Our Asian Adventure: Siem Reap, Cambodia - I’m Smitten, Part 1: an amazing hotel and even more amazing temples

I know that if you live ‘in the moment’, each one of those moments is life-changing. But there have been a few places in our travels where we were so awestruck and inspired that I say, “My life would never have been the same if we had not experienced that place.” Siem Reap, Cambodia, is one of those places.

Siem Reap might be a small city of about 140,000 people in northwest Cambodia, but it’s the second largest city in the country. Siem Reap has an ancient history dating to 802 AD with the Khmer Empire which is a large topic to research yourself if you are interested. The history is a little sketchy but much apparently has to do with conflicts for control of the territory. In more modern history, the French played a role in rediscovering ancient grounds from the Khmer Empire which was the start of tourism in the early 1900’s. Independence from the French was gained in 1953. Most of what my generation knows of Siem Reap and Cambodia has to do with the horrific news reports of the Khmer Rouge invasion which lasted from about 1970 to 1979 and the ongoing civil war which lasted until 1999. A good, and easy to understand, article is ‘Siem Reap’s History: A Guide to Cambodia’s Ancient Capital’ (siemreap.net).

So, today, Siem Reap is a world class travel destination with culture, UNESCO historic sites, amazing food, and great hotels while still maintaining rural Cambodian charm (think motorbikes and tuktuks and roadside food stands). But it is always good to acknowledge that despite tourism, a growing economy, and a decline in overall poverty rates, there is still a problem with poverty in Cambodia, especially for people living in rural areas. You can see quite a contrast travelling within the city versus just outside city limits. Cambodia is still considered a developing country with the aim of no longer being a ‘least developed country’ by 2027. I’m not sure if this is just the government’s position or if greater equality will develop in reality. This is another good topic to research on line.

During our three days in Siem Reap, we stayed at the Golden Temple Hotel, part of the Golden Temple Group of services which includes hotels, tours, and restaurants. As in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, we were treated to kindness and class during our four-night stay for much less than a standard hotel room back home. Remember, tourism dollars provide greater employment and a better standard of living. Here are some snapshots of this great little hotel:

The hotel was tastefully decorated with lotus flowers, and we had a snap course on opening the bulbs but no way near mastered the technique.

Through the Golden Temple Group, we booked a three day tour package and, as one of my travel companions stated, that was the best travel money we’ve ever spent, showing us the touristic sights but also a slice of rural Cambodian life. Our guide, Sinet, was a wealth of knowledge and a great photographer, knowing the exact best spots for the perfect pictures. Small group, private, tours are the only way to go, allowing for personal attention and flexibility, especially in Siem Reap with all the ancient sites and local ambience.

We were shocked by Sinet’s knowledge. He explained that Cambodian guides must have rigourous and expensive training. First, they pass a general exam, and then they attend classes for a year. They have to recertify every two years. It’s hard work but provides an adequate living.

Sinet with his group of travellers.

A key draw to Siem Reap, of course, are the temples of Angkor which date to the Khmer Empire from roughly the 9th to 15th centuries. Angkor means ‘capital city’. It was a period of great culture and architecture. There might be hundreds of ‘temples’ dotting the countryside and jungle, some just piles of rubble, but the main three are Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, and Angkor Thom. I’ll provide just a brief, and hopefully accurate, overview of the temples we visited. Always do your own research.

First , we needed a personalized temple pass which allowed us access to all the temples. You can buy the passes on line or at a central ticket office in Siem Reap. Again, Sinet came in handy as he purchased our passes as part of our tour package (I believe a three day pass to all the temples is about $60 American dollars - well worth it for the privilege of experiencing ancient history). Sinet also managed the passes and just flashed them at each entryway.

Up early on Day 1 at 4:00 am, we headed to the Hindu-Buddhist temple Angkor Wat for the iconic sunrise photos. The day was cloudy so there was no sunrise, but the views were still stunning. Angkor Wat is the national symbol of Cambodia, ‘the’ portrayal of Khmer civilization built between 1113 and 1150 by Khmer King Suryavarman as his mausoleum, although he was never buried there. It is the most well-preserved of the Angkor temples and is a combination of spirituality and magnificent construction. It is considered one of the world’s ultimate religious monuments. The initial ‘build’ was said to involve 300,000 workers and 6,000 elephants, and sandstone had to be transported from 50 kms away - all amazing compared to today’s technology. The temple is surrounded by a moat, 1.5 kms by 1.3 kms. The grounds cover over 400 square acres. To really appreciate the construction and the fine detail and the meanings, you would have to visit Angkor Wat many times. It was breathtaking in it’s opulence and magnificence.

