Kbal Spean

Kbal Spean Literally translated to mean "Head Bride" is located on the southwest slopes of the Kulen mountain. It is commonly known as the valley of a 1000 Lingas due to the presence of the estimated one thousand lingas, which are sculptures dug in the Siem Reap riverbeds.

Boeng Mealea

Boeng Mealea, is among one of the Angkor temples to have been recently discovered.
Located 37 miles east of Siem Reap, it is perhaps the best place to feel like Lara Croft or Indiana Jones. Here you can clamber around the crumbling stones of an "undiscovered" and mysterious temple that has been reclaimed by the jungle.

Phnom Kulen.

Phnom Kulen is Svay Leu and Varin districts, about 60 kilometers from Siem Reap provincial town and 25 kilometers from Banteay Srei. Phnom Kulen, originally called Mount Mahendraparvata, is the holy mountain where, when king Jayavarman II (AD 802-850) proclaimed independence from Java in 802, the Angkorian Empire was born.

This mountain plateau served as the capital of the first Khmer Empire for more than half a century before it relocated south to Hariharalaya, known today as Roluos. As many as 20 minor temples are found around the plateau, including Rorng Chen temple, the first pyramid built by an Angkorian King, but many of them are difficult to reach. Numerous important sites lie scattered across the mountaintop, which is accessible by foot or by car. 

Srah Srang.

Srah Srang is located face to face with Banteay Kdey temple. It, too, was built in late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII. It is a large lake which is 700 by 300 meters with an elegant lading terrace of superb proportion and scale, It is pleasant spot to sit and look out over the surrounding plain. Srah- Srang always has water and is surrounded by greenery. It is built of late rite with sandstone moldings.

The platform is of cruciform shape with naga balustrades flanked by two lions. At the front there is an enormous garuda riding a three-headed naga. At the back this is a mythical creature comprising a three-headed naga, the lower portion of a garuda and a stylized tail decorated with small naga heads. The body of the naga rests on a dais supported by mythical monsters.

Koh Ker Temple.

The temple complex at Koh  ker  represents the remnants of the capital of the Khmer Empire from the time the Khmer capital was first moved to the Angkor area in the late 9th century. It remained there for almost 500 years, with a brief interruption only a few decades later. In 928 A.D., King Jayavarman IV, possibly a usurper to the throne, created this impressive royal city of Brahmanic monuments and temples only 100km away.

The premier ruin of the complex is Prasat Thom, an imposing 7-tiered pyramid and temple complex.There  are  several  nicely preserved ruins with small temple  complexes.  Lingas are still in place in some monuments such as Prasat Balang and Prasat Thneng.

A trip to Koh Ker takes the better part of a day out of Siem Reap  and  is usually combined with a visit to Boeng Mealea.

Banteay Kdei Temple.

Built  in  the  late 12th to early 13th centuries  during the reign of Jayavarman VII, Banteay Kdei is known as a Buddhist temple constructed in the Bayon style. Banteay Kdei has been occupied by monks at various intervals over the centuries, but the inscription stone has never been discovered so it is mystery; unknown to whom the temple is dedicated.

Its structures are contained within two successive enclosure walls, and consist of two concentric galleries  from which emerge towers, preceded to the east  by a cloister. Like all the other ruins in Angkor, the  carvings  captivate one’s interest.

Preah Khan Temple.

Preah   Khan  was  built  on  the  site  of Jayavarman VII’s victory over the invading Chams in 1191.

In its heydays, this was the centre of a substantial organisation with almost100,000 officials and servants. This  temple is flat in design, with a basic plan of successive  rectangular galleries around  a Buddhist sanctuary complicated by Hindu satellite temples and numerous later additions.With numerous trees and other vegetation growing among the ruins, Preah Khan has been left largely unrestored.

Preah  Khan,  for the beguiler, the romancer and the artist, is an entrancing mastery  deep in the jungle, soft and alluring in the twilight made by heavy verdure.

Banteay Srei Temple.

Consecrated in 967 A.D, Banteay Srei was speculated to have been known earlier as Banteay Serai, which literally means the Citadel of Victory, This was the only  major temple at Angkor  not built  by a monarch;  its construction is credited to a courtier named Yajnavaraha, who was a scholar and philanthropist and a counselor to king Rajendravarman. He was known to have helped those who suffered from illness, injustice or poverty.

Banteay  Srei  is built primarily in red sandstone, a medium that lends itself tothe elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable in fine details today. Measured by the standards of Angkorian construction, the buildings themselves are miniature in scale. It has been widely praised as a “precious gem”, or the “jewel of Khmer art”. Banteay Srei or Citadel of Women is probably related  to the intricacy of the bas relief carvings of devatas  found on the walls and the tiny dimensions of  the buildings themselves.

Ta Prohm.

