Let’s be honest: what would a visit to Siem Reap be without a trip to the Angkor Temples? Just a short tuk-tuk ride away from the city centre, the Angkor Archaeological Park is one of the largest and most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. It contains diverse remains from the Khmer Empire spanning from the 9th to 15th centuries, the most stunning of which are its temples. Angkor Wat is by far the most famous, with its famed sunrise and sunset views, though many visitors most easily recognise Ta Phrom with its tree-root-strangled doorways from the Tomb Raider film. All this fame for Angkor, however, typically means one thing: crowds. Big crowds. Here’s a few quick tips to help you spend less time jostling for space and more time admiring the sights:
- Go counter-clockwise. The most common route through the temples starts at Angkor Thom and the Bayon, then heads east to the smaller temples like Ta Keo and Ta Prohm before ending at Angkor Wat. Instead, start at Angkor Wat and work your way through the park in the opposite direction, thereby dodging the crowds.
- If you’ll be arriving for sunrise, take a picnic breakfast instead of going back to the hotel for it. The morning hours are the most quiet at Angkor, and ideal for exploring before the larger groups arrive.
- Visit the further flung temples, such as Banteay Srei – they might be more challenging to get to, but many are just as beautiful as those in the heart of the park, and less visited.
Let’s be honest: what would a visit to Siem Reap be without a trip to the Angkor Temples? Just a short tuk-tuk ride away from the city centre, the Angkor Archaeological Park is one of the largest and most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. It contains diverse remains from the Khmer Empire spanning from the 9th to 15th centuries, the most stunning of which are its temples. Angkor Wat is by far the most famous, with its famed sunrise and sunset views, though many visitors most easily recognise Ta Phrom with its tree-root-strangled doorways from the Tomb Raider film. All this fame for Angkor, however, typically means one thing: crowds. Big crowds. Here’s a few quick tips to help you spend less time jostling for space and more time admiring the sights:
- Go counter-clockwise. The most common route through the temples starts at Angkor Thom and the Bayon, then heads east to the smaller temples like Ta Keo and Ta Prohm before ending at Angkor Wat. Instead, start at Angkor Wat and work your way through the park in the opposite direction, thereby dodging the crowds.
- If you’ll be arriving for sunrise, take a picnic breakfast instead of going back to the hotel for it. The morning hours are the most quiet at Angkor, and ideal for exploring before the larger groups arrive.
- Visit the further flung temples, such as Banteay Srei – they might be more challenging to get to, but many are just as beautiful as those in the heart of the park, and less visited.
