The Temples of Angkor

The Temples of Angkor are unbelievable. I could tell you all about the impressive architecture or ornate carvings, all done using sandstone that was floated miles down the river to the various sites. I could show you the 1,000+ photos I took detailing the dozen or so temples that we visited over two full days. You could even go so far as to research the Khmer empire, commonly compared to the Roman empire, that flourished for hundreds of years from 9th to 15th century. And if you were incredibly motivated you could fly into the brand new Siem Reap international airport, just a few miles from the temples, and explore yourself. But I can honestly tell you that no matter what you do, you still will not believe it; this place is beyond comprehension.



The Angkor is the area that once served as the capital city for the illustrious Khmer empire. Numerous temples are scattered around the Angkor area (check out this 3D map for a frame of reference), each with a story; typically built to pay homage to a current or past king, or even a Hindu or Buddhist god. There's Bayon with it's huge stone faces...


And you can witness Ta Prohm struggle to stay standing as the raw power of nature takes over...


And a bit of a drive away you'll find the lovely Bantay Srei, that was constructed using only the pinkest sandstone.


And while there are dozens of temples that lie within 15km of each other, it seems that every single tourist is piled into the mother of them all: Angkor Wat.


This is arguably the most amazing place on earth. With most of the temples aged over 1,000 years, it's amazing that they're still intact. Many of the temples are in a state of decay, but luckily nations from around the world have joined in to help preserve this ancient gem of Southeast Asia. And coupled with the flow of wealthy tourists they will no doubt survive another 1,000 years.