Visiting the Angkor Wat Temple Complex is one of the highlights of your Cambodia trip. Given that the Angkor Wat Temple complex contains 298 temples, proper planning is essential. This way, you can make the most of your temple visit.
To avoid confusion, Angkor Wat refers to both (1) the great Temple complex and (2) the largest and most famous temple within the complex. I use the name Angkor Wat Temple Complex to refer to all of the temples in the main Temple Complex. To assist Google, I use Angkor Wat in the title because it is the source of all search traffic. This way, more people will be able to find the article!
A brief history lesson
The Angkor Wat Temple complex is the world's largest religious monument, spanning 162.6 acres. It was originally built in the 12th century as a Hindu temple for the Khmer Empire (when a Hindu king ruled Cambodia) and served as the capital of Cambodia.
A Buddhist king came to power in the late 12th century, gradually converting the Temple complex to the Buddhist faith. The Buddhists were peaceful and left many Hindu ruins intact, including the Angkor Wat Temple. In contrast, Hindus have, among other things, beheaded several Buddha statues.
A story from the Hindu Era on the walls of the now-Buddhist Angkor Wat Temple
Because the Temple complex is close to the Thai border, the Thai king desired to take over the kingdom, resulting in a war. So, in the 15th century, the king left for Phnom Penh, Cambodia's current capital, leaving the temple complex abandoned. Nature took over, and it wasn't until around 1900 that a French explorer discovered the complex deep in the jungle.
Nature had a significant impact on all of the temples, including the growth of trees over the temples. Along with the rain, this was a death blow to the temples' foundations, which required extensive reinforcement to remain in place. Repair work was halted during the Khmer Rouge era (1975-1979).
Today, much restoration work has already been completed, such as the construction of stairs over the existing stairs to relieve the stones. Researchers are still working to completely map the former Angkor Wat empire.
Visiting the temples
You will never be able to see all of the temples, but you can see the ten most famous/imposing temples in a single day. You can plan a 2- or 3-day visit depending on your desire to see more temples. I was fine after a day of visiting temples from 05:00 to 16:00, so I limited myself to one day. A two- or three-day visit is quite expensive, but if you are there and a true historian, it is an opportunity not to be missed.
Costs
It is not cheap to visit Cambodia's landmark. A single day ticket costs 37 dollars, and a multi-day ticket costs 62 dollars. If you go from sunrise to 15:00 / 16:00, a TukTuk driver / guide will cost you around $50 per day. If you share the guide (and in our case, the driver of the TukTuk) with four other people, the cost is $12.50 per person.
One-day self-scheduled visit (approximate cost per person)
- $37 entrance fee
- $12.50 - $20 TukTuk including guide and bottled water for one day (depending on number of people)
- During the day, food and drinks are $12.50.
Total cost for a single day: $62 - $74.50, depending on the number of people.
If you go multiple days, you need to add $25 to the entrance ticket, but you can count a little less for the TukTuk and food/drink if you don't go to the temples the other two days for sunrise. Food at the temples is reasonably priced, ranging from $6 to $8 for a breakfast/lunch meal. You could buy your own breakfast at the supermarket, which would save you some money.
Mr. Sophal
I wholeheartedly recommend Mr. Sophal's services to anyone planning a trip to the temples. Good information, speaks good English, and takes the time to explain things clearly. Please send me a message if you want to contact Mr. Sophal. I'll then send you his WhatsApp number.
A summary of the ten temples I visited.
I've provided additional information for the four most special ones. The rest, the guide will enthusiastically tell you!
1. Angkor Wat
The temple with the same name is the main attraction of the Angkor Wat Temple complex. Because it is the most imposing temple of them all, every tour includes a sunrise view here as the first stop of the day. On a beautiful day, the sky will turn a beautiful orange. Not to be missed!
2. Angkor Thom (includes Bayon)
Angkor Thom is a fully walled city measuring 12 by 8 kilometers. This includes the Bayon temple, which has 54 towers, each with four faces. Definitely eye-catcher number two of the Angkor Wat Temple complex in my opinion.
3. Ta Keo
The steep staircase leads up to the never-completed Ta Keo temple. Because of its proximity to the Bayon, this temple is an excellent choice for the day's third stop.
4. Ta Prohm
This temple rose to prominence after scenes from the film Tomb Raider were shot here. The jungle is an excellent example of how Mother Nature has taken over a temple. Over the temple, large "crazy trees" grow. A one-of-a-kind photograph is guaranteed!
5. Preah Pithu
6. Tep Pranam
7. Chau Say Tevoda
8. Thommanon
9. Spean Thma
10. Ta Nei
Bonus: Former king's pool (lake).
Tips
If you purchase a ticket after 4 p.m., it will not be valid until the following day. You can watch a sunset for 'free' this way. Purchase your tickets here!
Inquire with your guide about leaving the Angkor Wat Temple after sunrise to visit the next temples. In fact, after sunrise, everyone enters Angkor Wat Temple. It will almost always be crowded, whether you go in the morning or afternoon. As a result, it is best to visit the other temples after sunrise to increase your chances of being one of the few visitors here. At the end of the day, you can go to the Angkor Wat Temple.
Have a good time at Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious monument.
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