Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The ruins of Angkor are located amid forests and farmland to the north of the Great Lake (Tonlé Sap) and south of the Kulen Hills, near modern-day Siem Reap, and are UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples of the Angkor area number over one thousand, ranging in scale from nondescript piles of brick rubble scattered through rice fields to the magnificent Angkor Wat, said to be the world's largest single religious monument. Many of the temples at Angkor have been restored, and together, they comprise the most significant site of Khmer architecture.

We went to the temples with our tuk tuk driver, Bunny, for several days. We visited the small circuit, the grand tour, the Roulous group and some temples far away, immersed in the jungle and not yet restored. Astonishing!

 

The principal temple of the Angkorian region, Angkor Wat, was built between 1113 and 1150 by King Suryavarman II.