Top Angkor Sights
Right. Here is a picture post of my Siem Reap trip in February this year. Angkor is not only about Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Phrom. They are beautiful. But the one which took my breath away is Kbal Spean.
Kbal Spean site itself is already impressive. Situated within the Kulen Hills, it is commonly known as the Valley of 1000 Lingas. Thousands of lingas, sculptures dug onto the riverbed. The water still flows, lives still flourish within and out of the hills. A 45-minute trek up brings one to a scenic view of the surroundings and many, many wonderful sights of ecology.
This reminds me of Avatar. I told a couple who was there at the same time that this looks like it's straight out of a scene of Avatar and they didn't understand what I was saying because they didn't watch the movie. Oh well.
Kbal Spean proper.
You won't want to leave with all that cold water running all over you. :)
There's a tiny waterfall somewhere within the hills as well. If you know your way, or have a guide, you will find your way. There are other scupltures along the way as well. One of a frog.
One helluva fierce frog!
WIthout wanting to overdose you with Kbal Spean. I shall continue with my other top Angkor sights. Of course, one should not forget the reason why one was there. Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is an amazing structure, vast complex. Beautiful at anytime of the day. Sunrise, afternoon, or sunset.
The golden hue at sunset.
Morning fog.
Dawn.
As the sun rises.
View from one of the tower. The entire area is the Angkor Wat site. Not the entire archealogical site. It is a good 3 minutes tuk tuk ride from the ticket office.
This is the way up, which not many people can do.
It's not famous for nothing. It's a huge complex, with a lot to discover. Many went back a few times.
Next up is Bayon, the temple of thousand faces. You'll take hours to take a photo of each and every faces in Bayon and eventually, you will lose count or get confused and you will have to start all over again.
The "face" of Bayon.
Then, in Tomb Raider, there is Ta Phrom.
Wait.. No. This is not the one.
Not this too?
This is the one! Haha! I remember the enclosure.
Again, another beautiful site to explore.
Check out that face!
Banteay Samré, though not as popular as other Angkor sites, is a hidden gem. It is tucked quietly at the other end of East Baray. It is a small complex, with intricate sculptures which you will not regret making that trip across the baray.
Looking for a flight of stairs which is not too hard on your heart? Pre Rup it is.
If you are a roots lover, Banteay Kdei is the place for you. The site is in ruins, almost overrun by trees.
Swimming in the baray.
East Mebon is on a artificial island on the baray. It is nothing much except for the elephant.
And I don't know what's the big deal with this elephant. Probably, it looks pretty complete after centuries of being around.
Ta Som is another totally dilapidated site. To the extend it looks really sad, the emotional kind of "sad".
Right, Neak Pean is just a pool of water. But if you like long walks, this is a place to consider. It's a long, straight, way to get to the pool.
Preah Khan is also another quiet location to reflect or ponder. Less crowded and equally beautiful compared to other temples.
Ta Keo gives you the climb of your life! I went, and I gave up. Simply because I was in slippers and didn't want to risk it. If I'm back in Siem Rep, Ta Keo is the place I will go back to and climb those killer steps!
Finally, Prasat Kravan was recommended to me by my tuk tuk driver. No disappointment. Simple architecture but wall relives carved are absolutely impressive! Even after years of facing the sun and rain.
Well. Hope this gives you a rough idea of which sites to visit when you are in Siem Reap. I am definitely going back some time in the future. To Beng Melea, Phnom Bakheng, and Ta Keo.
ETA on 2 Oct 2010
Opps... I conveniently forgot about Banteay Srei. I heard so much about it's red rose structures, I had really big expectations for Banteay Srei. I wouldn't say the it was a disappointment, but after seeing Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and other big complexes, I was expecting Banteay Srei to be somewhat big. It isn't. And if I were to compare the colour to Petra, it was somewhat shy of Petra's red. But still, it is beautiful with one of the most intricate carvings among all of Angkor, this is a place which you will not want to miss if you are planning to spend some time in Siem Reap.
