Cambodia and the Angkor Temples

Stop three on our honeymoon, Cambodia! We flew into Siem Reap which is located right outside of the Angkor temples. Angkor Wat has been on my bucket list ever since I learned about these ancient temples in a college course called 'History of Construction'. Angkor Wat is the largest religious area in the world. The entire grounds cover over 400 acres; Vatican City by comparison is only 109 acres. The Angkor area is home to countless temples, and while many people spend majority of their time at the main three (more on this below), we enjoyed some of the smaller or lesser known temples more. They were much less crowded and in some temples we were the only ones there.

You can navigate this massive land of temples by car, bike or on a tour. However, the best way to navigate this huge area is to hire a tuk-tuk. Many are available throughout Siem Reap, just be sure to agree upon a price before heading out to the temples. The average price to see the small tour (Ankor Wat, Ankor Thom and Ta Prohm) is $15-$20. Your hotel should be able to arrange a driver for you and some have a set price so they do not over charge you. Our tuk-tuk guide, Sopheary 02, was great and would highly recommend.

If you only have one day in Angkor, your guide will recommend you see the small tour (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm). In order to go into the Angkor temples you will need to buy a pass for 1, 3, or 7 days. The one day pass is $37, the three day pass is $62 and the 7 day pass is $72. For more information on these passes click here . There are checkpoints at the entrance of every temple. So make sure you do not lose your pass!

Angkor Wat - Although many people know the area as Angkor Wat, this is actually only one temple in the complex. Surrounded by a magnificent moat, Angkor Wat was the religious center of the Angkor area. This is the most popular temple in the area, and the crowds will be here to prove it. While we enjoyed Angkor Wat, the crowds were a bit too overwhelming for us. We recommend you get to this temple as early as possible to catch the sunrise over the temples, and also to avoid the massive crowds that show up after breakfast.

Angkor Thom - This was the capital during the Angkor regime, and one of our favorite temples throughout Angkor. This huge area gives you an insight into the everyday lives of people who lived and worshiped at Angkor.

Ta Prohm - One of the most picturesque places in the world, this temple cannot be missed on your tour of Angkor. After the temple was abandoned, the trees overgrew the area creating a scene straight out of a movie. A few movies actually (Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones).

The three main temples are a great starting point, but to truly enjoy Angkor you need to spend at least 2-3 days winding your way through the long list of temples in the park and enjoying the beautiful scenery of the area. One of my favorite parts of the complex was seeing locals camped out having a dinner picnic overlooking the moat surrounding Angkor Wat. It was beautiful to see the locals enjoying this place as much as the tourists.

If you have time and are all templed out, there is a great hiking trail about an hour tuk-tuk drive away. On the drive out you will see the "real Cambodia" with fields of rice and locals going about their day. Also along the way is Banteay Srei, which is a beautiful temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. After the long journey you will arrive a Phnom Kulen National Park. It is about a 2 mile hike round trip, and definitely worth the hike. Along the hike you will see beautiful views, waterfalls and carvings in the stream. The name of the carvings site is Kbal Spean. The site has carvings of Yoni and Linga among other figures carved into the rock.

One interesting thing about Siem Reap is that everything is in US dollar. Anything from your getting a massage to buying a water outside Angkor Wat. This was a bit surprising to us but also very convenient. Our dollar is strong in Cambodia as well so everything is relatively cheap. We stayed at a beautiful five star hotel for $50 a night!

Cambodia was an amazing experience. From the culture, history, food and people, this was our favorite pace we visited in Southeast Asia. I would recommend it to anyone.