There are places everyone should see. Florence. The Grand Canyon. Pompeii.
Whether man-made or wrought by nature,they are wonders of the world — and
wonders should be beheld.
Trouble is, when you visit, half the world seems to be doing just that. All
too often, you’re swept along with 50 coach parties and only glimpse the
artefacts you came for — and miss out on the grandeur and atmosphere
entirely.
Which is where our new series of Smart Guides comes in. We’ll show you how to
avoid the hordes while soaking up the majesty of the world’s greatest
attractions.
We start with Angkor — the greatest architectural site in Asia, and Cambodia’s
top draw, with visitor numbers approaching 1m a year. It’s an enormous,
sprawling place: made famous, for good or ill, as the location for the Tomb
Raider films, the 12th-century complex includes Angkor Wat, the world’s
largest religious building, as well as hundreds of other temples. The
inspiration for Angkor was divine, and the experience can be too — so long
as you have a little inside knowledge. And here it is.
FORGET TRYING to do a one-day hit and run — the temples will simply morph into
a muddle and you’ll be left feeling unfulfilled. Some people take a week,
but given that you may have pressing engagements on the blissful beaches of
Sihanoukville or Samui, we’ve served up the consummate three-day Angkor
experience.
DAY 1
Wakey-wakey! Most modern pilgrims make for Phnom Bakheng at
sunset, so you need to get there at sunrise. The fleet of foot can make a
frontal assault on the hill, or there’s a less taxing trail to the right. At
the temple, negotiate the cliffs that pass for stairs and check out the
views. Stick to the southeast side and you’ll see the sun inch its way above
Angkor Wat, the shadow of the sacred stone shifting by the second.
Next up is Preah Khan (“Sacred Sword”), the colossal creation
of Jayavarman VII, Angkor’s mightiest devaraja (god-king). He reigned from
1181 to 1219 and built temples like there was no tomorrow. The sightseeing
masses arrive from the west. Instead, go with history and enter from the
east — the original approach. Inside, veer to the right to discover a
Grecian exile, a two- storey sanctuary that seems to owe more to the
Acropolis than anything Angkorian. And don’t miss the southern corridor,
right at the centre of the giant cruciform shrine and blanketed in lichen —
it’s a serene spot to catch your breath.
Next, poke among the elegant curves of Neak Pean. This petite temple is the
ultimate ornamental fountain, its series of elaborate spouts including the
heads of lions and elephants. Avoiding the crowds here is pot luck, but Neak
Pean is a must. If they ever open an “Encore Angkor” casino in Las Vegas, it
seems certain to provide the blueprint for the swimming pool and bar.
At Ta Som, your next stop, the gate groans under a sprawling
ficus tree that has wrapped itself around every stone. Look out for the
small Shiva poking out among the tangle, in a feeble attempt to remind
visitors that this temple is his domain.
YOU SHOULD now be ready for lunch — so detour back in time to the first Angkor
capital at Roluos, 12km southeast of Siem Reap.
Chronological purists might wonder why we didn’t start here, with the
9th-century temples of Preah Ko and Bakong, but you’ll understand once you
roll into Roluos. It’s the perfect spot for a local lunch. Tourists are few
and far between — and even those are usually just lost. Only 10 minutes from
Angkor you’ve discovered the real Cambodia — a bustling community that
carries on oblivious to the tourist tide sweeping Siem Reap.
Preah Ko is named in honour of Shiva’s mount, Nandin, the
sacred bull. Sadly, though, his statue has had a few steaks sliced off it
down the years.
The temple owes more to the pre-Angkorian brick sanctu- aries of Cambodia’s
earlier Chenla empire than the sandstone behemoths that came later.
Nearby Bakong is the earliest of the temple mountains, which
later became the signature of Khmer kings. It is a giant pyramid, its
cardinal points marked by earnest elephants. The decoration is spartan, but
Bakong was, nonetheless, the blueprint for its more celebrated cousins such
as Baphuon and Bayon.
Aim to clear out by 2pm, before the coaches disgorge their crowds. Head back
to Angkor and take in Ta Nei, where huge trees cloak the
crumbling stones. This is a jungle trek for beginners — lightweight stuff,
but it still deters most visitors. Make the most of the tranquillity: it’s
in short supply at your next stop, romantic Ta Prohm.
Ta Prohm is a reminder that while empires rise and fall,
riotous nature marches on. It is preserved exactly as when first discovered
by the French explorer Henri Mouhot — with serpent- like tree roots
strangling the stonework. Don’t miss the Tomb Raider tree, northeast of the
main sanctuary, where Angelina Jolie picked some jasmine, the earth opened
up, and she found herself fighting for her life inside Pinewood Studios.
IT’S TIME to think about sunset and a trip to the hilltop temple of Phnom
Krom. Scale the steps to the summit and soak up panoramic views of
the sun dissolving into the Tonlé Sap lake.
DAY 2
It’s another early start today, because you’re heading off to discover some
outposts of empire. By 7am you should be coasting down Highway 6 to Dam Dek,
on the road to Beng Mealea. This was built by King
Suryavarman II as a prototype for Angkor Wat itself: it has just the same
floor plan. But it’s been abandoned for centuries, allowing nature to run
amok.
