Angkor wat is the largest religious monument of the world and designated as UNESCO world heritage site. A research article published in Science, 1976 describes this temple as mini-cosmos. It is situated in Siem Reap of Cambodia. This travel blog covers Angkor Wat temple along with other temples around it. It was the month of August 2017 and I have just completed my PhD open seminar. I was looking for a vacation and had a long desire to visit Angkor Wat. Finally, it was managed to get a 12 days leave from the institute and I traveled to Cambodia.
Travel requirement:
Flight ticket was booked in Airasia from Bhubaneswar to Kuala Lumpur and then from Kuala Lumpur to Siem Reap. The cost of the ticket to Kuala Lumpur was INR 3900 including return ticket from Kuala Lumpur. The price was extremely low due to a special offer. The price of flight ticket between Kuala Lumpur and Siem Reap was INR 6183 including return ticket.
I booked a bed in a dormitory (Hi Siem Reap deluxe) at Siem Reap through Hostel world for 6 days at a cost of $ 24. I prepared all my documents and packed my luggage. The important documents were my Passport, printout of visa and soft copies of flight ticket, hostel bookings etc. I planned and made a list of places to be visited and saved the offline google map of these locations. A GPS enabled smart phone with google map application is very helpful while traveling an unknown place. The saved offline map along with GPS helped me a lot while traveling at Angkor Wat without internet. I didn't carry any foreign currency as I had international debit and credit card.
Traveling to Cambodia:
Journey started from Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar where I boarded the Airasia flight at 11:55 PM on 9th August 2017 and flew to Kuala Lumpur. The flight landed at Kuala Lumpur at 6:20 AM on 10th August 2016 after flying for 4 hours. I went through the immigration check and came out of the airport. I had a multiple entry visa for Malaysia. There is no need of Malaysia visa if the connecting flight was booked with Fly-Thru in one PNR number. The next flight to Siem Reap was at 1:05 PM. I had to wait 6 hours and 30 minutes for the next flight. I roamed in the waiting area of the airport and had my lunch at the airport. Then I collected my boarding pass through self check-in using the kiosk. The check-in can also be done in advance through web before traveling. After passing through the immigration and security check, I flew to Siem Reap in Airasia flight at 1:05 PM and landed at Siem Reap at 2:05 PM after flying for 2 hours and 5 minutes. I walked directly to the immigration check as I had the online visa in advance. Those who didn't have visa, they went to the visa-on- arrival counter. After immigration check, I left the airport. Hi Siem Reap (Hostel) has the airport pickup facility. I had already mailed them to pick me from the airport. I withdrew few cash from a ATM at the exit of the airport. The cash was dispensed in US Dollar. All the transaction in Siem Reap and Angkor Wat are done through US Dollar or Cambodian Riel. The bank charged extra $ 5 per each cash withdrawal. Then I was picked up from the airport and traveled to Hi Siem Reap. The Hostel is in a very good place and at a distance of 0.8 km from the pub street. The place is peaceful and free from loud music of pub street and also close enough to pub street which can be reached with in 5 minutes walk. I was given a bed in a 8 bed dormitory. All my roommates were Europeans and they were traveling southeast Asia on their summer vacation. The staffs of the hostels are very friendly and kind. It has free wifi facility. Lunch, dinner, breakfast and drinks are available on payment. The hostel has also a swimming pool on the roof top. It was already 5 PM. After spending few hours near the night market, I returned to the Hostel and went to bed after the dinner.
Exploring Angkor Wat:
Next day morning, journey to Angkor Wat started at 4 AM. The hostel (Hi Siem Reap) has transportation facility (tuk-tuk) for the temple visit. The whole temple visit is divided into 2 parts. First one is the small circuit tour and the other one is the grand circuit tour. I wished to see the sunrise at the Angkor Wat. Hence, I traveled in the early morning. The tuk-tuk tour service cost me $ 20. It would have been $ 15 if the sunrise was not included in the tour. The small circuit tour covers major temples of the Angkor. I left the hostel in the early morning and traveled towards the Angkor Wat in the tuk-tuk. First, we stopped at the ticket counter and the ticket counters are crowded with tourists waiting for the ticket. There were 6-8 ticket counters. I stood in a queue and after 20 minutes, I reached the counter where my photo was captured and received a 3 days pass paying $ 62. The pass was valid for 10 days, but it can be used only 3 times to enter the Angkor area where all the temples are located. Three days pass is good enough to cover all the temples as a tourists. After receiving the ticket, we headed towards the Angkor Wat. Before entering the Angkor area, my pass was punched as a mark of one entry at the check post. Then, the tuk-tuk moved further and arrived at the Angkor Wat temple. The driver dropped me in front of the temple gate and parked his tuk-tuk at the parking area. I entered the gate. First time, I saw the world's largest religious monument in my own eye. The temple is massive occupying an area of 2 square kilometers including the moat and it is the most prominent temple among all the temples. After crossing a floating bridge over the moat, I reached in front of the Angkor Wat temple. The view of the sunrise just behind the temple was awesome. All the tourists are curiously watching the sunrise and capturing the photographs. The temple was clearly visible after the sunrise.
