The Angkor Temples
Experiencing Angkor's extraordinary temples should be a window through time, allowing you to imagine them as they were at their zenith. Our friends in Cambodia know how to find that. They know how to avoid the sea of selfie sticks at sunrise, and where to set up an impromptu picnic away from the crowds. They understand why Angkor's outlying temples, Koh Ker and Beng Mealea, can sometimes offer a more immersive sense of wonder than the jaw-dropping, but always busy, Angkor Wat. Explore the region with a passionate local person who can share their personal view of Angkor, and you'll be left amazed and enthralled, not fighting for space.
Three things to do around the Angkor Temples
Obviously there's a lot more, this is just to get you started...
Best time to visit Angkor Wat
Thanks to the long-standing knowledge of our local friends and partners, you can take a much more engaging route around the temples than the typical tourist conveyor-belt. Avoiding the peak times and places of the main tours means you’ll experience these iconic sites in a more relaxed fashion, when they're a little less crowded. You can gain unique vantage points of the temples at key moments. For instance, it's quite magical to see the sunrise from behind Angkor Wat and capture the ancient ruins in spectacular silhouette. If you want uncrowded images, and time to fully appreciate the temples, let our guides show you the way.
Beng Mealea and Koh Ker
An excellent way to avoid the crowds at Angkor Wat is to head to the outlying temples, many of which are still being unearthed and reclaimed from the surrounding jungle. Sites such as Beng Mealea and Koh Ker are truly impressive, and just as evocative as the more popular temples close to Siem Reap, but you can experience them pretty much on your own without having to nudge elbows for photo ops. If you can set aside a day to expand your Angkor horizons, and incorporate the two hour drive to Koh Ker from Siem Reap, you'll be treated to some of the greatest temple treasures that the region has to offer.
Roluos Temple Group
Even closer to Siem Reap - just 13km east - is another set of less-visited temples called the Roluos. Back in the 9th Century this area was the Khmer Empire's capital city, and the ruined structures that you'll find here are some of the earliest examples of Khmer architecture anywhere in Cambodia. Bakong temple, especially, is a real highlight and provides a near perfect example of a type of Khmer stepped pyramid known as a ‘temple mountain’. You can still scale the summit of Bakong, and the sweeping views of the surrounding countryside are a rich reward for tackling all those steps.
