As one of the world’s most stunning monuments, Angkor Wat draws photographers from every corner of the globe. But does this legendary historic site live up to the hype for a budget backpacker? Here is my honest review.
Angkor Wat is the main temple in the Angkor Archaeological Park, and twice a year, the sun rises in perfect alignment with the central tower of the most famous monument. It’s worth noting when reading this that we happened to visit during the spring equinox (give or take a day or two), hence, as busy as it was, it may be quieter other times of the year.
We started our day not so bright and early at a 4:30 am pick up by one of the local remork drivers we had met the previous day, Tookla. Arriving at the entrance to the main temple at around 5 am, the pathways leading to the temple were busy with phone torches lighting the way from both visitors and ticket inspectors. Morning gusts stirred the tree-lined path, revealing the distant silhouette of Angkor Wat as you approached. The path was longer than we thought, crossing moats and fields, it took around 10 minutes from the entrance until we reached a bridge with a sign to indicate you cannot go any further.
6 am came, and visitors were allowed to start entering the site. By this time, the bridge we were waiting on was filled with thousands of people waiting to enter, while hundreds on either side were waiting to get a clear shot of the temple.
The main temple is vast with many different entrances and pathways through for you to easily spend an entire afternoon here. The central pagoda is accessible to climb with a narrow staircase on the one side that acts as both the entrance and exit. It is fair to say that it was extremely busy when we visited, with long queues to get up and down the pagoda. From the top, you are offered views of the beautiful temple complex and the surrounding grounds, and tall corner turret like rooms that connect the walkways (warning: a lot of bats sleep in these turrets).
After spending around 2 hours at Angkor Wat, we headed back to our driver Tookla who was going to take us to the next temple (when you buy a ticket to Angkor Wat, you can access to all the temples in the park). I think 2 hours was enough for us in the blazing heat, but you could easily spend longer. Ta Keo Temple was next on our list, surrounded by tall thriving forestland, this epic Hindu temple is completely hidden from roadside. The temple is square in shape with an outer wall and features a towering central plateau area with multiple pagodas. The climb to the top is steep with broken and uneven steps laying the way. This peaceful, well-preserved site offers a fascinating glimpse into the past, inviting you to imagine the temple in its prime hundreds of years ago.
My favourite temple that we visited was definitely Banteay Kdei Temple. The temple consists of two entrances accessible by roads and is a long walkthrough to the other side. Upon entering through the ancient stone gate to the site, a band starts playing traditional Khmer folk music strumming and beating instruments I have never seen. The site was eery, with no other tourists around and very little groundskeepers working. The temple felt ancient, with gnarled trees growing through the foundations and bursting out of the stone walls. Moss grows all over the temples structure and the pathway is laden with stone slabs. Narrow pathways through low clearance rooms and the quiet ambience really makes it feel as though you’re on the set of Indiana Jones. I definitely recommend.
Stopping for lunch, an empty restaurant is soon filled with dozens of tourists and their drivers. Conversations and stories of peoples journeys throughout Cambodia and the surrounding area filled the air. After enjoying a nice lunch, Tookla took us to a couple more temples before the Cambodian heat got to us and we decided to call it a day. The tickets for Angkor Archaeological Park can be bought for unlimited use over multiple days so you can really explore all of these ancient sites at our own pace.
You don’t need me to tell you that you should visit this renowned site. It’s a hefty price compared to similar activities throughout south east Asia but I really enjoyed the day out navigating this historic park. Time to get back and enjoy and ice cold Angkor beer!
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