The temple was built during Khmer empire by Suryavarman II in the early 12th century. The image of the temple is found in the national flag of Cambodia. The temple was dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Later, it was gradually transferred to a Buddhist temple. The temple was abandoned and neglected for a long period of time. The restoration of Angkor Wat temple was carried out by Archaeological Survey of India between 1986 to 1992. At present other countries such as France, Japan, Germany and China are also involved in the conservation project.
A research article published in Science, 1976 describes its astronomical and cosmological representation. Astronomically it has built-in positions for lunar and solar observation. Astronomy was considered as a sacred science by ancient Khmers. Physical structure of the temple was carefully aligned with the movements of the sun, moon, planets or stars. The Cosmological time scales are also reflected in the temple structures. Details astronomical and cosmological analysis can be found in the paper (Stencel et al., Science, 1976). Besides this, the construction of the massive stone temple is an architectural wonder. The temple premises is surrounded by a moat always filled with water. The moat maintains a constant water contains of the land on which the temple exists preventing the seasonal contraction and expansion of the soil which might lead to the collapse of the temple.
I slowly entered the temple. There were sign boards showing the direction to move and the restricted areas. The temple is very large. The walls of the corridors are filled with stone carvings depicting Hindu epics Ramayan, Mohabharat, Sea churning and incarnations of lord Vishnu. I was very curious to cover each and every part of the temple and tried to capture photographs of each parts. The inside of the temple was decorated with many statues and carvings having certain massages which are beyond my understanding. It is better to be accompanied by a tour guide to understand some of the stone carvings and its history. As I am a Hindu, I could easily understand the Ramayan, Mohabharat and Sea Churning etc. But there are many such carvings which are the job of the researchers to understand. After some time, I came to a place where lord Buddha is worshiped. There was a Buddhist monk tying a sacred thread on the right hand of the tourists. I lined up in the queue and handed my camera to another tourist to capture my photo. The monk tied the thread in my hand and my photographs were captured by the tourist. The she handed her camera to me to capture her photo while tying the thread by the monk. It took me approximately 4 hours to cover the temple although not covered many areas which are restricted for tourists. Then I returned to the front gate. There was a market near the front gate . I had my breakfast there. The tuk-tuk driver was waiting for me at the parking area. Then we moved to the next temple.
Bayon Temple:
On the way, we crossed the Angkor Thom south gate and moved further. Finally, we reached at Bayon temple after 5 km of driving. The driver dropped me at the gate of the Bayon temple and told me to reach at the parking lot at the end of another temple. I entered the temple. It is a massive stone structure. Bayon temple was built around 1190 AD by King Jayavarman VII. The temple is dedicated to Lord Buddha. Conservation work of the temple is carried out by Japanese Government team for the Safeguard of Angkor (JSA). The temple is famous for large smiling faces of Bodhisattva on each tower. There are over 200 such smiling faces in the temple. The original name of the temple was Jayagiri. French named this as Banyan temple (as Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under the Banyan tree). Later, local Khmer pronounced this as Bayon temple which is used today to name this temple. I walked every corner of the temple which are accessible to tourists. The gallery of the temple were carved with Hindu epics and ancient Khmer life. After spending approximately 1 hour, I walked to the next temple nearer to it. Baphuon Temple:
Baphuon temple was built around 1060 AD by Udayadityavarman II. The temple was dedicated to lord Shiva. Later, it was converted to a Buddhist temple. There is a steep steps to climb the temple. I spent approximately 45 minutes at the temple and returned to the tuk-tuk after visiting terrace of the elephants located nearer to the Baphuon temple. We then drove towards the Ta Prohm temple crossing the Angkor Thom gate. Both sides of the road near the Angkor Thom gate are decorated with the statues of sea churning. Ta Prohm Temple:
On the way to Ta Prohm temple, we crossed Ta Keo temple. We didn't stop there and I just clicked one photograph of the temple while on the tuk-tuk. Ta Prohm is another prominent temple in Angkor region. It was built by Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery in the early 13th century. The restoration and conservation of Ta Prohm is carried out by Archaeological survey of India and the APSARA. The structural analysis of the temple for restoration was conducted by IIT Madras. The temple was inscribed as UNESCO world heritage site in 1992. The trees growing out of the ruins of the temple makes it more popular among the tourists. The temple is surrounded by jungle. I moved inside the temple following the sign board showing directions and captured lots of photographs of the temple. Ta Prohm is one of the most visited temple and the temple premises remains crowded. After spending approximately 45 minutes, we moved to another temple. Banteay Kdei and Srah Srang:
Banteay Kdei is a Buddhist temple built by Jayavarman VII in the early 13th century. It is smaller in size as compared to other temples. It is located at a distance of 1 km from Ta Prohm. The temple complex is also surrounded by a moat like other temples of Angkor to provide stability to the temple structure. After spending 30 minutes at the temple, I went to the near large artificial lake called Srah Srang. Then I returned to the parking lot where the tuk-tuk driver was waiting. There is an art and handicraft market at the parking lot. Elegant and beautiful paintings of the Angkor temples are sold there. We left the place and moved towards the hostel. On the way, we stopped at another temple, Prasat Kravan which is at a distance of 1.5 km from the Banteay Kdei. Prasat Kravan was built in 921 AD and was dedicated to lord Vishnu. It is a small temple consists of five reddish brick towers. Then we drove towards the hostel after spending 15 minutes at the Prasat Kravan. On the way to the hostel, we stopped at the Angkor Handicraft Association. The process of making handicrafts, hand looms, paintings etc. can be seen here. I spent approximately 30 minutes at this place and saw different handicrafts displayed in the hall. Then we returned to the hostel and it was already 4 PM. I was feeling tired after traveling so many temples and spent the evening on the roof top of the hostel. I went to sleep after the dinner.
