Visiting Siem Reap

by Sok Sopheaktra

Siem Reap has many places where tourists both domestic and international, can spend their holiday trip together with family, friends and co-workers. The Siem Reap province is the main tourist site in Cambodia. Located in northwestern Cambodia, on the  shores of the Tonle Sap Lake, its distance is 314km from Phnom Penh, and can be reached along the National Road No 6 via Kampong Cham Province and Kampong Thom Province by land.

   
Siem Reap has been popularly known for tourists because of these landmarks: Angkor Wat Temple,Phnom, Bakheng  mountain, Banteay Srei Temple and many others. Angkor Wat has been regarded as the among the world's heritage sites by UNESCO.

Entrance to Bayon Temple---photo courtesy of Lorena Banares

Angkor Wat  literally means “City Temple”. It is a Temple Complex which has 65 meter height, 200 hectares land area and surface of temple is 1,500 meters.  Built at the beginning of 12^th Century during the reign of the King Sorayak Varaman II (1113 – 1152) the temple was dedicated to Preah Vi Snouk and was named Prech Bo Me Vi Snouk Lok right after he died. This temple is a huge sacrifice of Sorayak Varaman II. His intention is to create the real heaven on earth. Angkor Wat Temple is the soul of Khmer people (90% of Cambodian population). It represents Khmer art, great civilization, spiritual heart, national identity and political power in the Angkorean era. Angkor Wat conveys moving into the ancient time, the golden age of Khmer empire.

Huge trees us that those temple were abandoned or forgotten for a very long time. So what did happen during that time? How did people live? How many mystery was hidden according to the time? Numerous visitors ask these questions... Aside from the temples, Siem Reap is also a host for Luxury hotels, guest houses, souvenir shops, restaurants, night clubs and so on that can make tourists easy to stay and live. 

Phnom Bakheng which has 45 meter height and 109 peaks located on the top of 65 meter height mountain of  Bak kheng is among the must-sees. Tourist usually climb up to get fresh air and take picture of sun set in the afternoon overlooking  Tonle Sap Lake and Angkor Wat set in dense Jungle.

Tourists climb up the steep stairs leading to the peak of Phnom Bakheng - photo by SOK SOPHEAKTRA

Banteay Srei Temple was built in 10^th century used to pray to Hindu and Shiva. It is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. The building themselves are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by standard of Angkor construction. This temple was built with a very beautiful carving. Even this temple is a bit old, but it still can attract many tourist to visit.

Elaborate carvings on pink sandstone adorned the entrance of Bantei Srei Temple - photo by SOK SOPHEAKTRA

Angkor Wat as well as any Khmer ancient temple are just piles of stone, but in the eyes of scholars, those ancient stones are not things, actually they have many ancient sculpture and poem on the wall about craftsmanship, architecture, belief, faith, way of living of people in ancient times.