Angkor Wat - Angkor What??

Hello there :)
You know it was coming to this. The highlight of my trip comes. I think you just simply cannot visit the South Eastern Asia without visiting this ancient ruined city. It is such a landmark of Cambodia that it even landed on its official coat of arms, flag and basically anything Cambodian. Welcome to Angkor Wat!

First let's take a look on how you actually get there. The large area of the ruins of Angkor Wat is situated just outside the Cambodian city of Siem Reap. There is an international airport in the city, having regular flights to basically the rest of the Southeastern and Eastern Asia with regular flights going even as far as Dubai. You can also take an overnight bus from the national capital of Phnom Pen or take an international route from Bangkok which takes about 7 hours. It's however not a direct route for you have to stop at the border, walk through the passport and custom control and take a diferent bus while in Cambodia. Also note that most countries need to buy an entrance visa on arrival for 30 USD.

There is no regular public transportation between the airport and the city, but there are multiple of tuk tuks or taxis around and most of the hotels offer a transportation to and from the airport. Hiring a tuk tuk driver while you arrive may also be a good idea for your whole stay for it is basically impossible to get around the ground on foot if you do not have sufficient amount of time or are not a very quick walker.
While talking about getting around, tuk tuks are definitely the most convinient and most popular ways to do it. Most hotels have their own drivers but you can hire one practically everywhere for some 15 USD a day for the basic route. If you wish to travel further to the temples Beng Mealea or Bantay Srei, you may need to pay more.

While the official currency in Cambodia is the Cambodian riel, most of the trade, especially in large amounts, is made with US dolars with the rate 4000 riel for one dolar. Change is usually returned in riels (p.e., if you purchase a bottle of water for 0,5 dolars and pay with the $1 note, you will get 2000 riels. Make sure to spend them while in Cambodia, for they are not usually accepted in any foreign exchange offices.

So, let's talk Angkor Wat. If you wanna enter, you will need to buy your ticket beforehand. The tuktuk drivers will take you to the ticket office, where you can buy your 1 day / 3 day or 7 day passes. These are then marked everytime you enter the area based on the number of days you wanna spend there. The prices are 37, 62 and 72 USD for the 1, 3 and 7 day pass respectively. Also note that they will print your picture on your pass so that no one else can use it. And don'T forget to carry it with you all the time for it is being regularly checked at the entrance to every temple.

Angkor Wat
Let's start with the most well known temple. Angkor Wat itself is the symbol of the whole nation. The beautiful 5 spires of the ancient khmer temple are a landmark that is hard to miss. If you really want to enjoy the place, don't go in the morning or evening when it seems to be crowded by tourists, waiting for the iconic sunrise or sunset. While it is probably also worth checking out, maybe plan your visit at around 4 pm where the amounts of tourists are not as extensive. When we were there, there were even spots in the area where we were completely alone. Imagine how beautiful the picture will be then! The place is freely accessible, there is only an additional queue for visiting the upper level of the temple which provides you with nice views of the suroundings. And don't forget, it's a sacred place so dress accordingly.

Bayon
Probably second largest temple, most well known for it's characteristic statues with large faces. Part of the larger Angkor Thom area, this temple can give you a breathtaking view of the jungle around . If you are in the area, don't forget to check out other Angkor Thom places like The Elephant Terrace, The Terrace of the Lepper King or the very first Angkor temple - Phnom Bakheng.

Ta Prohm
An interesting monastic temple complex being a highlight of the so called "Little Circuit" (a route of the nearer sites in Angkor Wat as provided by the Tuk Tuk drivers). Lots of carvings in stones and temple ruins being swallowed by the wild. If you are a passionate historian, archeologist or just love atmospheric places for pictures, don't miss this place. Among the other sites in the little circuit, don't miss the Banteay Kdei or the royal pond of Sras Srang.

Banteay Srei
If you still don't have enough of the wonders of Khmer architecture, don't miss this 37 km distant temple. It is personally my favourite. Built from a red coloured sand stone this place is absolutelly beautiful. Very well reserved and the carvings and statues are just astonishing. Find out yourselves :)

Beyond Angkor Wat
While you are in Siem Reap there are a few other things you don't wanna miss. First, if you wanna see a temple almost completely left to the nature, ask your driver to take you to Beng Mealea. This temple is an amazing experience for sure. And there are not so many tourists here for it is not so famous and is roughly 80 km far from the city. It will also show you a bit of a simple life on Cambodian countryside.

If you wanna see a bit from the Cambodian nightlife, head out to the Pub street, the city's main bar and restaurant area. If you wanna grab a beer (for as little as 50 cent) or just grab something to eat, this is the place for you.

So I hope I hyped you enough. I must admit that Angkor Wat remains one of my all time favourites and I recommend the visit to everyone. Trust me, it is totally worth it!

Thank you and have a great day :)

Lex