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Pro
A must for every temple enthusiast. Intricate carvings found here!
Con
Nothing really, except the horribly humid weather
In a nutshell
Angkor Thum is a necessary part of the Khmer culture
Maria81 Says: The 200 (my guidebook had the 126 number, but you can't really count them all - some are barely preserved) faces of the the bodhisattva of compassion called Avalokitesvara or Lokesvara - though bearing a noticeable resemblance to the temple's founder, King Jayavarman VII -...
Maria81 Says: And here I've really did myself no favours with the rather cramped schedule for my 3-day stay in Siem Reap - hence, I've had to visit the Bayon in a rather flat light at about 2pm during the day. And it was - as you might well guess - very hot... But - back to...
Willettsworld Says: The Victory Gate is one of two gates located on the eastern side of the wall that surrounds Angkor Thom. It provides access to the Royal Square and the Palace and, like other gates, is 75ft (25m) tall and surrounded by a turreted structure consisting of four faces of the...
Willettsworld Says: After visiting Angkor Thom, you can exit via the northern gate in order to visit Preah Khan. Like the South Gate it features a bridge which is flanked by two sets of statues recreating a scene taken from the legend of the Churning of the Sea of Milk. As for the gate itself,...
Willettsworld Says: Commencing where the Elephant Terrace left off, and believed to date to the 13th century, the 6m-high Terrace of the Leper King is so named for the statue of Yama, the God of the Underworld, atop it. Stark naked, Yama sits with one knee raised, surveying the Royal Square....
Willettsworld Says: In the centre of the Royal Palace compound stands the Phimeanakas (described as a "Tower of Gold") which rises on three levels to over 30m high. Legend has it that King Suryavarman used to sleep here with his lover, a serpent woman.
Willettsworld Says: The construction of the Royal Palace was probably begun by Rajendravarman in the 10th century, enlarged by Suryavarman I in the 11th century and totally rebuilt by Jayavarman VII in the 12th century-13th century. This 34-acre area is bounded by a laterite wall - 16ft (5m)...
Willettsworld Says: The Khleangs are two buildings of unknown purpose on the east side of the Royal Square in Angkor Thom, located just behind the twelve towers of Prasat Suor Prat and separated by the royal route that leads from the Royal Palace to the Victory Gate. While the two appear to...
Willettsworld Says: The dozen Suor Prat towers stand directly opposite the Royal Palace enclosure and are placed symmetrically on either side of the royal road leading from the Victory gate to the Elephant Terrace.Suor Prat is believed to date to the early 13th century during the reign of...
Willettsworld Says: Stretching for a full 300m from the Baphuon all the way to the Terrace of the Leper King, the photogenic Terrace of the Elephants surveys the Royal Square of Angkor Thom. As the name suggests, it's carved with lots of elephants and was used by Angkor's king Jayavarman VII as...
Willettsworld Says: Erected around 1060 during the reign of King Udayadityavarman II, the Baphuon was situated just to the south of the Royal enclosure and was easily the largest temple of its time. It consists of a long, narrow entry path boosted by columns. The main structure would have been...
Places to eat around Angkor: Busy at lunchtime
Willettsworld Says: The temples at Angkor are spread over a huge area of some 400 square kilometres. There are only a few restaurants dotted around and these tend to be located in the main visiting areas. These include a row located near the entrance to the Bayon in Angkor Thom, a few near the...
victorwkf Says: The Khmer Village Restaurant is a cozy stop-over during your trip to the Angkor monuments for breakfast, lunch and some drinks. This restaurant serves nice local food, as well as rice and noodle dishes, plus soft drinks and beer.It is popular, and many tourists were there...
Willettsworld Says: OK, so the temples of Angkor cover a vast area of some 400 square kilometres. So what's the best way of getting around to see them? Well I first bought a 3-day pass for $40 so I had enough time to see the majority of them and certainly the most important and well known of...
victorwkf Says: If you want to visit the Angkor Monuments, the best and cheapest way is by the local Tuk Tuk (carriages pulled by motorcycles). The official Tuk Tuk drivers will wear a vest with their numbers stated at the back of the vest, so this is controlled and safe. Usually, the...
AlbuqRay Says: In many of the Angkor temples you find places where the doorways get smaller and smaller. This is because you are approaching a place where you would find a god or king. It makes you stoop lower and lower.
ALWAYS CARRY PLENTY OF FRESH WATER
DennyP Says: ANGKOR THOM I found when travelling through these out of the way ancient sites it is imperrative to carry plenty of fresh water with you , although in some places it is available ,the heat is so intense you will use a LOT of water..The sites here are situated long way off...
Willettsworld Says: A common scene as you wander around the sights are children trying to sell souvenirs such as postcards as well as drinks, bracelets, scarf’s and such like. They're quite persistent, even bordering on annoying but at the same time they are quite sweet and only trying to make...
Willettsworld Says: Even though I bought a copy of Lonely Planet with me, it wasn't all that good with pictures or detail. I was browsing a copy of book shops in Siem Reap, at the old market and found many books on Angkor that are sold as counterfeit (copies). I decided to by one called The...
Willettsworld Says: Passes are required to enter the Angkor area. They are on sale at the front gate, on the main road from Siem Reap to Angkor Wat, for 1-day ($20), 3-day ($40), or 7-day ($60) intervals. The 3-day pass is valid for any 3 days within a week, while the 7-day pass is valid for...
Plan a Angkor Thum vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Angkor Thum locals
Baksei Chamkrong is a small but interesting site just outside the south gate of Angkor Thom. Wikipedia says that Baksei Chamkrong was started by King...
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1
Angkor Thom - Amazing Stone Faces
For me the whole idea of visiting Cambodia was to see the amazing Angkor Wat! About 3 weeks before I left I bought the Lonely Planet Guide for Cambodia and started reading about Angkor Thom. I'm not a...
2
Under Construction - The Last Angkor City
Other than the famous Angkor Wat, the fortified city of Angkor Thom also beckoned to me. I had to see this place, the last capital of the Khmer Kingdom. The place where the LAST royal priests,...
3
Angkor Thom is a 3 kilometres square fortified place in the middle of the Angkor complex. It has walls (8 meters high) all around, 5 gates with huge human faces in each of their 4 sides, and many...
4
Thousand peaceful faces of The King
To protect the people of Khmer after Chams' [Vietnam] invasion, King Jayavarman VII built a new capital called 'Angkor Thom'; The Magnificent or Great City. This place is about 10 square km and...
5
There is more to Angkor Thom than the Bayon, but it is the most spectacular part and since we had limited time -- well Bayon it was! . The Bayon is best known for its many enigmatic faces, but don't...
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