Location: Siem Reap
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10 Historic Sites in Siem Reap That You Shouldn't Miss
When the morning light washes over the overgrown temples and ruins of Angkor Wat, a simple Siem Reap sunrise becomes a profound event. The ancient structures are contained within one of the largest religious complexes in the world. The complex and the 12th century Angkor Thom royal city are considered the main reasons to visit Siem Reap. Get a lesson in national history at the Cambodian Cultural Village, and a lesson in bargaining at the Angkor Night Market, a bonanza of shopping stalls, food vendors, and bars.
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1. Angkor Thom
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 8,614 reviews
This magnificent inner royal city was built by the end of the 12th century and is renowned for its temple grounds and towering southern gate.
Reviewed By BradJill - Hong Kong, China
Angkor Thom was the last great Khmer capital and the zenith of this ancient civilisation. The walled complex measures 10 square km and includes impressive entrances such as the famous South Gate which demonstrates the unique architecture of this time period in the form of a smiling stone face in the tower overlooking a causeway lined with collection of demons and gods both holding a 50 metre long Naga - seven headed snake figure. There are other impressive entrances, most notably the Gate of Death and Gate of Victory on the east side of Angkor Thom. Within the complex, you will also find the second most famous of the Angkor temples in Bayon Temple. North of Bayon, visitors can explore the grounds of Baphuon and Phimeanakas temples as well as the very interesting Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King. Note: Most who are taking in the Short Circuit route through the Angkor Archeological Park will enter Angkor Thom from the South Gate after visiting Angkor Wat to the south. You then visit Bayon and the other attractions mentioned above. In the end, we very much enjoyed the South Gate entrance, Bayon Temple and the Terrace of the Elephants. These we would consider Must-Sees in Angkor Thom. The rest can be visited depending on the amount of time you have available.
2. Drive Angkor
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
3. Angkor Archaeological Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5,125 reviews
Angkor Wat, the one of the largest religious complexes in the world, and a stunning array of 9th to 13th century temples built by the kings of the Khmer Empire. The Angkor Archaeological Park is breathtaking, and still the principal draw for every visitor to Siem Reap.
Reviewed By eib2017
What an incredible place to see! Any one of the temple ruins would have been a wonder on its own and it seems almost unfair towards the smaller temples that the bigger ones get all the limelight. I hired a bicycle for a day and cycled both routes and I would recommend doing that to anyone who has a reasonable level of fitness and likes having some freedom of movement. (It's also by far the cheapest option.) But most people seem to hire a tuk tuk for a day. It's not expensive and you also have the option to go wherever you like - the tuk tuk driver is at your disposal for as long as you've hired him. Every tuk tuk driver in the city seems to offer tours, so don't bother wasting money to book a tour online. I don't recommend a van tour. It's generally the most expensive and it robs you of the pleasure to slow down as you pass some magnificent ruins and appreciate them briefly (or even stop and see them properly) on your way to the larger and more touristic ruins. Finally, I only bought a day pass because my time in the city was (unfortunately) limited. But the three day pass is DEFINITELY worth it. You will want to go back.
4. Super Tuk Tuk - Mr. Chan Theoun
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By ZanetaNajgebauer
I highly recommend my friend :) He was amazing, took us to all the places we wanted to visit and also showed us some extra good spots! Always on time, good contact. Hopefully see you again Chan :) Żaneta & Rafal
5. Baphuon Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,063 reviews
Reviewed By itsandrool - Penang Island, Malaysia
I am not sure if our tuk-tuk driver meant for us to end up in this temple, but I am glad we did. It is a quiet place with not many visitors. Angkor Wat was the last place we visited hence we managed to appreciate the beauty and splendor of this temple. It has a long catwalk as I like to call it into the temple. It is a steep climb to the top part of the temple. I love this place and did take a lot of pictures here (hence me like calling the long walkway with moats at the bottom 'catwalk'). Climbing up does take effort as the steps are steep and in the afternoon sun, you're sure to get a few shades darker.
6. Banteay Kdei
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 672 reviews
Reviewed By LuizDutraNeto - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
After visiting "Prasat Kravan", your next stop could probably be the neighboring "Banteay Kdei" - a Buddhist temple and monastery built, between the 12th and the 13th centuries, by the legendary Khmer King Jayavarman VII. It follows the characteristics of the "Angkor Wat" and "Bayon" architectural styles and is also known as the moated "Citadel of Monks' Cells", or as the "Citadel of Chambers". "Banteay Kdei" was built of soft sandstone and, due to sandstone's fragility, many of its galleries and structures collapsed down. As "Banteay Kdei" has never been restored, it allows visitors to really experience how it probably looked originally. "Banteay Kdei" is definitely a "jungle-temple" and will certainly pretty much remind you of nearby "Ta Prohm", one of the most iconic temples in the Angkor complex. Just opposite "Banteay Kdei", stands the large pool and terrace of "Srah Srang", the ancient "Royal Baths" of the Khmer Empire. Visit them all - "Prasat Kravan", "Banteay Kdei", "Srah Srang" and "Ta Prohm" - and remember, you are experiencing one of the most important archaeological complexes in the whole World. Absolutely unmissable! Enjoy
7. Banteay Samre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 808 reviews
Reviewed By abw0 - Los Angeles, United States
This temple is rather out of the way, so it doesn't get the huge crowds that others get. It's a very nice temple in really very good shape--in the end, I think it must be my favorite of all of them. It's not hard to reach and can easily be included on a trip up to Banteay Serei and/or Kbal Spean. The entrance fee is, of course, included in the normal Angkor Archeological Park ticket.
8. The Victory Gate
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 531 reviews
Since Angkor was the first temple in Cambodia to be inscribed as UNESCO world heritage site in 1992, Angkor became major tourist attraction then Angkor became the most visited and written about temple in Cambodia. Angkor Archaeological Park contains dozen of magnificent temples include Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. Siem Reap is a gateway to Angkor, The place where you will spend entire nights while visit the Angkor. Angkor Gate was created to bring you to the world heritage site by develop tour programs to suite all kind of travel including Cambodia Angkor Tours, Cambodia Adventure Tours, Cambodia Eco tours and much more different style of travel. Tour length is flexible in according to your time base.We provide the best solution in room reservation and tour arrangement throughout Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos with very competitive service and rate. We provide you FREE travel information for the countries.
Reviewed By LuizDutraNeto - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
This is the fifth gate of "Angkor Thom", the capital city of the Khmer Empire built, in the 12th and 13th centuries, by the legendary builder King Jayavarman VII. Its name - "Victory Gate" - derives from the assumption that Khmer troops would leave or enter "Angkor Thom" through this magnificent triumphal arch. Right after the temples of "Thommanon" and "Chau Say Tevoda", a causeway with giant statues (although restored, it is not as well-preserved as the one at South Gate - many bodies and most heads missing) leads to "Victory Gate", built at the Eastern wall of "Angkor Thom" and in line to the "Royal Square", through the towers of "Prasat Suor Prat", the "Terrace of the Elephants", the ancient Hindu temple of "Phimeanakas" and the "Royal Palace". "Victory Gate" and its giant balaustrade is best viewed at mornings, when natural lighting is perfect for your pictures and, please, do not forget to ask your local guide or driver to stop at "Victory Gate", as they sometimes skip it, stopping only at the also magnificent and more complete "South Gate of Angkor Thom". Enjoy!
