Angkor Archaeological Park

Visiting a UNESCO World Heritage Site is always something special, but few places compare with Angkor Archaeological Park in Cambodia.

A friend and I booked a Mekong River cruise with AmaWaterways. We added a three-night pre-cruise stay in Siem Reap that included touring Angkor. We also arrived one night before the program began. That gave us time to recover from the long journey before we started sightseeing. We were very glad we did.

Getting from the United States to Cambodia is a long trip. Arriving early gave us time to adjust and begin our touring rested rather than exhausted. It also gave us our first opportunity to experience Cambodia and learn more about its culture, history, and people.

Staying in Siem Reap

Angkor Archaeological Park is enormous. Trying to see it in a single day means missing much of what makes it extraordinary. I would allow at least two full days for exploring the major sites.

I remember a lovely, comfortable resort. It offered excellent food and very comfortable beds. After a full day of touring, the inviting swimming pool felt wonderful.

Visiting Angkor Archaeological Park

An Angkor Pass is required to enter the temples and monuments within Angkor Archaeological Park. You can buy passes for visits of different lengths. The official Angkor Enterprise website provides current ticket information and purchasing options.

Angkor’s individual sites stretch across a large area. Visiting them feels very different from walking through a single archaeological site. Over the course of our stay, we traveled from temple to temple, each with its own history, architecture, and character.

Our exploration begins at Angkor Thom, the “Great City.” It became the capital of the Khmer Empire in the late 12th century. Within its walls are some of Angkor’s most remarkable monuments, including Bayon Temple.

Bayon Temple

At the center of Angkor Thom stands Bayon Temple, one of the most recognizable monuments in Angkor. From a distance, its many stone towers seem to rise together like a mountain. As you move closer, the enormous carved faces begin to appear.

The identity of those serene faces remains a subject of interpretation. Many scholars associate the faces with Avalokiteshvara, a Buddhist figure of compassion. Others suggest they may portray King Jayavarman VII, who built Bayon in the late 12th and early 13th centuries.

Bayon is also remarkable for its extensive bas-reliefs. Some carvings depict battles and historical events. Others offer glimpses of everyday Khmer life, including markets, cooking, fishing, and celebrations. Looking closely at these scenes gives you a sense of the people who lived here centuries ago.

Terrace of the Elephants

The Terrace of the Elephants stands near the former Royal Palace. Carvings of elephants and other figures decorate the long, raised platform. King Jayavarman VII used it for royal ceremonies and processions. From there, he could also view events in the large open area below.

Much of the Royal Palace no longer survives. The terrace remains an important reminder of the ceremonial life that once took place within Angkor Thom.

Terrace of the Leper King

Nearby is the Terrace of the Leper King, named for a seated stone figure that was found here. When discovered, the statue was covered with lichen that gave it a mottled appearance, leading to the name “Leper King.”

The figure is now generally identified as Yama, the Hindu god associated with death and judgment. The original statue is housed in the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh, with a replica standing at the terrace today.

The terrace is especially interesting for its elaborately carved walls. Its original purpose is not known with certainty, although its association with Yama has contributed to theories that the area may once have had a funerary function.

Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei is quite different from the massive temples found elsewhere at Angkor. Built largely of warm pinkish-red sandstone, it is smaller in scale but extraordinary in its detail.

The temple dates to the 10th century and is dedicated principally to the Hindu god Shiva. Its walls, doorways, and pediments are covered with remarkably intricate carvings that have survived for more than a thousand years.

Banteay Srei lies farther from the main group of Angkor temples. Its beautiful stonework makes it well worth including in a visit.

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm is one of the most memorable temples at Angkor. King Jayavarman VII built Ta Prohm during his reign. In 1186, he dedicated it as Rajavihara, or “Royal Monastery.”

What makes Ta Prohm so distinctive today is the relationship between the temple and the surrounding forest. Massive tree roots wind over walls, through doorways, and around the ancient stonework. Conservation teams have stabilized parts of the temple over the years. At the same time, they have preserved much of the atmosphere that makes this site so remarkable.

Many people first encountered Ta Prohm in the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. In person, the enormous trees intertwined with centuries-old ruins look far more impressive than they do on screen.

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat’s extensive bas-reliefs rank among its greatest treasures. Detailed carvings cover the gallery walls. They depict religious stories, historical scenes, and hundreds of graceful female figures known as devatas. He originally dedicated it to the Hindu god Vishnu. It later became an important Buddhist site.

Its scale is difficult to appreciate until you are standing in front of it. A broad moat surrounds the temple. Its distinctive towers rise above a large complex of galleries, courtyards, and passageways.

Sunrise draws many visitors to Angkor Wat. Whatever time you arrive, seeing this extraordinary monument in person is difficult to forget.

Experiencing Angkor

Photographs can show the scale and beauty of Angkor Archaeological Park. Yet they cannot fully capture what it feels like to stand among structures that have endured for centuries.

What stayed with me most was the variety. Enormous stone faces define Bayon. Intricate carvings distinguish Banteay Srei, while trees envelop Ta Prohm. Finally, Angkor Wat impresses through its sheer scale. Each site offered something completely different.

Angkor is not a place to rush through. Arriving in Siem Reap early enough to begin rested made an enormous difference in my experience. So did allowing enough time to explore. Angkor remains one of those places best appreciated slowly. Taking your time helps you understand both what you are seeing and the remarkable history behind it.

Our time at Angkor was one part of a much broader journey through Cambodia and Vietnam. Later in the Mekong cruise, we visited the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh. There, we learned about a very different and much more recent chapter in Cambodia’s history.