Our second temple was Ta Prohm. You might remember this temple from actress Angelina Jolie in the Tomb Raider in 2001. This temple is unique due to being taken over by the surrounding jungle with huge tree roots winding their way through the ancient ruins for somewhat eery but beautiful photos. They say that humanity first conquered nature, but nature shows it is stronger than man-made construction. (They had to pare back the jungle, leaving only a few trees, or the whole temple would be overtaken.) I loved exploring this temple for it’s ruggedness. Ta Prohm was built starting in 1186 as a Buddhist temple. Only a small part is being restored or stabilized, leaving blocked passages and courtyards with sun shining on the moss, tree roots, and rubble. Two of the most famous sights in the temple complex are the Crocodile Tree and the Tomb Raider tree. I loved the unchanged beauty of this place. The rain just added to the ambience.

The Crocodile and Tomb Raider trees:

Our third temple experience was the Hindu temple Banteay Srei, famous for it’s pink-coloured buildings. Here, the photos are phenomenal. It was begun in 967 AD, cut from pinkish stone, and contains what are considered some of the finest stone carvings in the world. It is one of the few temples not commissioned by a king but possibly by a tutor to a king. It is one of the smaller temples in Siem Reap but is arguably one of the most beautiful and fascinating. Banteay Srei means ‘Citadel of the Women’, and legend is that it must have been built by women as the carvings are too fine to be built by men - but who knows? Every corner is elaborate and rich with stories. Again, many visits would be needed to fully appreciate this structure.

I love this colourful family out for a walk around Banteay Srei:

The grounds around Banteay Srei are beautiful. They are a combination of groomed and rugged. We enjoyed seeing the water buffalo grazing nearby. (Strangely, the cows in the fields are extremely skinny while the water buffalo are hefty. Sinet explained that water buffalo eat anything while cows need nourishing grass; but it is the dry season, so cows are not getting nutrients. In the rural area, cows are free to roam wherever they can find food.)

After spending a delightful day on Day 2 at the floating village on Tonle Sap and finishing the day with a ‘foodie’ tour and a visit to the locals’ night market (please stay tuned for an upcoming blog post), Day 3 saw us visiting more iconic temples.

Angkor Thom was known as the Great City. It’s a massive area of about 10 square kilometres encircled by a wall and moat and containing several temples or palaces. The magical South Gate gives you a taste of the amazement to come, just as it made a statement many centuries ago.

The centrepiece of Angkor Thom is Bayon temple dating to the 12th century. It has 54 Gothic towers decorated with 216 giant faces that might or might not resemble the king at the time. It’s known as the “face temple” as the faces stared down over the population. It is said that at any one time and angle, a dozen or so of the faces are visible, watching. There is still apparently mystery surrounding this temple. There are famous intricate symbolic carvings around the base of the first level, all telling historic stories relating to conflict, victory, thankfulness, daily life, nature, enjoyment, etc.

Here’s just one of the many somewhat judgemental/somewhat smiley faces looking down at you from the Bayon Temple:

Further along inside Angkor Thom, we came to Baphuon where the monkeys were frolicking in the trees and on the rocks. Baphuon is also called “golden mountain” and was once considered one of the most spectacular of the Angkor temples. It is like a pyramid in shape with three tiers. Before Cambodia’s civil war, the temple was taken apart piece by piece with the plan to reconstruct, but the ‘blueprints’ were lost during the Khmer Rouge regime; and all 300,000 stones had to be fit together without the ‘plan’. It has been called “the largest 3D jigsaw puzzle”. It seems every temple has a unique story! The temple has been partially restored. You can enter from a lovely 200 metre elevated walkway, and you can climb almost to the top on narrow, steep stairs for a great view.

The view from close to the top:

We then stopped at Phimeanakas, Angkor Thom, close to where the original royal palace once stood. There is nothing left of the royal palace. Phimeanakas means ‘celestial palace’, and some say it was once topped by a golden spire. It is under restoration and not open to the public. It was also built in a pyramid shape. The ‘story’ attached to this temple is that the king would climb the stairs every night to lay with a princess. If the princess did not turn up one night, that would be the end of the king.

The Terrace of Elephants is 350 metres long in front of the royal palace area and was used as a viewing platform for ceremonies and for the king to view his army and parades. The kings during those Angkorian times were certainly not humble folk! Elephants played an important role in Cambodia’s history for transportation, construction, and fighting and are a symbol of power and strength. You will see elephant statues and ornaments everywhere.

And that concludes our temple tour in Siem Reap. You could spend a lifetime studying this period of history; but I hope these little descriptions and pictures tell you something of the grandeur and expertise of the Angkorian times. I always marvel that we think we are so advanced, but these temples were built by humans and elephants and are still standing. Incredible.

Thanks for reading, and please ‘tune in’ in a few days when I share a slice of Cambodian life that just might involve munching on a roasted cricket, or two.