Discover Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat – a place I really wanted to see

After a few relaxing days on Koh Rong, it was time to replace the beaches with something completely different. I continued to Siem Reap, mainly because I wanted to experience Angkor Wat. This was one of the places I had been looking forward to the most during the trip. I had seen pictures of the temples countless times, but at the same time I knew that it would probably feel completely different to actually stand there myself.

When I arrived in Siem Reap, I immediately noticed that the city had a completely different atmosphere compared with Koh Rong. There was much more traffic, more restaurants, hotels, shops and, above all, many more people. At the same time, the city still felt quite relaxed compared with many larger cities I had visited earlier during the journey. It was clear that tourism was a major part of the city, but I still found plenty of small streets and places where you could get away from the most touristy areas.

Of course, I wanted to get to Angkor Wat as early as possible. Getting up before sunrise was perhaps not what I was most excited about when the alarm went off, but once I was on my way there it felt worth it. It was still dark when we arrived and people were beginning to gather in front of the temple. It was a special feeling to stand there and wait for the sun to begin rising behind Angkor Wat.

The sunrise was definitely one of the highlights. As the light slowly appeared behind the temple, the entire place changed. The silhouette of Angkor Wat against the morning sky was almost exactly as impressive as I had imagined. At the same time, there were quite a lot of people there, which took away a little of the feeling of being alone at the site. Still, it was possible to find moments where you could step back and simply take everything in.

What surprised me most was actually how large the entire temple complex is. Angkor Wat is obviously the most famous temple, but there are an incredible number of other temples and ruins around it. You therefore cannot really visit Angkor Wat, see the main temple and then say that you have seen Angkor. There is so much more to discover in the area, and after a while I almost started appreciating the lesser-known temples as much as the most famous ones.

One of the temples I really liked was Ta Prohm. There was something special about the trees growing over the old buildings. In some places it almost looked as if the jungle was taking the temple back. It gave the place a completely different atmosphere from Angkor Wat and made walking around feel more like an adventure.

Bayon was also one of my favourites. The huge stone faces made the temple feel very different from Angkor Wat. I could walk around for quite a long time just looking at all the details. These are the kinds of places where you really start to realise how much work must have gone into building everything in the first place. At the same time, it is difficult to understand just how old the area actually is when you are standing there among all the stone buildings.

The heat made the temple visits quite demanding, though. Walking around the ruins for several hours while the sun was out took more energy than I had initially expected. I therefore carried plenty of water and tried to take breaks whenever possible. After a few hours I was quite tired and it was very nice to return to Siem Reap and sit down somewhere with a cold drink.

I also enjoyed the evenings in Siem Reap. After a long day among the temples, it was nice to return to the city and walk around in the evening. There were plenty of restaurants, small bars and markets and it was much livelier than what I had experienced on Koh Rong. Pub Street and the surrounding area were quite touristy, but it was still fun to walk around there for at least one evening and see the contrast with the quiet days on the island.

Food naturally became part of the experience as well. I tried several Cambodian dishes and ate at both smaller restaurants and simple food places. After a full day of walking, it was especially nice to sit down and have a proper meal. I particularly enjoyed the restaurants where you could sit outside and simply relax while people moved around you.

Something I noticed after a few days was that Angkor Wat is really not a place you should rush through. There is so much to see that it is easy to try to fit too much into one day. I personally found it better to take longer breaks and actually look at the details rather than simply rushing to the next temple to see everything.

It was also interesting to see how different the landscape around the temples was compared with the city. Once you drove out of Siem Reap, it quickly became quieter and greener. The roads between the temples, the trees and the old ruins made the transportation between the different sites part of the experience as well.

Angkor Wat therefore became more than just a visit to a famous temple for me. It became several days where I could experience history, architecture and nature at the same time. I found it interesting to first come from Koh Rong with beaches and relaxed days and then suddenly find myself surrounded by centuries-old temples and ruins.

When it eventually became time to leave Siem Reap, I felt that I had got a lot out of the stay. I had seen the sunrise at Angkor Wat, walked around the temples, experienced Ta Prohm and Bayon, and also had some enjoyable evenings in Siem Reap. It was one of the parts of the journey that I think I will remember for a long time.

The next stop would be Phnom Penh. It felt like a natural next step because the journey would now continue through Cambodia and back towards a more lively capital city. After several days among temples and ruins, I was actually quite curious to see a completely different side of the country.