Cambodia

The Historical site at Angkor Wat
The history of the area around Angkor Wat goes back to the ancient kingdom of Funan. The kingdom was founded by Indian Brahmins and by the 2nd century AD became a flourishing trading area settled by many Indian traders. Much later in 800 AD the kingdom of Kampuja was founded by Jayavarman I, who built several cities around Angkor. Around 1000 AD, Suryavarman took to the throne and became responsible for the beginning of developments at Angkor.
The majestic temples of the world famous Angkor Wat were amassed during the 9th and 13th centuries. From the first temples built during the time of Suryavarman, the city expanded, eventually covering an area of 40 miles around Siem Reap. The exquisite and intricate designs shown in the temples reflect the glorious past of the Khmer Empire that held power and influence in the region, which stretched to the Bay of Bengal, the South China Sea and north to Yunan, China. The temples and palaces of Angkor were designed and constructed to reflect the strong religious beliefs the people held in Hinduism and later Buddhism. They were mainly built in the form of temple mountains, symbolic of Mount Meru in Hindu mythology. The earlier temples were constructed with bricks, while the later ones were made from laterite and sandstone. As only religious structures were built with stone, other buildings made from wood have unfortunately not survived the passing of time. The whole complex, which was deserted in 1431 (after it was sacked by the Thais) became a "lost city" until it was re-discovered by European explorers in the late 19th century.


Angkor Wat
The most significant of all the ruined temples in the Siem Reap area. It was built during the early 12th century by Suryavarman II, and is dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. It later became his burial site.
Accredited with being one of the ancient wonders of the world, the main three tiered temple at Angkor was built on an artificial mound and has its opening to the west, the direction of death. The surrounding walls are 1500m long and 1300m wide and are enclosed by a moat. The temple entrance gate is approached by a 350m causeway, lined with serpent-decorated balustrades. The first level contains an open gallery with an inner wall covered with bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. A steep, but manageable stairway leads to the top level.


Preah Khan
This temple is located slightly to the north of Angkor Thom. It is believed to have been a temporary residence for King Jayavarman VII. The large temple is made of stone and is enclosed by walls 700m by 800m and a surrounding moat.


Prasat Ta Som
This temple, devoted to Buddhism, lays to the east of Prah Khan. The buildings within the three enclosures are badly ruined.


Prasat Neak Pean
Directly to the east of Preah Khan is this Buddhist temple, built towards the end of the 12th century by Jayavarman VII. The circular base of the sanctuary is entwined with two nagas.    


Pre Rup
This brick and laterite temple was built in the latter part of the 10th century, during the reign of Rajendravarman II. It is believed to have been a large cremation site.


Chau Say Tevoda
The temple dates back to the early 12th century. It is badly ruined, although their is still highly decorated parts of the ruins still intact.


Prasat Ta Keo
This five-tiered temple was built around the end of the 10th century, by Jayavarman V (968-1001), and is devoted to the Hindu deity, Shiva. It was mainly constructed with sandstone (it was the first temple in the Angkor area to use sandstone) and surrounded by a moat. The construction of the temple was never finished.


Banteay Kdei
This Buddhist temple was built in the late 12th century. The outer enclosure measures 700m by 500m. The temple shows two different styles in its construction: indicating it was built in two stages.


Sra Srang
This 12th century reservoir was bordered by stone steps. A terrace is situated to the west and a small island in the centre contains some sandstone ruins.


Prasat Kravan
The five brick towers at Prasat Kravan originally date back to the 10th century, but were restored in the 1960's.


Ta Prohm
This is one of the most popular and spectacular temples to be visited in the Angkor area. Although most of the other temples have been cleared of the encroaching jungle, at Ta Prohm the jungle seems to have won the battle. The combination of the centuries old stonework entwined with tree roots and covered in moss gives a good impression of what the whole complex was like when it was discovered by the French explorer, Henri Mouhot.

Angkor Thom
The fortified city of Angkor Thom was built during the reign of the illustrious King Jayavarman VII (1181-1201), who was credited with many of the fine buildings of that period. King Jayavarman VII also brought more Buddha influence into the architecture of the temples. Angkor Thom was in fact the capital of the Khmer Kingdom and was enclosed by a square wall, standing 8 metres high, with a length of 12km on each side. This in turn was surrounded by a 100m deep moat, said to be home to crocodiles.
The city has five gates, one each on the north, west and southern walls and two on the eastern wall. The highly decorated gates are adorned with elephant trunks and faces of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.


Bayon
Located in the centre of Angkor Thom is the majestic temple of Bayon. Experts are unsure of the precise functions of the temple which is believed to be built during the time of King Jayavarman VII. The main tower is surrounded by 54 other stone towers, all with the faces of Avalokitesvara facing the four cardinal points.


Phimeanakas
This was the palace of Suryavarman I, built around the beginning of the 11th century. It was built within a 5m high wall made of laterite: another wall was later added. In the middle of the complex is a three-tiered laterite pyramid in a rectangular plan.


Terrace of the Leper Kings
So called because there were known to be a few of the Angkor kings to have had contracted the disease. At the top of the terrace is a statue of a nude and sexless person, which experts have been unable to explain the significance of.


Baphuon
This temple was built by Udayadityavarman II (1050-1066). The sandstone causeway leading to the central sanctuary differs to the usual construction - it is supported by short columns. Intensive restoration work is now ongoing to return it to its natural splendour.


Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville is located on the Gulf of Thailand, about 230 km southwest of Phnom Penh. It  the second largest city and is the main sea-port of the country. It is a popular beach resort for many Cambodians and tourists alike, offering fine sandy beaches along the rocky coastline.