24
February, Siem Reap
Palm Garden Lodge 36,000KHR ($9)
(breakfast included)
Unesco.org:
“Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia.
It contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer
Empire, from the 9th to the 15th centuries ... Khmer architecture evolved
largely from that of the Indian subcontinent, from which it soon became clearly
distinct ... The result was a new artistic horizon in oriental art and
architecture.”
Several cities
were constructed over 500 years, comprising “... fundamental elements: a
defensive bank and ditch with a state temple at its centre, built from brick or
stone, and a wooden palace. There would also have been many secular buildings,
constructed almost entirely of wood...” Hundreds of temples and other stone
structures dot the countryside around Siem Reap – we took a tuk-tuk to visit
just three: Bayon (sporting a multitude of massive, serene stone faces); Ta
Prohm (overgrown setting for the movie, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider); and Angkor
Wat, the largest religious monument in the world and the jewel in the Khmer
crown.
Photos
spread over the next three pages.
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Tuk tuk ride to temple area - Siem Reap
Tuk tuk ride to temple area - Siem Reap
Angkor Thom city gate and moat
Angkor Thom city gate and moat
Angkor Thom city gate and moat