Siem Reap - Angkor Wat Temples

This has been on Bryan’s bucket list for a long, long time, to see Angkor Wat and it’s surrounding temples. Our first full day and we hired two bikes, paid for a three day pass to the temples (only time find out later one day pass would have been more than enough) and headed for the temples. First stop Angkor Wat, it is huge, well it’s the largest temple in the world. Then we headed to Angkor Thom. This housed quite a number of temples but the most impressive was Bayon with all of the faces. Everywhere you looked you could see the face. Bayon was a bit of a ruin with most of the walls and buildings fallen like rubble on the ground, but you could still get the scale and size of the building and what it would have been like all those hundreds of years ago. Still inside Angkor Thom we came across the Terrace of the Elephants, a wall which stretched over 100 metres and engraved with different elephants. Time for a cycle, again past many more temples en route, we took photos of them but did not really know what they were or what they were for. Well we did not really care to be honest there are only so many temples you want to take in in one day! Next stop Ta Keo, a large pyramid shaped temple with steep sides and high steps to the top so high that Jody decided getting to the top was not really an option. Bryan on the other hand conquered the temple and from the top he could see over the tree canopy for quite a distance. After the hard climb to the top of Ta Keo and with the heat Bryan sat down and before long closed his eyes and feel asleep. When he woke up he remember that Jody was waiting at the bottom, whoops how long had he been asleep? Next, what must be one of the most popular Temples was Ta Prohm. Which (for fans of Lara Croft will know) was the setting for Tomb Raider. This temple is very impressive still very much a ruin but it’s right in the middle of a jungle and has many trees growing out of it. It is like one huge jigsaw puzzle but with blocks which must weigh at least a ton. A few parts of the temple have been reconstructed which look very impressive too. But what we liked about this temple was the fact that it is a ruin and you are able to climb over it and see what it is really like, but it actually felt very much alive at the same time. The next day Bryan headed out early to Sky Venture, a small microlight field on the edge of Siem Reap. Unfortunately they would not let Bryan take control and fly the microlight even though the adverts advertise the fact that they give lessons. Anyhow he got a 45 minute flight first to the great lake which floods every year. The colours on the lake where breathtaking and he got some stunning photos. Next the flight headed north over a number of other temples, you could see the layout more clearly from the sky, with all the temples lining themselves up with the sunrise and sunset. Some having lakes which reflected the morning sun. Others having a moat around the temple. It was hard to see Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider) due to the number of trees in the jungle, but you could just about see the top of it. Most impressive of all was Angkor Wat, it was like a monument in the middle of the jungle, it dominated that landscape. With its hugh moat and all inspiring temple peaks like lotus lilies on the lake. A sight he will never forget Bryan did get a number of great photos of the temples. Rosy Guest House Room rating: 7/10 - small but enough Location: 6/10 - a little way from the Old Town (about 15 minute walk) and quite a distance from the temples Staff: 6/10 - They are English and easy to chat to Value for Money: 6/10 Other comments: Stay again? May be stay in Old Town as it would be easier to go out at night. Overall experience: 8/10 Loved the town and it’s atmosphere. some very interesting people and lovely temples