Ta Som is a small island temple that has, like Ta Prohm, been overrun by nature. It’s one of the smaller temples I visited on my second day of exploring. As such, it was also one of the quietest temples in the area.
Cambodia
The Kingdom of Cambodia, in Southeast Asia.
East Mebon: An Island No More
The second temple of the second day exploring temples, East Mebon is a smaller island temple north east of Angkor Thom. Though it is an island temple, the moat has since been filled, giving it a mildly different history to other island temples.
Pre Rup: The Funeral Temple
There are many temples around Siem Reap that you can visit without a tour guide, and with a 3-day pass I was wont to take advantage. So I spent a couple of days touring as many temples as I could, beginning with Pre Rup.
Angkor Wat Equinox Sunrise
One of the most beautiful sunrises you can see is at Angkor Wat during the equinox. The sun rises right over the central tower, perfectly aligned with the temple. This is, of course, no accident. The temple was build with this alignment in mind.
Siem Reap’s Outdoor War Museum
Apart from the ruins of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, Cambodia has a more recent history of Civil War. The Khmer Rouge were ultimately defeated after five years of fighting and around 600,000 casualties.
Siem Reap’s Butterfly Paradise
Given that I’ve become slightly obsessed with butterflies of late, I was excited to see that there was a butterfly sanctuary to the west of Siem Reap.
Ta Prohm: Tomb Raider’s Temple
Our last stop for the day would be a temple where they filmed the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, starring Angelina Jolie. This was of special interest to me, since I worked with some of the original developers of the game at my first job in Derby.
Ta Keo, the Sandstone Temple
Ta Keo is thought to be the only temple built entirely out of sandstone. Like Baphuon, it is another temple mountain, though this one is smaller than Angkor Thom’s temple. This was my first stop after leaving Angkor Thom.
The Terrace of the Elephants
Our final stop in our tour of Angkor Thom would be the Terrance of the Elephants, named for the elephant carvings eastern face. It was used by the king as a viewing platform, where he could watch his victorious army return home.
Baphuon: The Temple Mountain
After the Temple with Many Faces, our next stop in Angkor Thom was Baphuon, also known as the golden mountain. It is a three-tiered temple made to resemble a small mountain. Originally dedicated to Shiva, it now serves as a Buddhist temple.