Siem Reap Posts
We’ve waited a lifetime to visit this beauty and were not disappointed. A World Heritage Site and considered one of the seven wonders of the world, Angkor Wat, means “Temple City” in Khmer. Built in the 12th century it is one of the largest religious monuments in the world.
Our next stop on the Long Loop of Angkor Wat (and our last stop in Cambodia) was different than all the rest. Neak Pean (“The entwined serpents”) is an artificial island with a Buddhist temple on a circular island. The central temple sits at the axis of a cross or lotus pattern of eight pools. It is a tiny temple built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII.
Ta Prohm is the modern name of the temple at Angkor, Siem Reap, Cambodia, built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara. Touring it is witnessing a battle between nature and architecture in the Cambodian jungle. If the name sounds familiar it’s because it was the location for Angelina Jolie’s Tomb Raider movie.
We loved this much less traveled stop.The Preah Khan temple was built in 1191; its name translates to “the Sacred Sword”. Amazingly, about 100,000 farmers produced rice to feed about 15,000 monks, teachers, and students who lived here.
Reveling in the beauty of the Angkor Wat Complex, we continued on to 2 more 10th & 12th century beauties. East Mebon stands on what was an artificial island at the center of a now dry reservoir. Smaller Ta Som, 2 centuries later, has huge strangler fig trees adorning its walls.
Angkor Thom, the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire, was a fortified city enclosing residences of priests, officials of the palace and military, as well as buildings for administering the kingdom. These structures were built of wood and have perished but the remaining stone monuments testify that Angkor Thom was indeed a “Great City” as its name implies.
A huge benefit of our Chase Hyatt branded Visa credit cards is a free night when you pay your annual fee. We combined our 2 comp nights for our first stay in Siem Reap, the home of Angkor Wat. It was a luxurious hotel right in the middle of the city.