Siem Reap and Angkor Wat
I am sure you all guessed I was at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. And the name of the temple is?...Ta Prohm. These days if you were to say the 'Tomb Raider Temple' people know what you are talking about. If you don't know, the film Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie was filmed in and around Ta Prohm.
Ta Prohm is part of the Angkor Archaeological Park but there are hundreds of temples in the surrounding provinces. Angkor is the easiest accessed temple area as it is situated just 6kms from Siem Reap, the capital of this province with a population under 200,000.
Built in the 12th century and abandoned in 1431, Angkor Wat succumbed to the encroaching jungle until the great temple complex was rediscovered in 1860 by French botanist Henri Mahout. I can only imagine what it was like to walk through the jungle and discover Angkor Wat, undisturbed for over 400 years.
Now of course, Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom and the hundreds of surrounding temples are a major tourist attraction with many tour companies operating in this area. You can imagine the crowds that now flock to this area so experiencing the temples during peak seasons can be very very busy.
One of the best things you can do is arrange your visit to the temples with a private guide. I have visited the temples as part of a tour group and with a private guide. What a difference! Even if you were visiting this area as part of a group tour, which is a fantastic option, consider extending your stay and exploring some of the outlying temples with a private guide. Apart from a personalised tour, the outlying temples are much less visited so you will have a totally different experience. Definitely more time to absorb the experience.
Staying in Siem Reap offers the opportunity to stay in some magnificent hotels. Raffles Siem Reap has to be experienced! There are plenty of markets, great restaurants and a Khmer Massage @ USD10 for an hour will have you feeling unbelievable.
I look forward to chatting to you and booking your trip to Siem Reap.