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A Tour of The Temples at Angkor Wat.
You’ll find an Angkor Wat video guide at the bottom of the page as well as facts, photos and links to anything of worth on the web about this famous Temple. Better no surprises so you can take in the beauty of this place without interruption. The picture above was taken during my first visit to Angkor Wat in 2001. I was in a daze and overwhelmed and needed to sit down. I felt out in the jungle with the monkeys and a canopy of trees over me, hiding this jewel. That’s how remote it felt in early 2001. Angkor Wat has changed a lot since then. When I returned in late 2005, I could barely recognize Angkor Wat through the crowds. The rows of 5 star hotels lining the road to the gates of Angkor are massive and numerous. Angkor Wat is big business now, but having said that, seeing it again was as indescribable as ever. Instead of isolation as before there remains only pockets away from the crowds where you can still see some of the glorious wonder that remains in this place. In the video tour at the bottom of this page we took the off-beat path around the main entrance way and along the inside of the outer walls of Angkor Wat. We were pretty much alone. If you see Angkor Wat in the very early hours of the morning or an hour before the site closes, you’ll practically be alone. And if you want the most incredible experience possible, then get in the balloon near dusk and see the entire site from 200 Meters up. It’s insanely romantic and absolutely beautiful with views of the entire Angkor site (Bring a significant other and a camera). The big, yellow balloon rises 200 Meters above the temple site. I can’t think of any words that can describe the experience. But I felt that I flew over the top of one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world on that day.
To get to the where the balloon takes off, just head down the only road that connects the airport with Angkor Wat. It is less than 1km from the front gates of Angkor Wat. The balloon cost me $12USD in 2001 for a 20 minute ride and worth every penny. Inflation anyone? Give them a call @012-520810 before heading down to see them. Here’s some of that dry stuff before we get started. Angkor Wat (in Northwestern Cambodia) was the heart of the Khmer Empire for more than 500 years. From Angkor the Khmers controlled mainland Southeast Asia from the 9th to the 13th century. Thailand and Vietnam repeatedly invaded the kingdom at Angkor Wat until 1863 when France made Cambodia a protectorate and sent the Thais and Vietnamese packing. Independence followed in 1953. I made my first trip to Angkor Wat in 2001 with a friend of mine who had come to visit me. I was living in Bangkok and teaching English at the time and we decided to make the trek to Cambodia and see the Temples at Angkor Wat instead of making the trip North to Chiang Mai. I’m glad we made that choice looking back. If you’re coming from Bangkok (A hub now with the best prices on airfares in the region) then you’ll be staying at a Guest House somewhere near Khoa San Road. You can get a mini-bus from any Guest house or a train from the station or even a bus. Get all the information about transportation from Bangkok to Cambodia on the Cambodia travel page. It’s 465km from Bangkok to Siem Reap or 9-12 hours on the bus or train. 4-5 hours of that just gets you to the Aranyaprathet /Poipet border crossing. The other 5-6 hours is taken up by the ride to Siem Reap from there. You may have a long wait getting through the border. It all depends on how many other backpackers joined you along the way. And how many of those massive tourist buses arrived while you were waiting patiently in line! The many people by-passing you while you wait patiently in line will soon frustrate you. Especially those Vietnamese Men dressed in blue from the tour companies walking right past you with a stack of 60 passports and a dollar bill slid in each. If you want to get through the border quickly then grease the Border Guards. Just tuck a single US Dollar inside the front page of your passport. Get to the front of the line and politely rest your passport on the counter. As soon as the immigration officer sees the little patch of greenback sticking out, he’ll take it under his wing. Yes, I know I am part of the problem. But I roll with the water and it serves me well. If you are coming from Bangkok (A very popular route) and you decide to go by mini-bus through one of the tourist agencies on Khoa San road you will be amongst throngs of other backpackers that will bottle-neck the border crossing. That’s why I like the train. Get all the details and time-tables for the train leaving twice daily from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet on the Cambodia Travel page. Once you get through the border you can get a minibus the rest of the way on the Cambodian highway to Siem Reap. It is mostly dirt and pot-holes so I say ‘Highway’ sort of tongue-in-cheek. Also, it is possible to fly right into Siem Reap. You can use the airline of your choice matching your schedule and budget.
You can also just give them a call or Email one of their booking offices.
10th Floor, Waveplace Building, 55 Wireless Rd., Lumpinee Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. 9h00 to 17h00 (local time) Mon-Fri. Tel: 66-2-6554137/38/39/40 Fax: 66-2-6554420 admin.bkk@vietnam-air.com
Street No 41, 214 Samdechpan Str., Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 9h00 to 17h00 (local time) Mon-Fri. Tel:855- 23- 363397/215998 Fax:855- 23- 364460 long.mx@online.com.kh
But I don’t have the cash to do that because room prices range up to $750USD a night. I only use my room to sleep and paying $750USD for a place to sleep is not for me but maybe you have money to burn. There is a link to one of the most incredible 5 star hotels in Siem Reap. I wonder if they have limo tours of Angkor Wat as well! (Not Yet). Don’t worry fellow budget travelers. There are other choices and some of them are really nice.
