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| The Majestic and Enchanting Prasat Bayon |
This is a detailed account of our first day tour around Angkor Archeological Park. This story starts from its neighbouring city, Siem Reap. Check out this link to view how we got here.
This is also part of our seven-day adventure in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh where we spent three days touring and falling in love with the temples of Angkor. We also filled a day simply exploring the City of Siem Reap and going around its countless Night Markets. We dedicated a full day getting to know hundreds of pigeons flying around the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. And our last two days were spent in Ho Chi Minh where coffee anywhere and everywhere is just absolutely good.
This is also part of our seven-day adventure in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh where we spent three days touring and falling in love with the temples of Angkor. We also filled a day simply exploring the City of Siem Reap and going around its countless Night Markets. We dedicated a full day getting to know hundreds of pigeons flying around the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. And our last two days were spent in Ho Chi Minh where coffee anywhere and everywhere is just absolutely good.
Angkor Map
First Day Tour - Angkor Small Circuit
- The World Heritage Angkor Wat
- Banteay Kdei
- Srah Srang
- Ta Prohm
- Takeo
- Thommanon
- Chau Say Tevoda
- Central Angkor Thom:
-- Terrace of Elephant
-- Terrace of Leperking
-- Courtyard of Baphoun
-- Bayon
Itinerary:
Day 1 April 5 (Sunday)
0730 Wake up call and talked with the reception about our itinerary for the day.
0800 Breakfast. Chocolate Banana Pancakes and Iced Coffees!
0900 ETD Victory Guest House. Start Angkor Small Circuit Tour
0915 ETA Angkor Archeological Park Entrance and Ticketing House
All first time visitors need to pass by here to purchase passes for the park.
There are three types of passes: One day for $20, Three days for $40 and Seven days for $60.
Carry your passes all the time since this is your access to the temples inside the park.
Popular places outside the park like Phnom Kulen and Beng Melea have different admission fees.
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| Angkor Pass |
0930 ETD Entrance to Angkor Wat
0940 ETA Angkor Wat
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| Angkor Wat taken from our second day in Siem Reap |
Angkor Wat, even from a distance, is breathtaking. I’ve seen it several times from our visit here but It never fails to capture our full attention. It took us three hours to explore Angkor Wat. We didn’t even delayed and checked out souvenir shops or any food stalls. We were completely focused and mesmerized by the grand beauty of this magnificent temple complex. You really need to allot a big part of your day to explore Angkor Wat. This being the largest religious monument in the world was conceptualized to resemble Mount Meru, the center of all universes as believed by Hindus and Buddhists. It would be better if you acquaint yourself as to why Angkor Wat is considered by thousands of experts as a world-class achievement and an exceptional architectural and engineering work of genius before going here. Don’t forget to look up to the ceiling, touch the walls, look at the floors, study the intricate carvings and bas-reliefs and just be lost in the whole history of Angkor Wat.
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| Taking shelter at a library near the entrance |
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| At the inner wall before the climb to the towers |
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| View of Angkor Wat up the stairs leading to the towers |
1240 ETD Angkor Wat to Khmer Angkor Kitchen
This meal cost us a lot. We were new to the idea of negotiating the price of your meal and asking for discounts in restaurants. Restaurants and eateries in popular destinations in Siem Reap would always show you a menu with very expensive dishes. Most people just accept the price as is, but almost any price in Siem Reap is negotiable. It doesn’t mean that it’s cheap because they always start with outrageous prices. Some people enjoy and engages negotiations like this like a sport, but it gets tiring after a while. Fortunately, there are also a lot of restaurants with fair priced menus around Siem Reap.
These are mostly at the outskirts of popular destinations and around less famous Night Markets. You just have to look for them. If you arrive there late and don’t have time to explore, you can always count on "Steven Corner” near Pub Street for a good dinner, drinks and delicious fruit shakes.
1340 ETD Khmer Angkor Kitchen to Banteay Kdei
1345 ETA Banteay Kdei. Sras Srang
Banteay Kdei is a small temple complex that resembles the Ancient city of Preah Khan in its sophisticated structure and Ta Prohm Temple in its inevitable ruin. This temple is also overran by large white trees like the famous Ta Prohm.
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| Banteay Kdei |
1455 ETD Banteay Kdei to Ta Phrom
1505 ETA Ta Prohm. This temple was made famous by the film Tomb Raider and is famous for big gigantic white trees eating aways the walls and roofs of collapsed temples.
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| Ta Prohm |
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| Ta Prohm with Joy |
1555 ETD Ta Prohm to Takeo
1600 ETA Takeo. I went around taking in every angle of the top level of this temple-mountain and the view that it offered. Seeing and exploring the first temple-mountain I've ever seen in real life was amazing.
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| Cindy and Joying scaling the uneven and large stairs of Ta Keo |
1625 ETD Takeo to Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda
1630 ETA Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda
While Angkor Wat was as grand as the ambitions of its creators, I found solace in the humble temple of Thommanon. It can be explored in fifteen minutes. But the stillness of the place was so inviting we decided to stay for a while. Make sure you you explore and go around the outer enclosure of the temple to give a different perspective of the place.
