Attraction

Angkor Wat   South Gate of Angkor Thom   Bayon   Business Center   Baphoun   Banteay Srei   Ta Prohm   Preah Khan   Phnom Bakheng   Phnom Koulen   Tonle Sap

Banteay Kdei   East Mebon   Elephant Terrace   Leper King Terrace   Takeo   Thommanon   Chau Say Tevoda   Neak Poin   Ta Som   Pre Rup   Srah Srang

Visitors can travel to Siem Reap either on regular domestic flights, overland or by speedboat along the magnificent Tonle Sap to explore new cultures, meeting local fisherman in their floating villages and tasting ethnic food fares. Angkor Temples are spread throughout the forest. Heading north from Siem Reap, you first came to Angkor Wat, then the walled city of angkor Thom. Further east are temples including Ta Prohm North of Angkor Thom is Preah Khan and way beyond in the north-east, Banteay Srei and Phnom Kulen. To the east of Siem Reap is the Rolous group of early Angkor temples.

Angkor Thom

The fortified city of Angkor Thom, some 10sq km in extent, was built by Angkor's greatest King, JayavarmanVII (ruled 1181-1201). Centered on Baphuon, Angkor Thom is enclo sed by a square wall 8m high and 12km in length and encircled by moat 100m wide, said to have been inhabited by fiece crocodiles. The city has five monumental gates, one each in

the north, west and south walls and two in the east wall. In front of each gate stand giant statues of 54 gods (to the left of the causeway) and 54 demons (to the right of the causeway), a motif taken from the story of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk illustrated in the famous bas-relief at Angkor Wat.In the center of the walled enclosure are the city's most important monuments, including the Bayon, the Baphuon, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas and the Terrace of Elephants.

Bayon Temple

The Bayon takes an easy second places after Angkor Wat. The smile of the four-faced Bayon has become a world-recognized symbol of Cambodia. The towering faces, reaching up to four meters in height, adorn the Bayon Temple at the exact center of Angkor Thom in Siem Reap. As many as 216 faces on the 54 remaining towers, each represented one

province of Khmer empire in the ancient time. The Bayon is now known to have been built by Jayavarman VII. There is still much mystery associated with the Bayon - its exact function and symbolism-and this seems only appropriate for a monument whose signature is an enigmatically smiling face.

Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei was built in the late 10th century and is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. The temple is square with entrances at the east and west. Of chief inter-east are the three central towers, which are decorated with male and female divinities and beautiful filigree relief work. Banteay Srei is 21km north-east of the

Bayon and 8km west of PhnomKulen. You can combine a visit here with a trip to the sacred mountain of Phnom Kulen.

Preah Khan

The temple of Preah Khan (Sacred Sword) is a good counterpoint to Ta Prohm, though it gets far fewer visitors. Preah Khan was built by Jayavarman VII(it may have served as his temporary residence while Angkor Thom was being built), and like Ta Prohm it is a place of towered enclosures and shoulder-hugging corridors.

The central sanctuary of the temple was dedicated in 1191, Preah Khan's role as a center for worship and learning. Preah Khan covered a very large area, but the temple itself is within a rectangular enclosing wall of around 700m by 800m. Four processional walkways approach the gates of the temple. These gates are flanked, gods carrying a serpent, as in the approach to Angkor Thom. From the central sanctuary, four long vaulted galleries extend in the cardinal directions. Many of the interior walls of Preah Khan were once coated with plaster held in place by holes in the stone.

Takeo Temple

Date: till 1000
King: Jayavarman V and Suryavarman I
Cult: Brahmanic (Shiva)
Located east of Thammanon and Chau Say Tevoda, the absence of the decoration of the monument shows us the very unfinished temple of Takeo, according to the inscription,

there was a lightning that hit on it - it was a bad omen and the monument was abandoned. It is an imposing sight, scaling 22m to the sky, and give an impression of power. Takeo was the first Angkorian monument built entirely in sandstone and such serves as a milestone. Enormous blocks of stone were cut to a regular size and place in position. the absence of decoration at Takeo gives its simplicity of design that separates from the other monuments. The summit of the central tower, which is surrounded by four lower towers, is 10m high. This quincunx arrangement with four towers at the corners of a square and a fifth tower in the center is typical of many Angkor temple mountains.

Chau Say Tevoda

Date: late of 11th century to first half of 12th century
King: Suryavarman II
Cult: Brahmanic
Chau Say Tevoda and Thommanon are two small monuments close together(located on the lest and right sides of the road) and similar in plan and style.

Although the precise dates of these monuments are unknown, they belong to the best period of "classic art" stylistically and represent two variations of a single theme of composition.Built by King Suryavarman II from the end of the 11th to the first half of the 12th century and dedicated to Brahmanism. Walking toward the temple you can see traces of a moat and vestiges of rectangular laterite base of an enclosing wall. Currently is under restoration.

West Gate Thommanon

Located east of the Gate of Victory of Angkor Thom, across the road (north) from Chau Say Tevoda, Thommanon is rectangular in plan with a sanctuary opening the east, a moat and an enclosing wall with two entry towers, one on the east and another on the west, and one library near the southeast side of the wall.

Only trace of laterite base of the wall remains. Thommanon is a gem an should not be missed. It is similar in plan and style to Chau Sya Tevoda, which is close by. Built by King Suryavarman II from the end of the 11the to the first half of the 12the century and dedicated to Brahmanism.

Neak Poin

Date: second half of the 12th century
King: Jayavarman VII
Cult: Buddhist
Located east of Preah Khan; 300m from the road, Neak Pean is a large square man made pond 70m each side bordered by steps and surrounded by four smaller square ponds.

A small circular island with a stepped base of seven laterite tiers is in the center of the large square pond. Small elephants sculpted in the round originally stood on the four corners. Although Neak Pean is small and a collection of five ponds, it is worth a visit for its unique features. Most photogenic in the wet season when the pools are full.