You may have already heard about the temples of Angkor. On television, TV reports are regularly broadcast, in the cinema we remember the scenes filmed at the Ta Phrom temple with the famous actress Angelina Jolie. Although the site has some ruins, Angkor is still very good to visit, it is an essential stop for any first trip to Cambodia.
For a magical trip to Cambodia
The city of Angkor is an archaeological site that extends over an area of ​​400 km2, it is an open-air museum. In 1992, it was classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO, making this site the country’s leading tourist attraction.
To visit the temples of Angkor, you must start by dropping off your suitcases in Siem Reap. The city is very popular with travelers since it is located only seven kilometers from the temples of Angkor but they will have all the tourist infrastructure to have a pleasant stay.
In the rainy season or the dry season, any visit to the temples of Angkor requires a minimum of preparation. It is wise to take with you something to rehydrate because the temperatures are quite high, and to think about dressing decently out of respect for local traditions in order to avoid being refused entry to the temples.
The best way to discover Angkor is to go with a local guide who will tell you the history of the city of Angkor and the construction of the different temples. If you can’t find a local guide in the language of your choice, there are good paper guides that you can buy on site or before your trip.
For travelers who do not wish to be accompanied by a guide and who want to keep complete freedom, it is possible to rent the services of a tuk tuk or a bicycle for the day. Visiting the Angkor site at your own pace allows you to soak up the magical and mysterious atmosphere that reigns there.
The most visited temples of Angkor
There are many temples of Angkor to discover, at first glance they all look the same. If you look closely at the details of the decorated stones and the architecture, you realize that the temples are different.
The most famous of the site is Angkor Wat. It is the most visited temple because it is very well preserved, its walls are sculpted with incredible finesse which allows to observe different scenes of the life of Angkor. Backpackers and photography enthusiasts meet very early in the morning to admire the sunset on the different towers of the temples or at the end of the day for the sunset. Angkor Wat represents the magnificence of the place all by itself.
Lara Croft fans are looking forward to going to Ta Phrom Temple . The movie was such a success that the number of visitors continues to grow at the entrance of this temple. Regardless of the age of the visitors, big or small, many enjoy taking selfies among the vines and trees that grow on the roofs of the temple. Ta Phrom Temple has a unique charm in Angkor.
Bayon is the temple with 216 faces of the Angkor site which has long remained an enigma. Every visitor has the impression of being observed by the faces with mysterious and smiling looks at the same time. The lower level was dedicated to the Khmer gods while the upper floor is dedicated to Buddha. On the bas-reliefs of the temple, there are very large frescoes relating the past of Angkor including fights and battles between the Khmer and the Chams.
