The Angkor Wat temple complex is over four hundred square kilometers of monuments testifying to the former power of Cambodian residents. There, from the 9th to the 15th century, the Khmer capital was located, and its monumental ruins are still one of Asia’s biggest tourist attractions (they are on the UNESCO list and the Seven Wonders of the World). To this day, renovation and excavation works are ongoing, which makes it the largest archaeological site in the world. Individual rulers expanded the capital over the centuries, but the leitmotif of the construction became its incorporation into the surrounding landscape and more precisely into water reservoirs (A special irrigation system was created, which is still visible today). The main temple was to symbolize cosmos. The focal point is the 213 meter tower (three levels), which was to symbolize the mythical Mount Meru (center of the Khmer universe). Other buildings were to reflect the remaining places on the globe and the waters surrounding the temples were a symbol of the ocean.

The base for a trip to the temple is Siem Reap, the distance to cover from the city is about seven kilometers. The complex can be visited by taxi, tuk tuk and of course (at least for us) by bike. At the end of the access road you will find entrance registers, where is mandatory to buy the tickets. We buy a ticket depending on the time we want to spend there (one day and three days), and it costs 20 and 40 USD respectively. If you care too much about your appearance, I would like to inform you that the ticket has a photo taken at the ticket office, so be prepared. It took one day to see all the temples, it took us about six hours. However, if we want to contemplate and trace all the nooks and crannies of the bas-reliefs, we must invest in a three-day ticket. We don’t have to worry about cold drinks and food, because we find a market stall with Cambodian street specialties at every turn. As an additional attraction, you can mention meeting animals in the form of monkeys and elephants.

The Angkor Wat temple complex is hihghy recommendable by us, and for most tourists it is the only interesting point to visit in Cambodia (which of course is not true).