Clambering about in this titanic temple is the ultimate Indiana Jones
experience. And if you’re not much of a clamberer, a new walkway leads
straight to the middle, constructed for the filming of Jean-Jacques Annaud’s
Two Brothers.
Next, we’re off to visit the “River of a Thousand Lingas”, deep in the jungle
at Kbal Spean. Getting to it involves a climb, so boost
your energy beforehand with a leisurely lunch at the stalls round about.
“Rediscovered” by French researcher Jean Boulbet in 1969, Kbal Spean was only
opened to visitors after the defeat of the Khmer Rouge in 1998, and few
foreigners make the journey here. The river flows down to the Tonlé Sap
lake, and in ancient times its holy waters breathed life into the rice
fields of the empire via the most complex irrigation system the world had
ever seen.
The Khmers venerated its limestone bed with a riot of carvings, including the
delicate deities Vishnu and Shiva with their consorts — some coquettishly
concealed beneath a veneer of sand or weed. And there is a small waterfall
below the carved riverbed, perfect for cooling off after the hot climb.
WITH THE sun lower in the sky now, it’s time to hit the delicate pink temple
of Banteay Srei, Angkor’s ultimate art gallery. Its name
translates as Fortress of the Women, and Cambodians believe its sublime
sculptures must have been fashioned by women — the artistry is too refined
for the hand of a man.
The temple is so petite that even a handful of visitors can unbalance the
equilibrium, but by late afternoon most have drifted back to town.
DAY 3
We’ve saved the best for last. Kick off at sunrise with the mother of all
temples, Angkor Wat itself, the most popular of the city’s
masterpieces and well worth an entire morning.
Steer clear of the western causeway, busier than a Tube station at rush hour,
and stroll in through the neglected eastern entrance. Approaching through a
wooded glade, you’ll see dawn’s first light reveal the temple’s intricate
carvings — layer by layer, myth by myth.
Check out the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, an epic bas-relief depicting gods
and devils battling it out to obtain the elixir of immortality. Its 1.2km of
carvings may qualify as the world’s longest piece of art.
By now, the sunrise-snappers should have swarmed off, leaving Angkor Wat in
peace.
Climb the monumental staircase from the western causeway to Preah Poan, the
Gallery of a Thousand Buddhas. Only 20 or so survive here today. The stairs
get steeper towards the summit, forcing the pilgrims of old to stoop in the
presence of their gods.
Exit on the (now quieter) western causeway, and seek out lunch. Steer clear of
the Khmer restaurants opposite Angkor Wat and instead make for the cultured
Angkor Café, or dig into the fresh barbecues and salad at nearby Chez
Sophea.
FINALLY, explore the last capital of the empire, the imposing walled city of Angkor
Thom. The South Gate is an unmissable photo opportunity, but don’t
linger too long before making for the East Gate. Known as the Gate of the
Dead, this is where the bodies of the kings left the palace for their final
journey. On most days it is eerily silent. An about turn takes you to the
West Gate, where the causeway has collapsed to leave a jumble of gods and
devils sticking out of the soil like victims of a horrific historic pile-up.
Time to tuck into Angkor Thom’s temples, starting with a walk through the
woods to Preah Palilay. This late-13th-century Buddhist temple was one of
the last constructed at Angkor. Breathe in the buzz of the forest, then
swing back to the road for a closer look at the Terrace of the Leper King,
with its magnificently carved devadas (angels).
Stretching to the south is the ceremonial Terrace of the Elephants — once a
viewing gallery for the Khmer kings. To the left, the towers of Prasat Suor
Prat were once connected by rope bridges upon which acrobats performed. If
Cambodia’s international rehabilitation continues, it is easy to imagine the
likes of U2 or the Rolling Stones playing here.
The Bayon epitomises the creative genius and huge ego of Jayavarman VII. Its
216 faces of the Buddha of Compassion bear more than a passing resemblance
to the king himself, exuding power, control and just a hint of humanity —
precisely the mix needed to hold sway over such a vast empire.
- Nick Ray is the author of Lonely Planet’s Cambodia guide, and was the location
scout and manager for Tomb Raider
Knowledge is power: Angkor facts
- Jayavarman VII, the greatest of Cambodia’s god-kings, was the Donald Trump of
his day, building temples all over the empire. His babies include Angkor
Thom, Bayon, Ta Prohm, Preah Khan and Ta Som.
- The bas-reliefs inside the Bayon depict the daily life of ancient Angkor,
including cockfighting, fishing and Khmer boxing. Indeed, “Thai boxing”
was appropriated from here, along with techniques for creating sculpture
and textiles, when the Thais sacked Angkor in 1431.
- The French naturalist Henri Mouhot is credited with “rediscovering” Angkor in
1860. In fact, it was never abandoned, and the Portuguese explorer Diogo
do Couto had journeyed here 250 years before.
- Restoration began after the return of Angkor by the Siamese in 1907. The work,
done under the aegis of the Ecole Française d’Extrême- Orient, used
anastylosis, a method prescribing the use of original materials.
- The temples were closed to tourism for two decades — from their occupation by
North Vietnamese communist forces in 1970 until the UN arrived in
Cambodia in 1991.
