Go go go! And soon! This is in the top three places I’ve ever had the fortune to visit, but it’s in real danger of being turned into some horrifically tacky tourist attraction or theme park.
Travel Blog by lucysoff, aged 21,
for everyone
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
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Lucysoff's travel blog in Siĕmréab, Cambodia. She went on 31 of August 2006 for 1 day. She went for tourism, culture. Lucysoff went with a group of friends. She got there and around by walking, bus or coach, motorcycle. lucysoff's travel verdict is: life changing.
It’s hard to know where to begin in describing this incredible complex of temples in deepest, darkest Cambodian jungle. There are plenty of comprehensive guides on the subject so I’ll just highlight a few of my favourite experiences.
Birthday picnic, very early
On my and my twin sister’s birthday, we woke up before dawn, leaving plenty of time to get to the main temple for sunrise. Picking a quiet spot just inside the temple grounds, we waited. The sunrise was spectacular- everything you'd expect, and more. The silhouette of the three central towers with the sun behind them is an image etched into my memory. The early morning light really picked out the detail of the temple- the beautiful bas reliefs seemed to come alive.
Bas Relief
We spent the rest of the day exploring some other temples. My advice would be go for as long as possible and take your time. You’ll get so much more from the place if you give yourself the time to actually find stuff for yourself. For example, the Bayon temple looks fairly standard when you first approach it. However, one has only to climb to the second level and change their angle of perspective to find the hundreds of stone faces.
Bayon
Also worthy of note is the fact that, due to a cultural lack of relocation, the locals that you meet at the temples are most probably the descendents of the people that lived and worked there. So take the time to talk to them, even if you do end up buying four different bamboo flutes!
Some charismatic kids
Sunset is also a must. There’s something about the colour of the stone and the light that create a very special ambience I haven’t found anywhere else..
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Comments
Tom says...
Such a wonderful place. The pics are great!
Posted 742 days ago.
Hugo says...
Right, that has made my mind up. I have to get here quickly. A number of friends have evangelised about Angkor Wat and have echoed your concerns about it being spoilt too.
What a super place to spend your birthday...well planned. And thanks for sharing the tips; noted.
Posted 741 days ago.
professormagellan says...
A wonderful post - well done. Mrs Magellan and I went here during our honeymoon and it is great to see the old place still thriving despite the numbers of visitors. I recall that early morning or early evening is a good time to take photos. The Cambodians are wonderful folk and need tourist dollars to rebuild their lives shattered by the Pol Pot regime. This must be on everyone's top 10 places to visit. In the 12th century it was a larger city than London...perhaps in a thousand years Cambodians will be visiting the ruins of
Westminster - there is a thought.
Posted 740 days ago.
lucysoff says...
Well said Mr Magellan.
How long ago did you go? I wonder if it was much different from when i went last year.... you could still scramble on stuff, but there were an awful lot of large groups of loud tourists getting in the way.
Posted 740 days ago.
sara says...
Unbelievable. Add Angkor Wat to my list.
Posted 736 days ago.
Hannah says...
Sounds amazing, love the pics.
Posted 722 days ago.
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