Ta  Prohm,  a  Bayon style temple, is believed to be built in the late 12th andearly 13th centuries. It was founded by King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist   monastery   and   university.   Unlike   most  Angkorian  temples, Ta  Prohm  encroached  by  trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle hasbecome one of Angkor’s most popular temples with visitors.

Rajavihara (”royal temple”), as it was originally known, was one of the first temples  founded  pursuant to a massive program of construction and public works  after  the King’s ascension to the throne in 1811 A.D.. It was built in honor of his family. The temple’s main image, representing Prajnaparamita, the  personification  of  wisdom,  was  modeled  on  the  king’s mother.
The northern and southern satellite temples in the third enclosure were dedicated to  the  king’s  guru  and  his  elder brother respectively. As such, Ta Prohm formed  a  complementary pair with the temple of Preah Khan, dedicated in 1191 A.D.,  the main image representing Avelokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion modeled on the king’s father.

The  site  was  home  to  more than 12,500 people (including 18 high priests and  615  dancers),  with  an  additional  80,000  people  in  the  surrounding villages working to provide services and supplies.

Bayon Temple.

The Bayon Temple was splendidly built in the center of the Capital AngkorThom by King Jayavarman VII between the late 12th century and the early 13th century. It was the last state temple

with its Mahayana Buddhist Shrinein  the  Angkorian  era.  Following  the death of King Jayavarman II, it was modified   and   augmented  by  Hindu  and  Theravada  Buddhist  kings  in accordance with their religious preferences.

The  Bayon’s  most  distinctive  feature  is  the  multitude  of  serene  and massive stone faces on the many towers that jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak. The similarity of the 216 gigantic faces to other statues of Jayavarman VII has led many scholars to the hypothesis
that  the  faces  are  representations of the king himself. Others believe that the faces belong to Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.

The  temple  is  also  popular  for two impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes. This is one of the many ‘must visit’ temples.

Angkor Thom.

Angkor  Thom  was  the last  and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. Established  in  the late  twelfth  century by king Jayavarman VII, Angkor  Thom  covers an  area  of 9 km,  within which are located severalmonuments  from  earlier  eras as well as those  established by Jayavarman and his
successors.

The  fortified  city  of  Angkor  Thom was built by Angkor’s greatest King, Jayavarman  VII  (ruled-1181-1219). Centered on Baphuon, Angkor Thomis enclosed by a square wall 8m high and 12km in length  and encircled by moat  100m  wide.  The  city  has  five  monumental  gates,  one each in the
north, west and south walls and two in the east wall.

In  front  of  each  gate  stands giant  statues  of 54 gods (to the left of the causeway)  and 54 demons
(to  the  right  of  the  causeway),  a  motif takenfrom the story of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk
illustrated in the famous bas-relief at Angkor Wat. In the center of the walled enclosure are the city’s
most  important  monuments,  including the Bayon, the Baphuon, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas and the Terrace of Elephants.

Angkor Wat.

Angkor wat which literally means ‘City Temple’ is a hindu temple complex built to replicate the heavens on earth. Constructed for king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, it is the best-preserved temple and is the only one to  have  remained  a  significant  religious  centre since its foundation-first Hindu,  dedicated  to  Vishnu,  then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the  high classical  style  of  Khmer architecture. This magnificent temple combines two  basic plans  of Khmer  temple  architecture;  the  temple mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early South Indian Hindu architecture.  Constructed  within  a  moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 miles) long with three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next, it  is  designed  to  represent  Mount Meru,  home  of  the  devas  in  Hindu mythology.

At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is  oriented to the west and this has scholars  divided  as  to  its  significance.  The  temple  is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture. The extensive bas-reliefs and the numerous guardian spirits adorning its walls serve as evidence of the strong Khmer religious beliefs.

Siem Reap.

Siem Reap is home to the world famous heritage of the Angkor temples including  the  magnificent Angkor Wat.It is a vibrant city with manymodern hotels and old colonial buildings boasting awesome architecture. Much  of the town’s image, culture and traditions are conserved despite

the influx of tourists from all over the world.

There are restaurants of every culture and bars and cafes of nearly every fashion and size all about town. The Phsar Leu area is where one can find  great  bargains in jewellery and handicraft from precious stones to wonderful woodcarvings. There are also many shops ofering traditional massage and  reflexology  to  help  relieve those tired feet after a day’s tour of the temples.

Siem Reap Province is basically the cradle of Angkorean civilization and it  is the province that offers

plenty  of  opportunities to tourists enthralled by the Khmer culture.

The  ruins  of  Angkor,  located  amid  forests  and farmland, are now a UNESCO  World  Heritage Site.  There are over one thousand temples ranging   in   scale  from  nondescript  piles  of   brick rubble  scattered through  rice  fields  to the magnificent Angkor Wat which is said to be the  world’s largest  single  religious  monument. There  are  dozens of temple ruins in the Siem Reap area. Listed on this map are just a few of the  ‘must sees’.  However,  your  temple  itinerary  depends largely on 

how much time you have and of course your level of interest.