The ancient Temples of Angkor Wat should be on everyone’s bucket list! Attracting more than 2 million people annually, it is one of the most visited UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world. And with good reason! These temples are absolutely incredible! I had the best time exploring what remains of the Khmer Empire, which at one time ruled much of South East Asia.
Let me just start out by saying this; pretty much every rookie mistake that could have been made while visiting Angkor Wat, my friends and I made them! Lucky for you, I will go into detail of what NOT to do so you can make the most of your Angkor experience.
Rookie Mistake 1,2 & 3
- Get drunk the night before bar-hopping on Pub Street. I mean you would think this is common sense, right?! Well it happened and we didn’t get to Angkor till around noon. Save this for once you’re done exploring the temples.
- Rent just any tuk-tuk in town to take you to Angkor. “Tuk-tuk lady, tuk-tuk?” You will hear this a lot! And while every and any tuk-tuk will take you to the temples, not all of them will care about your experience. We did this since we got such a late start. Literally the first tuk-tuk driver that offered, we took it. & you know what? We almost didn’t make it Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider temple) because of it! Arrange a tuk-tuk through your hostel, hotel or guesthouse. It should be about $15USD to do the small circuit and $25USD for the large circuit.
- Not having a map. God, I cringe as I write this. I mean really?! Get yourself a map! Angkor Archaeological Park stretches over some 400 square kilometers and aside from the 3 main temples within the park, there are so many others. Hundreds of them! Of course, if you don’t have a map, you would never know this, would you?
Day1
It was about noon when my friends Chris, Tito and I were finally on our way to Angkor Wat! First stop, tickets! While the boys decided on the one day pass ($20USD), I opted to get the 3-day pass ($40USD) because I knew just one day wasn’t going to be enough. And I was kind of sad I had missed sunrise!
Angkor Wat
It is the largest religious monument in the world! In Khmer, the native language of Cambodia, Angkor Wat means “city temple.” It was originally constructed as a Hindu temple, but as time went on it eventually became a Buddhist temple. While visiting, you will find Buddhist monks worshiping here as well as blessing visitors for a small donation, which I of course had to do.
From Angkor Wat, we headed through the south gate into the walled city of Angkor Thom to check out Bayon.
Bayon
At the center of Angkor Thom stands Bayon Temple, which is so much fun to explore! What sets Bayon apart from the other temples of Angkor is the multitude of giant smiling stone faces staring at you from all different directions. If I had to choose a favorite, this would be it!
Baphuon
Without a map, we were just kind of meandering around trying to find our tuk-tuk when we saw Baphuon Temple and decided to check it out. A three-tiered temple mountain that is dedicated to Shiva, a Hindu God. It’s worth a climb to the top to see the view.
We eventually find our tuk-tuk driver who doesn’t speak much English but he sure smiles a lot. We hop in and he takes off. About 5 minutes into the ride, I notice we’re leaving the park.
I tell the boys “Yo, I don’t think this is right. I’m almost positive we have at least one more temple to see. They’re clueless and assume we have seen it all. Ugh! I insist to the tuk-tuk driver “NO we’re not done!” He’s confused and just keeps saying “go back Siem Reap, we go back.”
“NOOOO! Tomb Raider temple, I want to go to Tomb Raider temple,” I plead. This right here is a perfect example of 1. Why you should hire a tuk-tuk from your hotel/hostel and 2. Why you should absolutely have a map! Thank God I had a screenshot of Ta Prohm on my phone that I showed him or I’m not sure we would have ever made it. Finally, he just nods and turned the tuk-tuk around, clearly annoyed.
I will throw out this disclaimer, MOST people in Siem Reap speak pretty decent English. We just happen to get really unlucky that day.
Ta Prohm
Most famously known as the Tomb Raider temple, giant tree roots grow out of the ruins at Ta Prohm. While we were visiting, there were some restorations going on but for the most part it is in its original condition.
Visiting the three major temples of Angkor is known as the small circuit. It can be done in about a half day. And while you can absolutely combine the small circuit with the large circuit for a full day trip, it is recommended to split the two up. This is because if you do it right and wake up at 4:30am for sunrise at Angkor Wat, you will be tired come noon time. Plus, it’s crazy hot!
Day2
Come 4:30am alarms started going off! By 5am I was in a tuk-tuk heading back to Angkor Wat for sunrise. This is such a thing! SO. MANY. PEOPLE! I’ll have to admit though, while I’m glad I did, I didn’t think the sunrise was ‘wake up at 4:30am great.’ It was just too cloudy, too hazy and far too crowded for it to be a spectacular view. Still, if it’s your first time visiting, go for it! It’s the experience that counts.
The rest of the day was temples on temples on temples. But this time with a driver who not only spoke English, but was genuinely excited to tell me about the different ruins, what not to miss and even take some pics for me. His name was ‘Lek’ and he was the sweetest.
Phimeanakas
Preah Palilay
Rookie Mistake 4
Wear shorts. These are religious sites and you will not be allowed visit some of them if your shoulders aren’t covered or you’re wearing something above the knees. Like my shorts. In my defense, I thought I was going to see just the sunrise and head back. That was until Lek handed me a map and I realized how much more there was to see. Thank goodness for the vendors right outside, I was able to buy a cheap sarong that I tied around my waist as a skirt. And into Preah Khan I went.
Preah Khan
Neak Pean
Ta Som
East Mebon
Pre Rup
Prasat Kravan
Large circuit DONE! And believe it or not I still didn’t see everything! Crazy I know, but I was so templed out and ready for a nap lol. Angkor Wat was an incredible experience and deserves at least two days to really experience it without rushing it. Just because you’re done with the temples doesn’t mean you should leave Siem Reap! Be sure to take some time to explore the city and the people that live there, as Cambodians are some of the nicest people you will ever meet!