Next day, I didn't planned for any temple visit. I spent the time roaming around Siem reap. Siem reap has lots of restaurants. Also there are many Indian restaurants in the market place. I had my lunch and dinner at the Indian Restaurant and the price of one meal is $ 4-5 . There are many road side stalls where the meal is available at a price of 1-2 dollar. Coconut water and fruit juice are available at $ 1 each in the market.
Grand Circuit Tour:
Next day, I planned for the grand circuit tour. We started at 9 AM from the hostel by the same tuk-tuk and paid $ 15 for the tuk-tuk. The grand circuit covers Preah Khan temple, Neak Pean, Ta Som and Pre Rup. My pass was punched second time at the check post. We passed through the Angkor Thom and crossed the north gate of Angkor Thom. First, I visited Preah Khan temple which is the most prominent temple in the grand circuit. It was built in 12th century by Jayavarman VII. The driver dropped me at the front gate of the temple and told me to catch him on the opposite gate after visiting the temple. From there we moved to Neak pean temple. This temple is situated in an artificial island of a large artificial lake. The temple is surrounded by a central pond. The temple is reached by crossing a wooden foot path over the artificial lake. From Neak Pean, we moved to Ta Som temple which is located at a distance of 4.5 km from the Preah Khan temple. The temple was built by Jayavarman VII at the end of 12th century. After roaming 30 minutes inside the temple we headed towards Pre Rup temple. It was built by Rajendravarman in 961 AD and the temple is dedicated to lord Shiva. I didn't cover Banteay Prei and East Mebon temple which are also worth to visit. Then I returned to hostel at 3 PM.
Traditional Dances:
Next day, I spent the morning time in the hostel and nearer by art market. I am very much fond of traditional dances of different countries. Cambodia has a rich traditional dances and the dances are performed at different restaurants. Apsara dance is the most elegant Khmer classical dance. In 2003, the UNESCO recognized the Apsara dance as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. I went to the Temple Balcony at the pub Street to watch the classical dance of Cambodia. The temple club has three floors. The ground floor is the pub area, the middle floor is the temple balcony where classical dance is performed and the top floor is the bar. The show started at 7 PM. It has also restaurant attached to it. I had my dinner there while watching the dance. The performance started with Apsara dance which is extremely complex and attractive art form. The dance is performed by wearing elegant silk clothing with floral motifs, magnificent headdresses and jewelries. It was followed by fishing dance which is a folk dance which depicts the daily life of Khmer farmers and fishermen and the dance was performed by young men and women carrying bamboo fishing equipment. Subsequently, other dances such as coconut shells dance, peacock dance and blessing dance were performed. After the performance, I captured photographs with the artists and with the musical instruments. The dances were so elegant and attractive that I again came to watch the show on another day with my friends from the hostel. Night Life:
All the markets and clubs are located in Siem Reap. There is a large art market where handicrafts, paintings and metal statues can be found. Most of the bars and pubs are located in the pub street. The pub street becomes alive after 7 PM. Most famous and visited bars are Temple club, The Angkor Wat What? bar and X-bar. The pubs become more active and crowded after 10 PM and closes around 2-3 AM. A glass of cocktails or beer cost $1 inside the pub. There is also a Pub Crawl organized at Angkor Wat What? bar at a ticket price of $ 10 which gives free entry to 5 bars in the pub street and 5 free drinks at each bar. After 6 days of stay at Siem reap, I left on 16 August 2017, I reached the Siem Reap airport by a tuk-tuk and paid $7. At 3 PM, I flew to Kuala Lumpur and stayed there up to 20 August. Then I returned to Bhubaneswar from Kuala Lumpur.
Experience in traveling through the Angkor Wat and other temples was wonderful and unforgettable. I made many new friends during my stay at Siem Reap. I exposed to a different culture and tradition which will remain in my memory forever.
|
About me
Tapan Kumar Pradhan PhD, IIT Kanpur http://tapankp.weebly.com Currency Conversion:
1 US dollar = 69 INR 1 US Dollar = 4000 KHR Cambodia Visa:
Online Visa: $ 36 Visa on Arrival: $ 30 |