Angkor Wat has a special place in my heart. Siem Reap was the first place I traveled solo, kickstarting my entire life and career as a travel blogger of this blog, and completely changed the way I travel forever.
Siem Reap is a small city surrounded by ancient ruins, including Angkor Wat of the once prosperous Khmer empire that stretches over 500 acres (200 hectares). The temples itself sure were impressive but what caught my attention was the intricate water system of the Angkor Wat they built to facilitated the life of, possibly over 1 million people living around Angkor Wat.
It is by far, the largest religious monument ever constructed, and it is considered to be one of the 7th wonders of the ancient world.
Years before my trip, I watched a documentary called “Angkor Wat: City Of The God Kings” and as a history buff, I was so intrigued by what I learned from the documentary that I made a promise to myself that one day I’d see Angkor Wat with my own eyes.
Driven by my curiosity and determination, I chose Siem Reap as my first destination because of the sheer amount of history I can learn about, explore them at my own pace and see them with my own eyes.
If you are interested to see Siem Reap, the Angkor Wat, and all its stunning temples, I can assure you that you will find this travel guide particularly useful.
Within this guide, I will provide you with all the information you need to travel to Siem Reap, and see all the cool temples, some even a little off-the-overcome-path. Without further ado, let’s begin with a 3 days itinerary map for Siem Reap.
Day 1: Sunrise At The Angkor Wat
Sunrise at Angkor Wat sure is touristy but it is still quite a sight to behold.
One of the most touristy things you can do in Siem Reap is to go watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat and you will see a ton, and I mean a sh*t ton of tourists in front of a pond, trying to get that stunning sunrise photo.
It was definitely not my cup of tea to be around so many tourists, all eager to get that one magical shot but I gotta admit, it’s pretty damn stunning when the pond reflected the Angkor Wat giving an image of a perfectly symmetrical structure. That is why I still recommend you to go see it for yourself.
I often face a dilemma of to-do or not-to-do when it comes to touristy things, and I always tell myself this: “I got myself all the way here, so might as well just do it.” and this is definitely the matter.
I know the number of tourists will annoy me to no end, but it is popular for a reason, and that reason transcended my pity hate for touristy things. Keep your mind open when visiting Angkor Wat and sunrise, look away from the tourists and experience Angkor Wat at sunrise as it is. You will enjoy it more.
I also got tipped by a friend that there are actually 2 ponds, the left one where everyone goes by default and the right one that may not be known by many. You can try your luck and go straight to the right pond, and maybe you might be able to see fewer tourists.
After watching Angkor Wat at sunrise, hop on the tuk-tuk and go visit Banteay Srei, a stunning 10th-century Cambodian temple built with red sandstone, giving it a completely unique look compared to what you just saw at Angkor Wat.
Banteay Srei is smaller than most temples in Siem Reap but it is packed with intricate detail.
The reason why I would recommend you visit Banteay Srei early in the morning is that this place is mostly exposed and you will enjoy walking around the temple more when the sun is not completely up, and the weather is cooler.
Banteay Srei from the outer wall of the temple.
There will also be fewer tourists in the morning before 9 AM when the tour buses arrive, which should give you some time to enjoy the temple in peace, at your own pace, and explore all the intricate detail of the temple.
The amount of detail that goes into the carvings in Banteay Srei is mind-boggling.
And boy, is it extremely detail. The elaborate decorative wall carvings on the temple of Banteay Srei shows just how much of an expert in carvings the Angkorians were. They were really at the top of their game.
Mythical
Almost all of the surface you find in Banteay Srei are all covered in intricate carvings, which mostly depict the mystical creatures, protectors and gods and goddesses of Hindu
Every corner of Banteay Srei is worth observing carefully so that you don’t miss any detail.
You can spend almost an hour or 2, walking around the temple, discovering all the details of the carvings in walls and doors of Banteay Srei. You might also be there at the same time as when a local band performing traditional music, adding even more immersion to your experience.
After Banteay Srei, head back to Siem Reap and start exploring the many temples in the area, beginning with Banteay Kdei, a Bayon style architecture built in the 12th – 13th-century AD, initially as a Buddhist temple.
A lot of temples in Siem Reap were converted multiple times between Hinduism and Buddhism depending on who ruled the empire at that time.
You may be wondering why this is a Buddhist temple whereas the Angkor Wat nearby is a Hindu temple complex. You see, the Khmer Empire had ruled this land from 8th to 14th-century AD and its capital city, the Angkor Wat was initially under Hindu religious beliefs until 12th-century AD where the empire shifted towards Buddhist religious practice.
During the time, Buddhist temples were built left and right by the ruler of the empire all over Siem Reap and you will be able to see the remaining of this ambitious projects, all scattered around here.
Ta Promh tree or the Tomb Raider tree that took over the temple long after people leaved it.
Just north of Banteay Kdei, there is also another Buddhist temple built around the same time in Bayon style architecture that is even bigger and more impressive. It’s the Ta Prohm temple, or as some of you may know the Tomb Raider’s tree.
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