You can get a fantastic room for under $10USD a night. Last time I was there I got a room at the Dead Fish Tower. It was a great place and very lively so there is an option for you. But there are many others and none are far away. Transportation around the Temples: Gone are the days when you could rent a small motorbike and drive to and from each of the Temples at Angkor Wat. You must rent a motorbike driver or climb in a Moto-Romauk now and be ‘chauffeured’. A Moto-Romauk is similar to a two-wheeled carriage pulled behind a motorbike. It’s not quite like a Tuk-Tuk in Bangkok. But Similar.
And the streets are It’s between $6-9USD to rent a motorcycle and a driver for the day. For a Moto-Romauk and a driver for the day you’ll pay anywhere between $12-16USD. You’ll find a driver stationed at the exit of every Guest house and hotel in Siem Reap just waiting for you. Strike a deal if you wake up a bit late and won’t need their services for a full day. Some people rent bicycles and cycle from Siem Reap to the Temples at Angkor Wat. I have not done it but I don’t recommend it. If you’re staying in Siem Reap at a reasonably priced Guest house then you could be up to 6km or 3 1/2 miles away from the front gates of Angkor Wat. Just getting to the top of Angkor Wat will exhaust you never mind adding a 12km bike ride to it. But to each their own.
There are bicycle rentals available at almost every Guest house and they usually cost between $1-3USD per day. Be careful if you do decide to rent a bicycle. Stay on designated pathways unless you are a member of the ‘Dodge the landmines club’. You could also hire a taxi. But it is expensive and most of my time was spent hiking the Temples of Angkor rather than navigating the traffic anyway. I hired a motorbike driver and he drove me around the site to the different temples I wanted to see. He waited patiently outside for me each time and then took me to the next temple. He was really a great guy for the first part of the morning. At about mid-day I took a break and my driver dropped me off at the row of tent-like restaurants near Angkor Thom. He asked me for some good faith money up-front so I gave him $5USD and off he went to ‘buy lunch’. I figured he would come back for the other $9USD. And he did! He pulled up to the table I was sat at and calmly got off his motorbike, stealthily putting his kickstand down in one fluid macho movement. But once he had straightened his stance, he wobbled precariously and fell flat on his face. He was as drunk as the worm at the bottom of a Tequila bottle! I hired another driver for the last half of the day. They are not all like that but, to be on the safe side, don’t give them any money until the end of the day. You should decide if you want to see all of the most important temples or not. There are 2 options for tickets;
Unfortunately, the multi-day tickets must be used on consecutive days so there is no taking a day off on a 3 or 7 day pass. When you go to purchase your entry ticket to the Temples take along 2 additional passport sized photos. They are required for the Angkor Wat Temple Pass. Keep the ticket close to you once you have bought it. You will be asked to show that ticket at the entrance to each and every Temple you enter. If you lose it you’ll be asked to purchase a new one. Another thing you need to remember about tickets is that they are Non-Transferable. Only you can purchase your ticket in person at the Entrance Gates to Angkor Wat. If somebody offers to get you a ticket at a discount, politely refuse the offer. It’s a scam. If you want, you can purchase your ticket at 5pm and are then permitted to immediately enter the Angkor Wat site, roam around for an hour and then catch the sunset up at Phnom Bakheng. You can then use that same ticket to gain entrance to the temples the following day. So it’s like getting a day and half for the price of a single day. It’s enough time to see the major attractions at Angkor but it’s a little rushed. 3 days was enough for me the first time I went but again that’s something you need to decide depending on how much time you have and how interested you are in the first place.
The most important temples to visit are:
Get a detailed guide with a map of the Angkor Temples here. It can be exhausting hiking around the Temples at Angkor Wat. You’ll enjoy the day a whole lot more if you take comfortable walking shoes, light clothing and drink plenty of water. I always hit one of the abundant convenience stores in Siem Reap to fill a knapsack before heading to the Temples for the day. Food is fairly cheap once inside the Temple complex except in the restaurants directly across the street from Angkor Wat. They are all a rip-off because of their location so close to Angkor Wat. Despite the fact that a cheese sandwich is only $4USD (A reasonable amount compared to home) it’ll be so small that it will leave you hungry and feeling taken advantage of. Instead, head down the road to Angkor Thom. There are better and cheaper restaurants there.
I saw both the Sunrise and the Sunset over Angkor Wat and I recommend seeing both. But if your time is limited I recommend seeing the Sunrise instead of the Sunset. No offense to the Sunset but the sun rises in the morning directly behind the main temple at Angkor Wat. It is breathtaking and worth getting up for. I’ll get video of the sunrise and sunset up on this site soon. For now there is a nice video tour of Angkor Wat here for you.
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