Kbal Spean site itself is already impressive. Situated within the Kulen Hills, it is commonly known as the Valley of 1000 Lingas. Thousands of lingas, sculptures dug onto the riverbed. The water still flows, lives still flourish within and out of the hills. A 45-minute trek up brings one to a scenic view of the surroundings and many, many wonderful sights of ecology.
This reminds me of Avatar. I told a couple who was there at the same time that this looks like it's straight out of a scene of Avatar and they didn't understand what I was saying because they didn't watch the movie. Oh well.
Kbal Spean proper.
You won't want to leave with all that cold water running all over you. :)
There's a tiny waterfall somewhere within the hills as well. If you know your way, or have a guide, you will find your way. There are other scupltures along the way as well. One of a frog.
One helluva fierce frog!
WIthout wanting to overdose you with Kbal Spean. I shall continue with my other top Angkor sights. Of course, one should not forget the reason why one was there. Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is an amazing structure, vast complex. Beautiful at anytime of the day. Sunrise, afternoon, or sunset.
The golden hue at sunset.
Morning fog.
Dawn.
As the sun rises.
View from one of the tower. The entire area is the Angkor Wat site. Not the entire archealogical site. It is a good 3 minutes tuk tuk ride from the ticket office.
This is the way up, which not many people can do.
It's not famous for nothing. It's a huge complex, with a lot to discover. Many went back a few times.
Next up is Bayon, the temple of thousand faces. You'll take hours to take a photo of each and every faces in Bayon and eventually, you will lose count or get confused and you will have to start all over again.
The "face" of Bayon.
Then, in Tomb Raider, there is Ta Phrom.
Wait.. No. This is not the one.
Not this too?
This is the one! Haha! I remember the enclosure.
Again, another beautiful site to explore.
Check out that face!
Banteay Samré, though not as popular as other Angkor sites, is a hidden gem. It is tucked quietly at the other end of East Baray. It is a small complex, with intricate sculptures which you will not regret making that trip across the baray.
Looking for a flight of stairs which is not too hard on your heart? Pre Rup it is.
If you are a roots lover, Banteay Kdei is the place for you. The site is in ruins, almost overrun by trees.
Swimming in the baray.
East Mebon is on a artificial island on the baray. It is nothing much except for the elephant.
And I don't know what's the big deal with this elephant. Probably, it looks pretty complete after centuries of being around.
Ta Som is another totally dilapidated site. To the extend it looks really sad, the emotional kind of "sad".
Right, Neak Pean is just a pool of water. But if you like long walks, this is a place to consider. It's a long, straight, way to get to the pool.
Preah Khan is also another quiet location to reflect or ponder. Less crowded and equally beautiful compared to other temples.
Ta Keo gives you the climb of your life! I went, and I gave up. Simply because I was in slippers and didn't want to risk it. If I'm back in Siem Rep, Ta Keo is the place I will go back to and climb those killer steps!
Finally, Prasat Kravan was recommended to me by my tuk tuk driver. No disappointment. Simple architecture but wall relives carved are absolutely impressive! Even after years of facing the sun and rain.
Well. Hope this gives you a rough idea of which sites to visit when you are in Siem Reap. I am definitely going back some time in the future. To Beng Melea, Phnom Bakheng, and Ta Keo.
ETA on 2 Oct 2010
Opps... I conveniently forgot about Banteay Srei. I heard so much about it's red rose structures, I had really big expectations for Banteay Srei. I wouldn't say the it was a disappointment, but after seeing Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and other big complexes, I was expecting Banteay Srei to be somewhat big. It isn't. And if I were to compare the colour to Petra, it was somewhat shy of Petra's red. But still, it is beautiful with one of the most intricate carvings among all of Angkor, this is a place which you will not want to miss if you are planning to spend some time in Siem Reap.