughts:

Needless to say, Angkor Wat remains the most popular spot for sunset view despite the crazy crowd, but I think it’s worth a visit once in a lifetime. It’s the main temple after all. The best spot to watch sunset at Angkor Wat is at the two lotus ponds in front of Angkor Wat, one on the left and the other on the right. The more popular spot is the one on the left, as it has a better reflection of the whole temple. Sunset is estimated to be around 5.15pm to 6pm, so I waited near the pond since 5pm. That said, I didn’t have enough time to truly explore Angkor Wat. It’s a give and take and if I could choose again, I’ll give up the sunset for more time in the temple, but this is Angkor Wat sunset we are talking about, so any first timer here would most probably choose sunset. As I parked my e-bike at the east entrance (the back door), I could not pass through the temple as it was already closed by then time I left the lotus pond. It’s a hell of a walk on the main road from the west entrance to the east one, and so I talked to one of the guard to give me a ride on his motorcycle. I guess being a solo female traveller (and a petitie one too) helped and the kind guard was kind enough to get me to the west entrance.

Sunset at Angkor Wat

And how was the sunset, you asked? Well, I’d to say that it’s mediocre. If you only have a day in Angkor complex, skip it and fully utilise your time to cover as many temples as possible, but if you have the 3 days pass like me, I think it’s worth slotting into your itinerary. 

Second night in Siem Reap 

Leaving Angkor Wat around 6.30pm, I rode the e-bike back to Siem Reap city, eager to get back before the sky turned dark. After all, I was still struggling to ride confidently and the road here tend to get busy in the late evening. Keeping my speed at 20km/hour, I finally reached the hotel around dinner time. After parking the e-bike in front of the hotel and bringing in the battery to charge, I walked to Pub Street again, in search for dinner.

Khmer curry US$2.50

 This time around, I settled in a local Khmer restaurant with extensive menu. Unfortunately, the food was in very small portion and I ended up ordering another plate of fried noodles (US$1.50) after finishing the Khmer curry with rice (US$2.50). The entire bill came to US$4.50 as I also ordered a glass a draft beer (US$0.50). 

Fried noodles US$1.50

Determined to catch sunrise the next day, I went to bed early that night, vowing to wake up much earlier this time. 

Lost Soul Fish Incident
(Remark: In Cantonese, “lost soul fish” is used to describe a scatterbrain, whom carelessness and forgetfulness causes a series of misfortune to oneself and others)

Apart from missing sunrise for the day, I actually torn my pants, oops! *embarrassed*. It happened during my ride from Angkor Wat to Bayon. I was wearing this elephant-print harem pants (you know, the normal backpacker outfit in SEA) since it was loose and baggy, allowing room to breathe in the hot weather of Cambodia. But as I got onto the bike and spread my legs, I accidentally torn the pants. After all, the material is thin and is sewn poorly. Miraculously, I didn’t even know that my pants are torn and continued roaming around Bayon (to be fair, it was a small torn which wasn’t noticeable). Fortunately (or rather unfortunately), as I rode from Bayon to Ta Keo, I started to feel a little airy around my bum (since the tear became larger) and my instinct convinced me that something wasn’t right. Luckily I had a jacket with me (which was prepared to shield my arms from the sun) and I had it wrapped around my waist to conceal the major embarrassment. I can’t imagine what would happened if I don’t have a jacket with me. Well, perhaps buying a pair of pants sold at some of those temples, which honestly only available in selected temples.

It looks like I’ve drawn the unlucky card again at Angkor Wat, when I fell from the terrace of one of the tower overlooking to lotus pond. I was sitting there to stay away from the sun while waiting for the sun to set. As it was about time to head to the lotus pond to set up my camera for sunset, I stood up and started going down the stairs. I was holding on to my camera and my phone with my backpack hanging on my right shoulder and as I took a step forward, I realised that I’d stepped on a cracked boulder. Thinking quick to save my gears as I fell, I threw my bag onto the ground and landed my camera on it as I fell. My camera survived the fall and so do I, although my phone screen protector was badly scratched. Well, better the scree protector than the phone itself right. Thankfully, it wasn’t that high (less than 5 feet), otherwise I might have been badly injured. 

Lesson learnt: Pay attention and look where you’re heading!

Epilogue

Doing the small circuit before the grand circuit proved to be a wise decision, as I get to test out my riding skills first before venturing further and do the grand circuit the next day. Thankfully, I survived the day, and though I missed the sunrise, tore my pants, got “crowded-out” at Ta Prohm, and almost hurt myself from the fall at Angkor Wat, all these are memorable experiences and part of my travel stories to be told and passed on forever.

Challenges are what makes life interesting. And overcoming them is what makes life meaningful

• 4 Days Siem Reap Itinerary In Less Than USD160
• Lost Soul Fish in Siem Reap (Day 1): Old Market, Night Market and Pub Street
• Lost Soul Fish in Siem Reap (Day 3): Angkor Grand Circuit
• Lost Soul Fish in Siem Reap (Day 4 & 5): Banteay Srei & Beng Mealea