The slow pace of time at Angkor

City of Temples

Once home to gods and kings, today known as the Angkor Archaeological Park, this area covers over 40,000 hectares and contains more than a thousand temples and pagodas. The most prominent among them is Angkor Wat, nestled deep within the jungle and remaining remarkably well-preserved. Angkor Wat attracts over 5% of international tourists visiting Cambodia. It is a source of great pride for the Cambodian people, leading them to place it on their national flag in 1850.

It's difficult to fully describe the sheer size and grandeur of this city. Angkor Wat, in Khmer, means...City of TemplesAngkor Wat, the world's largest religious monument, is a wonder characterized by Khmer temple architecture with long, narrow stone corridors forming a mysterious and complex labyrinth. I felt like I was walking on and on without reaching an end, amidst the humid and intensely hot atmosphere of the ancient forest. Fortunately, Angkor offers various types of tickets: 1-day, 3-day, and 7-day passes. If you don't have enough time or energy to explore all the temples, you can return the next day.

Angkor Wat, with its towering spire reaching 65 meters, visible from afar, is the only temple mountain in Cambodia with its main entrance facing west, towards the setting sun. The entrance is a stone path crossing a large moat. Those who have visited Angkor Wat all say it's essential to arrive before dawn to witness the sunrise over the main temple and its reflection in the moat. However, behind every photograph capturing this glorious moment lies a battle with thousands of jostling tourists. So, the next day, I returned to Angkor before dawn, but this time I went straight to a different, quieter area where I could have the entire temple all to myself.

The Angkor Wat temple complex consists of four tiered levels, each tapering towards the top, mimicking the sacred Mount Meru of India. Initially built as a Hindu temple to honor the god Vishnu, it gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple in the late 12th century, during the powerful period of the Khmer Empire. Using various large and small stone blocks, the Khmer people meticulously arranged and assembled them. Angkor Wat can be considered the pinnacle of Khmer art and architecture, with the main temple complex comprising 398 rooms featuring exquisite stone carvings that showcase the extraordinary power and skillful craftsmanship of the ancient Khmer people. Through hundreds of years of historical upheaval, the colossal bas-reliefs on the columns, doors, ceilings, walls, corridors, and railings remain remarkably well-preserved.

Mysteries of a thousand years

Angkor is not just a single temple complex, but a vast city with countless temples and pagodas buried within it by time. Simply strolling around and stopping at any temple or pagoda along the way will not allow you to piece together the events that occurred in the city's history. Instead, you should visit the sites in chronological order, and learn when each monument was built and when it was destroyed.

Visitors to Angkor Wat cannot miss the mystical smiles of Bayon and the captivating Apsara dances depicted on the stone reliefs. Therefore, these are the two most crowded destinations. To avoid the crowds, after visiting the two main sites, Angkor Wat and Bayon, when many people return to Siem Reap for lunch, you can visit a few other places; or if you happen to encounter a group of tourists entering Ta Prohm, you can detour to nearby Preah Khan.

Typical examples of the beauty and uniqueness of the stone reliefs here include the statue of Vishnu, the supreme deity of all religious beliefs in Siem Reap, located west of the entrance to Angkor Wat, or the Garuda statue with a human head, three eyes, and an eagle's beak. In addition, there is the statue of the seven-headed serpent Naga, a mythical creature mentioned in both Buddhism and Hinduism. Even more remarkably, at Ta Prohm (also known as the Queen's Tomb), if you look closely, you can see a relief depicting an animal with such clear features that anyone can immediately recognize it as a Stegosaurus, a dinosaur that lived at the end of the Jurassic period. Why the Khmer people carved the image of a Stegosaurus at Angkor remains a mystery that science has yet to solve...

Ta Prohm became famous worldwide after the filmLara Croft: Tomb RaiderFilmed inside the temple in 2001, Ta Prohm is different from other temples because of the ancient trees growing through its walls. Their roots snake through cracks and crevices in the rocks, resembling an old-growth forest devouring the temple itself. Thanks to the dense foliage, the air here is also cooler than elsewhere. Unfortunately, these trees grew out of control and could have crushed the temple, so it was decided to cut them down.

After a day wandering around the Khmer ruins, I lingered in Angkor at dusk and climbed Bakheng Hill to watch the sunset cast its shadows over Angkor Wat. How many times has the sun set over the Angkor towers? I wondered, feeling a pang of sadness at the footprints of time left behind here, once the most magnificent and sacred site of the Khmer Empire.

Additional information

Trip:There are currently direct flights from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang to Siem Reap. From Siem Reap International Airport, it takes about 20 minutes by taxi or motorbike to Angkor Wat. Alternatively, you can fly to Phnom Penh International Airport and then travel by car to Siem Reap. Another option is to travel by land via the Moc Bai border gate (Tay Ninh province) to Phnom Penh; or the Tinh Bien border gate (An Giang province) to Phnom Penh, then continue on to Siem Reap, and finally to Angkor Wat.

Sightseeing:If you are not a Cambodian citizen, you need to purchase an entrance ticket to Angkor. There are several types of tickets available: 1-day tickets ($20), 3-day tickets ($40), or 7-day tickets ($60). Children under 12 years old enter free of charge regardless of nationality.

Accommodation:The most convenient option is to rent accommodation in Siem Reap and then travel to Angkor Park by taxi, mini-tour bus, or motorbike.

Transportation options within Angkor Park:Angkor is a vast area, so you should choose a mode of transportation instead of walking, such as bicycles, motorbikes, tuk-tuks, cars, taxis, etc.

Cuisine:In Angkor Park, there are stalls selling snacks, and also a row of casual restaurants along Srah Srang. If you buy a multi-day pass and aren't in a hurry, you can return to Siem Reap to rest and have lunch.

Note:Avoid wearing shorts, short skirts, off-the-shoulder tops, or tight-fitting clothing. Wear comfortable shoes and breathable clothing as you will be doing a lot of walking and climbing stairs throughout the day.

Huong Thao