Wanderlust UK – September 2019

(Axel Boer) #1
Theworld’slargestreligiousmonumentneedsnointroduction,butthismonth,
AngkorWatisalsoagreatwaytogetatasteofCambodia’smostimportantfestival

wanderlust.co.uk September 2019 153

Getorientated
Builtinthe12thcentury,noone
knowswhatAngkorWat’soriginal
purposewas:mausoleum,shrine,
temple?Somesayitwasbuiltto
bethe­inalrestingplaceofKing
SuryavarmanII,buthediedfar
awayandneversawit­inished.
Thesedaystheworld’slargest
religiousmonumenthasone
de­iningrole:it’stheshowpiece
oftheAngkorTempleComplex.
Inthecentreofthetempleis
theCentralSanctuary,theapex
ofanyvisit.Itslotus-budtowers
scatterthebuilding,symbolising
MountMeru(theabodeofthe
gods),andlookmagicalwhen
re­lectedinthewateratsunrise–
althoughspotsareatapremium.
Beyondthat,thescaleofthe
parkisoverwhelming.Swathes


oflandseparatetemples,andit’s
worthgrabbingatuk-tukore-bike
toexploretheless-visitedsites.
Thismonthyoucanalsosee
oneoftheyear’smostimportant
Khmerevents:the15-dayPchum
Benfestival.Monkschantall
nightaslocalspaytheirrespects
totheirancestors,visiting
pagodaswithoŒeringsoffood,
lightingcandlesandhurlingrice
ballsintotheair,especiallyover
thethree-daynationalholiday
(27‘29September).

Gettingthere
&around
Several­lightsfromLondon
HeathrowconnectviaBangkok
toSiemReap,whichiscloseto
theAngkorTempleComplex.
Flightstakefrom 14 hours;return

faresstartfrom£533.Travellers
canhiretuk-tukstogetaround
town,orbookataxipick-upfrom
theairporttothecity(US$10/£8).

Thevisit
TravellersvisitAngkorWatfrom
sunrisetosunset(5am–6pm)
daily.Ifyoubuyyourpassfrom
theticketcentreafter5pm,it’s
validforthenextday,too,so
you’llmissthequeuesatdawn.
Mostpeoplewillthen­lockto
PhnomBakheng;thetempleis
apopularspottospythesunset,
recastingthecomplexinabright
orange-redglow.It’slimitedto
300 people,though,soheadto
SrahSrangLakeifyou’releftout.
Arriveearlythenextdayfor
sunriseatthere­lectionpools,
wherethewatermirrorsthe

Who’s the „inest
of them all?
The re†lection of
Angkor Wat in the
temple’s water is
one of the iconic
images of travel


pinecone-like towers. As people
swarm to the grand West Gate,
hunt down the quieter eastern
entrance, then trek the steamy
jungle west to the intricate
carvings (bas-reliefs) of Angkor
Wat’s inner walls. Some depict
apsaras (celestial dancing girls),
others show heroic scenes from
Hindu epic Mahabharat, carved
long before the Khmer empire
switched religions to Buddhism.
Tickets cost from US$37 (£25)
for a day, but to hop across all the
temples in the huge park, invest
in three- (US$62/£49) or seven-
day tickets (US$72/£57). Make
sure to visit the Bayon temple,
where 216 smiling stone faces
greet you, and the atmospheric
Ta Prohm, smothered beneath
the roots of strangler ­ig trees.⊲

Pocket


Your cut-out and keep travel companion


TRAVEL ICON


ANGKOR WAT,


CAMBODIA

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