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On July 2016, we landed in the resort town of Siem Reap, in north-western Cambodia. The name Siem Reap means Siam Defeated reminds us of the centuries-old conflict between Khmer and Siamese. The first monument to visit in Siem Reap was the ruins of Angkor Wat.
What makes Angkor Wat a Site to visit in Siem Reap? There is much historical significance to this temple. Khmer King Suryavarman built this temple in the early 12th century. Initially dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple gradually transformed to a Buddhist Temple by the end of the 12th century.
The temple is built entirely of sandstone by Khmer architects. The Angkor Wat Temple picture appears in the national flag of Cambodia because of its historical significance. Today, this iconic temple is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most important archaeological landmarks of South-East Asia.
The temple is representation of Mount Meru, the home of the devas in Hindu mythology.The heart of the temple is the central tower.
The tower can be reached by a steep staircase to see the statue of Vishnu at the top. At that time, King venerated god Vishnu. Therefore, the statue of Vishnu was put at the top. The entire temple is surrounded by a big wall.
Since 1990, Angkor Wat has seen an increase number of tourist. With the steady growth of tourism, Angkor Wat has become of the most visited monuments in South East Asia. Approximately 5 million visited Angkor in 2016 and the number keeps increasing year after year.
When we visited Angkor, we took a guided tour. We had a small team of five people along with our tour guide. The Angkor visit reminded us of the influence of Indic religions (particularly Hinduism and Buddhism) in South and South-East Asia. One of the nicest things about this tour was having a wonderful tour guide, who was able to explain to us about the detailed history of the temple in fluent English.
Here are some of the important points you need to consider before going there.
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The peak season is from November to February
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It is always better to visit Angkor Wat during the daytime and before sunset.
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Entry pass to Angkor cost around $20 a day.
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Tuk-Tuks is a great way to get around Angkor Wat.
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Other popular temples near Angkor Wat are Bayon, Ta Prohm, and Angkor Thom.
After our tour, we had good Cambodian food. One good point I noted about Siem Reap was that every restaurant (small or big) had a Wi-Fi connection. This made it easy for us to communicate via the social channels with our friends and family (as most tourists did not have a SIM card). Another interesting thing I found in Siem Reap was that every transaction (small or big) was done in US Dollar which made life easier for us to estimate the price.
It is good to visit Angkor by planning in advance. With increase in tourist arrivals, sometimes it may be challenging to get a good room or tour operators. If you book everything in advance it would make your travel easy and you can cover Siem Reap in 2-3 days.
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