Siem Reap is in the center of Cambodia and is the sight of the Angkor Wat UNESCO world treasure. For those of you familiar with the 1st Laura Croft "Tomb Raider" movie, this is the location where part of it was filmed using the Jungle Temple (Ta Prohm) or Wat. Cambodia has been open for tourism since only about 1998, after the fall of the Khmer Rouge and the death of Pol Pot. Siem Reap is geared for tourists, but at a calmer level than many other places we have been too. The Angkor Wat/Thom complex is fully available to tourists for visiting. Right now may be a short window of time in which tourists can enter and explore the temples. I believe that very soon these sights will be better protected and restricted to prevent damage from tourists. Having said that, I am very happy to have had the opportunity to see them upclose.
We spent 4 nights in Cambodia at the Victoria Angkor Hotel and had 3 full days of guided touring. The hotel was fantastic, located in the center of the town. The weather in Cambodia was hot, but not overwhelming. We spent each morning sight seeing for 3 hours, returning for an afternoon break, and then finishing with more sightseeing from 3 to 6, a great schedule for missing the middle of the day heat.
Angkor Thom was a city containing the biggest of the Angkor temples or Wats. Angkor Wat dates from around 800 - 1200 AD and was built by the Khmer people. Originally a vast city housing the palace, homes, and temples, now mostly the temples remain. At the time, the temples were built to the Hindu Gods. Later, faces of the Buddha were added throughout the Wats. |
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