Siem Reap, Cambodia: Temple Run

Seeing centuries old temples is probably the primary reason why a huge number of tourists flock to Cambodia specifically in Siem Reap. The country boasts several temples that are worth visiting and discovering. 

And of course, would I be left behind? Definitely not! So here's a quick glimpse to our Temple Run Adventure in Cambodia.

Photo Credit: epicofthethreestars

On our first day in Siem Reap, our itinerary was a whole day tour to the Angkor Archaeological Park where you can find the incredible remains of the 9th - 15th centuries Khmer Empire. This park was declared UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992.

The Preparation:

Based on my research and some feedback, it is not advisable to wear above the knee length clothes (although some still wore short, shorts). Oh well considering that those are all temples, wearing decent outfit is very essential.

Our hotel staff packed so many bottles of water for us. 

The thing that we forgot... bring umbrella or cap to protect oneself from the scorching heat of the sun!...

At the Park

We paid US$20 for one day pass in the entire park. It is vital to always keep your ticket/ID in hand so it'll be easier to show it during random checks within the vicinity.

our passes

Temple Run Start:

First stop was the infamous Angkor Wat. It was around 10 in the morning when we arrived at the temple, which means we had to endure the burning sun rays. whew!

main entrance

The Angkor Wat Park stood at the middle of several temples in this particular area. This place sits in front of a huge lake.

All a long I thought that when we entered the temple, that's already it. But I was so wrong. After taking a few photos I found out that we were just at the first part of this Angkor Wat tour. Holy goodness! When I checked the back part of what seemed to be the first part of the temple, there was a huge area where you can see smaller temples on the side.  

After about 15-20 mins of walking underneath the piercing rays of the sun, we reached the second part of Angkor. We rested for a while and took some photos.

After a few minutes, we continued exploring the place. We didn't bother hiring a guide because it wasn't on our budget? haha

And finally we reached the heart of the Angkor Wat, the Angkor Temple. A lot of tourists want to visit the park either early dusk or late in the afternoon to see a breathtaking view - during sunset and sunrise.

We were not able to go up the Angkor Wat temple because of our outfit. No scarf allowed, No short shorts, etc.

After a few minutes, we continued walking toward the back part of the area - the final part (I guess). Then we rested - again! and took pictures. At around, 11:30 - super hot! - we walked back to the parking area where our tuktuk was waiting.

Next destination, we headed to the nearby walled city of Angkor Thom. 

We stopped at the main gate (gateway to the walled city of Angkor Thom) where four huge stone faces and an army of stone figures on both sides of the street greeted us. Picture taking!

After our lunch at Restaurant 21, we visited the Bayon Temple. This temple is probably my favorite among all. It had lush green grass surrounding it errr.. in front. We just stayed outside and enjoyed breathtaking scenery - the amazing structure of the temple. 

Bayon temple

Next destination was (is) a well-known temple, especially to Angelina Jolie fans out there. We took a few minutes ride to Ta Prohm Temple.

main entrance of Ta Prohm

From the main entrance, it's pretty apparent that the structure is weakening. Ropes were tied around the stone head to hold it up.

Instead of going straight from the entrance, we took a different route - at the side of the temple. We saw piles of rocks on the ground.

We passed by this gigantic tree... with gigantic roots, which seemed to be bigger than the rocks (and probably 5x bigger than my body size). Woahh..

So okay, let's go back to why Ta Prohm is so popular, specifically to Lara Croft followers. Remember the movie "Tomb Raider: Cradle to Life"? .. I mean who wouldn't know, right? Well, some scenes from the film were shot here at the Ta Prohm temple!.. Yep you heard it right (even if you will search it over Google) *wink.

this was featured in Tomb Raider..

I was stunned looking at those familiar spots. Scenes from the movie flashed back. And yeah, I remembered those movie scenes clearly.

Tired, worn out, hungry and thirsty.. we walked back to the parking area. My feet started to sore. Arg!..

We're off to our final destination.. the last temple. Unfortunately, I forgot the name of this temple. Yikes! My deepest apology. 

When we got off from our tuktuk, 4-6 kids came to us selling some souvenirs. And we didn't bought any. opps.

Seriously, I was very tired during this time. T'was like all the energy and water in my body were drained. All I was thinking was to go back to the hotel and soak my body on the tub or pool.

The whole temple run adventure in Siem Reap was exciting and somewhat educational. But it was SO hot! and very tiring. Whew! But we survived! Will I recommend visiting the temples? If you are into history or nature, it's perfect! 

For me, uhm once is enough..*wink


Do you have something to share about Cambodia? Feel free share them..






Sept. '14