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WORDS: RAEWYN KOH. PHOTOGRAPHS: FLICKR/KEN SHIRAKAWA, FLICKR/APPIE VERSCHOOR, FLICKR/DAMIEN @ FLICKR, FLICKR/DENNIS JARVIS2, FLICKR/CHRISTOPH ROOMSTHIS MONTH... learn more about
Angkor Wat in Siem Reap,
Cambodia, see gold in
Bathurst, Australia and
conquer peaks around Asia
Cambodia’s most iconic temple complex understandably
places high on lists of ‘must-visit attractions’ for many
travellers, especially by many in this region where there
are multiple flights a week. Peak travel season starts in
November and ends in March, which means the best time
to visit Angkor Wat without having to jostle with a large
crowd is in May, when the weather is slightly more humid
but sees fewer tourists this time of the year.
Angkor Wat is the largest monument of the Angkor
group, and is also the best preserved and hailed as an
architectural masterpiece. The mythology behind its sheer
size and majesty is that the Cambodian god-kings of old
each strove to better their ancestors’ structures in size,
scale and symmetry, which culminated in what is believed
to be the world’s largest religious building.
It is important to know that in a visit to Angkor Wat,
the spatial dimensions of the complex are meant to
parallel the lengths of the four ages (Yuga) of classical
Hindu thought. It is thought that a visitor, who walks the
causeway to the main entrance and through the
courtyards to the final main tower, would be
metaphorically travelling back to the first age of the
creation of the universe. Angkor Wat is also said to
replicate the spatial universe in miniature, with the
central tower as Mt Meru and its smaller peaks bounded
by the lower courtyards that are viewed as continents
and the moat representing the oceans. The seven-headed
naga then becomes a symbolic rainbow bridge for man to
reach where the gods reside.MAKE IT HAPPENSIEM REAP, CAMBODIAWhat to know
about the
largest religious
monument in
the world
Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor Wat and the best way to
fly from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur is on Malaysia Airlines,
which has daily flights to this ancient city. Flights from
Singapore include one stopover in Kuala Lumpur (from US$240;
malaysiaairlines.com).
Stay at Anantara Angkor Resort, Siem Reap’s premier
all-suite boutique resort that has recently reopened after
renovations. The 39 suites have recently undergone a complete
upgrade and are accented with teak wood trimmings and
sandstone sculptures. Anantara Angkor Resort also provides
tours to and around Angkor Wat with personal guides (from
US$192 per night; angkor.anantara.com).