To the Temples of Angkor and Beyond

The Angkor Archaeological Complex contains a large number of temples.  Some of them left pristine by the forest surrounding it, and some of them claimed back by the nature.

The main temple named “Angkor Wat” remained untouched by the reclaiming forces of the jungle, thanks to the moat surrounding it.

The moat can be seen in this picture

Back entrance of the Temple is usually free of tourists and makes for a great photo location

Other temples such as Angkor Thom, commonly known as “Tomb Raider” temple did not have the security of any moat and were reclaimed by Mother Nature during the time of oblivion for the Angkor Temples.  As always Mother Nature knew exactly what she was doing because the reclaim made the temple more beautiful.

It was great to see that India was one of the first countries to provide aid for restoration of the Angkor Temples. 🙂

One interesting fact about the Angkor is that the area where it is built used to be of a  marshy terrain with a lot of lakes around it.  Basically something like this.

This is what the whole area was like before Angkor Temples were built

To build this wonder the architects devised a plan of filling the terrain just so much that it can sustain the weight of the temple and still have ample space to soak up all the rains that Cambodia gets.  If you see, the temples are basically floating.

I can write a million words here in praise of the mighty Angkor and still not do justice to the grandeur of the temples.  It is something which anyone needs to experience to understand.

Witnessing the sunrise over the Angkor Wat is once in a lifetime moment.  If you’re here, make sure you get to see that.  We started from our hotel around 3:30 AM and reached Angkor Complex at around 4:15 and still we were not the first.  Anyway, I set up my tripod at the shore of a teeny tiny lake just in from of Angkor Wat.   You see, the reflection of the Angkor Wat during Sunrise is Majestic.  Here are a few pictures for you but promise yourself that you’ll go and see it one day yourself 🙂

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The best way to experience Angkor is by hiring a friendly Tuk-Tuk driver from Siem Reap.  I’ll recommend that you talk to a few Tuk-Tuk drivers before hiring one of them.  This recommendation is not aimed towards saving money, but towards finding a driver who is friendly and is ready to wait for you if you choose to stay a little longer at any temple (Please tip the driver if he goes above and beyond)for you.

After immersing myself into the grandeur and history of Angkor Wat, it was time for chill time to end this trip.  For this, we headed towards the beach town named “Sihanoukville” from where we’ll go to Koh Rong and spend a few days there before heading to India.  Stories from that part of the trip in next blog.

Thanks for reading…  I’ll see you soon… 🙂