Cambodia - Angkor Wat and Surrounds

We have been anticipating this day.. Started the day early to visit Angkor Thom that was the masterpiece of King Jayavarman VII. Following the occupation of Angkor by the Chams from 1177 to 1181, the new king decided to build an impregnable fortress at the heart of his empire. Angkor Wat, believed to be the world's largest religious building, this temple is the perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry and a source of pride and strength to all Khmers. Built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II, this is most famous temple at Angkor.

We continue to the 'Indiana Jones' temple of Ta Prohm. Left as it was ‘discovered’ by French explorer Henri Mouhout in 1860, the tentacle-like tree roots here are slowly strangling the remaining structures..

We stop by at the Takeo Temple.. Unlike other temples in the complex, this one has no exquisite carving on the wall.. This is due to a lightning mishap during the development process..

This temple has Hindu exposures in the details..

We then visit the Terrace of the Leper King. This intricately carved platform was the royal crematorium and the statue that was originally thought to be the leper king is now believed to be Yama, the god of death. We continue along the Terrace of Elephants, originally used as a viewing gallery for the king to preside over parades, performances and traditional sports.

At the southern end lies the Baphuon, once of the most beautiful temples at Angkor, dating from the reign of Uditayavarman 1 in the 11th century. It has undergone a massive renovation by the French and is now once again open for viewing. Unfortunately we were too tired to visit the temple..

Our climax is the enigmatic and enchanting temple of the Bayon. At the exact centre of Angkor Thom, this is an eccentric expression of the creative genius and inflated ego of Cambodia’s most celebrated king.

We had lunch at the My Hibiscus Hotel - a Malaysian owned hotel.. Back to the hotel for short break..

Late in the afternoon we went to the Phnom Bakheng to view the sunset... One thing for sure, it was too crowded and you couldn't get nice view from up there.. If you want to experience climbing the hill on an elephant, you must make a reservation and it's $20 per pax - one way!!

It's nice to see local people having picnic overlooking the Angkor Wat in the late afternoon.. How lucky.. The view was breathtaking.. On the way back we stop by at a small stall selling this awesome daging bakar.. So authentic and yummy!

Dinner was at a Champa Muslim Restaurant.. After dinner, jalan-jalan kat Night market.. Went for $2 for half an hour foot massage.. Biasa2 saja.. Had better massage but the price memang murah sangat..

Tips: keychains sold at the temple area are cheap - $2 for 5-6 keychains.. Fridge magnets sold at $2 for 5 pieces.. If you are lucky you can get $1 for 3 fridge magnets.. Not sure about the t-shirt but t-shirts at Phnom Penh Central Market are sold at $2 each.. The quality is good too.

Bring some snacks if you want..