Prasat Preah Vihear Travel Guide

 AlbuqRay Says:  The picture is looking north from the Level 3 Temple along the causeway back to the Level 2 Temple. It is hard not to get a vendor in the scene when you take pictures of the temples. They are basically everywhere. 

 AlbuqRay Says:  If you walk around the right hand side, there are red stakes and a sign by The Halo Trust warning you not to walk in the field since there are still landmines in that area. 

 AlbuqRay Says:  You pass through this gate to enter Cambodia from Thailand at Preah Vihear. Normally you need a visa but not here. Just need to pay 200 baht to Thailand to leave and 200 baht to Cambodia to enter. At least they don't charge you to go back. 

 AlbuqRay Says:  View from the top of the Level 4 stairs of the back of the Level 3 Temple and the causeway in between. Even with a 447 meter elevation change in ~1 km, the whole hill was not a hard climb since you stop to look around often. 

 AlbuqRay Says:  Once you get past the border gate, you just follow the path, go past some outdoor shops, and arrive at this entrance to the four levels of temples (Khopuras). There are 162 steps over the 76 meters from the entrance up to the first level. The total distance up to the fourth... 

 AlbuqRay Says:  Poei Tadi, or the cliff's edge, is on the back side of the Level 4 Temple. The elevation is 657 meters above sea level. You can see Cambodia 447 meters (almost 1500 feet) below. Laithong lives in the village at the crossroads you can barely see in the center background. She... 

 AlbuqRay Says:  This is Sa Srong or the large reservoir. It is 17 x 38 meters in size. Most Khmer sites seem to have a reservoir. Guess it had been dry at Preah Vihear. This one was pretty empty. It is believed that people bathed here before joining ceremonies. 

 AlbuqRay Says:  On the southwest side of the Level 4 Temple, you can see where they quarried some of the stones for the temples . Many stones in the temples have small, regularly-spaced holes in them. They were not quarried on the hill. They were quarried below and carried up by elephants. 

 AlbuqRay Says:  This walkway is on the west (right hand) side of the Level 4 courtyard. It also had a door which allowed exit to the west. 

 AlbuqRay Says:  There were many rooms at Level 4, including two small Banalai or libraries, where scriptures were formerly stored. 

 AlbuqRay Says:  One way to get to Preah Vihear is to stay in Ubon Ratchathani and hire a driver to take you there. I highly recommend Mr. Piboon. He knows the Ubon area well, is punctual, and is an excellent driver. If you book him through the hotel, it is 1500 baht per day plus gasoline... 

 AlbuqRay Says:  We are resting under a tree at Level 4 that has small edibile green berries. Laithong picked some for us. It seemed to be common practice among all the children. 

 AlbuqRay Says:  These red stakes at the Level 1 Temple warn visitors that there are landmines on the other side. Just stay on the temple side and you will be fine. 

 AlbuqRay Says:  There are several children and adults that will show you around Preah Vihear. Their first language is Khmer but they will know some Thai and English. Laithong and Lawee were selling postcards and accompanied us all the way up, showing us the easier places to walk. The young...