Angkor Wat, sometimes dubbed the “Eighth Wonder of the World” and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1992, is indisputably a bucket list item for Southeast Asia.
It’s hard to explain the sheer scale of the temple complex, which is said to be the largest religious monument in the world, spanning some 400 acres. But what is perhaps even more impressive is that it was built without any machinery. According to the signage at the complex, it took over 35 years to build, and required over 6,000 elephants and 300,000 laborers to complete.
To enter Angkor Wat, visitors must purchase one of three different pass options:
- $37 USD – 1-day pass
- $62 USD – 3-day pass
- $72 USD – 7-day pass
When we were there, we had only allocated 3 days total in Siem Reap (the town near Angkor Wat), so we elected to purchase only the 1-day pass. Because of the limited time we had to explore the complex, we were restricted to visiting only the main temples. If you have the option to explore Angkor Wat for more than just one day, I would definitely recommend doing so. There is so much we didn’t get to see!
We arrived at the complex early before sunrise. We hired a taxi from our hostel the night prior, hoping to get an early start so we could catch the iconic view of the sun rising behind the main temple. Needless to say, there was a lot of people with the same idea. We waited in line to purchase our tickets at the main office, and then made our way into the complex to await the sunrise. It was only a short walk from where the Taxi dropped us off, and he told us he would wait there for us to return.
Once inside, we gathered with the crowd around the lake to await sunrise. I have never seen so many cameras pointed at one thing in my life. But the view certainly didn’t disappoint.
After sunrise, we made our way inside the Angkor Wat temple, where the crowds were significantly smaller. On the grounds of the temple, we were even by ourselves for the most part. There was a long line formed at the entrance to the main temple, so we decided to just explore the other areas instead. After a couple of hours spent poking around different parts of the temple, we decided it was time to move on to the next temple of the day.
If you have multiple days at Angkor Wat, it’s certainly possible to walk from temple to temple in order take in more of the complex grounds. However, since we had only one day, we elected to shuttle via taxi between the temples. Luckily our driver was still waiting for us at the drop-off point.
By the day’s end, we had time to visit 3 other temples:
- Ta Prohm
- Bayon
- Banteay Srei
All of them were spectacular, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would probably be Ta Prohm. Over the years, Ta Prohm has slowly been consumed by the jungle, and the trees spiraling throughout the temple are just incredible. The crumbly rocks of Bayon reminded me of the temple where the monkeys live in the Disney’s, The Jungle Book, and Banteay Srei was absolutely covered in intricate artwork on almost every surface.
Overall, the entire area is just unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been. From the famous Angor Wat temple, to all of the lesser known structures throughout, each temple is a unique piece of history worth exploring. My only regret from the experience is not having additional time to explore more of the grounds. I would definitely recommend planning a visit to span multiple days, if possible.
I’ll certainly be back someday to finish all of the temples I wasn’t able to get to the first time around.