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| Relaxing Thommanon |
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| The inside of most temples are a very welcome respite from the heat of the sun |
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| View of Thommanon from the back |
1655 ETD Thommanon to Angkor Thom
1700 ETA Central Angkor Thom. This is where you can find the Terrace of Elephant, Terrace of Leperking, Baphuon and the magnificent Bayon.
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| Baphuon Temple |
Since we spent a lot of time in other temples, we were already rushing by this time. But just looking at Baphuon from a distance, I knew that I would have to go back and explore this temple-mountain.
Viewed from afar, this ranks as my third favourite view of all temples in Angkor. The first and the second place would be between Angkor Wat and Bayon.
Viewed from afar, this ranks as my third favourite view of all temples in Angkor. The first and the second place would be between Angkor Wat and Bayon.
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| Monkeys around Baphuon are a common sight |
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| Terrace of Elephant |
1730 Bayon
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| Joy mesmerized by the beauty of Bayon |
The next main temple that we were going to see was Bayon. And like Angkor Wat, you would like to have a lot of time to take in all of its beauty. Sunsets in Angkor Archeological park are normally viewed atop Bakheng Hill or with the view of the majestic Angkor Wat. Our Tuktuk driver warned us that we only have 30 minutes in Bayon Temple if we want to catch the sunset in one of these iconic sites. We stayed for more than an hour in Bayon. How could we leave at such a magical time? When the Sun started its descent, features of gigantic smiling faces started to unravel themselves. It was as if the stone faces sparkled in happiness at the last touch of the dying lights from the Sun.
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| The Bayon |
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| The smiling faces of Bayon |
1830 ETD Bayon to Victory Guesthouse
1915 ETA Victory Guest House
2100 Checked out Lucky mall grocery and explored Night Markets
It was hard to pick a favourite on our first day exploration of the temples of Angkor Archeological Park. Everything was new to our senses and every temple had a distinct character that moves you to marvel. Angkor Wat and the temple of Bayon, built nearly a thousand years ago by a civilization from another time, has become an echo and a gateway to the past. These two magnificent temples were just beauty with legendary and timeless proportions.
Where to stay?
Victory Guesthouse
Telephone number: (855) 012 516 566 / (855) 012 451 286
Website: www.victoryguesthouse.com
Alternative Options: Mad Monkey, Mandalay Inn, Bou Savy Guest House
Note: Always check Tripadvisor and Hostelworld for recent reviews and ranking of any place to better guarantee a nice visit.
Sample Tour
Day 1: South Gate of the Angkor Thom, Central Angkor Thom (Bayon, Baphoun, Terrace of Elephant, Terrace of Leperking), Takoa, Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdey, Srah Srang and the World Heritage Angkor Wat. Visit Sunset at Bakheng Mountain or Angkro Wat.
Day 2: Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Krol Kou, Tasom, East Mebon, and Angkor Wat.
Day 3: Visit Kbal Spean (River of Thousand Linga), Banteay Srey, Banteay Samré, Rolous Group (Bakong, Preah Ko, and Lo Lei)
My Favourite Sites:
Day 1: Bayon, Angkor Wat, Baphuon, Ta Prohm
Day 2: Preah Khan, East Mebon
Day 3: Kbal Spean, Banteay Samre, Bakong Temple
Itinerary Summary:
Day 0 April 4 (Saturday)
1930 ETD Ninoy Aquino International Airport T3
Travel time is around 3 hours.
Cambodia time is an hour behind from Philippines.
2130 ETA Siem Reap International Airport
2200 ETD. Tuktuk. Siem Reap International Airport
2220 ETA Hotel. Check inn Victory Guest House
2230 ETD. Walk to Victory Guest House to Pub Street
2245 ETA Pub Street
2300 Dinner. Explored pub street. Rest.
Day 1 April 5 (Sunday)
0730 Wake up call
0800 Breakfast
0900 ETD Victory Guest House. Start Angkor Small Circuit Tour
0915 ETA Angkor Archeological Park Entrance and Ticketing House
0930 ETD Entrance to Angkor Wat
0940 ETA Angkor Wat. Explore
1240 ETD Angkor Wat to Khmer Angkor Kitchen
1340 ETD Khmer Angkor Kitchen to Banteay Kdei
1345 ETA Banteay Kdei. Sras Srang
1455 ETD Banteay Kdei to Ta Prohm
1505 ETA Ta Prohm
1555 ETD Ta Prohm to Takeo
1600 ETA Takeo
1625 ETD Takeo to Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda
1630 ETA Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda
1655 ETD Thommanon to Angkor Thom
1700 ETA Central Angkor Thom
1730 Bayon
1830 ETD Bayon to Victory Guesthouse
1915 ETA Victory Guest House
2100 Checked out Lucky mall grocery and explored Night Markets
Expenses:
Day 1
5 *15/3 Angkor Tour. Victory Guesthouse
40 3 Days Angkor Pass
9.5 Lunch and Drinks at Khmer Family Kitchen
.75 Water
3.4 Dinner at Lucky Burger
.6 Milk
.8 Water
6.4 *19/3 Accommodations. Victory Guesthouse
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USD 66.45
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