Wanderlust UK – September 2019

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