Articles > The Temples of Angkor

Sunrise at Angkor Wat. A small crowd has gathered on the banks of the two reflective pools, cameras poised, silent and contemplative. Even in the pre-dawn gloom, the massive structure rising before us commands reverence, its spiritual significance overwhelming. As the first rays pierce the clouds, the five carved towers are silhouetted sharply against the burning sky, reflecting the opening buds of the delicate pink lotus flowers in the watery foreground.

It’s a classic Kodak moment. Cameras click in a collective paparazzi frenzy. At this moment, I am jolted by a realisation that I am experiencing one of the planet’s great sights through the lens of a camera. Resisting my journalistic urges, I force myself to pull away from the viewfinder for just a minute, to simply watch and absorb.

Angkor Wat is one of those rare places that demands your full attention. To simply knock off a couple of happy snaps and bolt back to the comfort of an air-conditioned bus may be tempting in the oppressive heat, but is ultimately unsatisfying. It demands time, dedication and passion to fully explore this amazing edifice, justifiably regarded as one of the great monuments of the world. It’s a commitment well worth making.

The largest and grandest temple in the Angkor region of north-western Cambodia, Angkor Wat stands as a testament to human genius and artistic endeavour. Its enormous scale is difficult to appreciate in any photograph. Its towers soar 65 metres above the ground; the city walls, made from massive slabs of sandstone, run for over a kilometre each side; the moat surrounding the temple is 200 metres wide. Inside, the gallery walls are intricately decorated, carved with bas-reliefs and 1,750 female goddesses known as ‘asparas’, each different from the other. Astoundingly, the building is nearly perfectly symmetrical, with less than a 0.1 variance.

The complex was constructed during the reign of Suryavarman II (AD 1113-50), one of a succession of 25 Khmer rulers who, over six centuries, created the most powerful empire South East Asia has ever known, spreading throughout Cambodia into modern day Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Inspired by Hindu and Buddhist philosophies, these kings built temple complexes, reservoirs, canals, bridges and roads, a sophisticated city infrastructure utilised by up to 1 million inhabitants.

Like many great civilisations, however, the Angkorian empire soon began to implode – over-populated, over-worked and threatened by the invading armies of Siam, the great city of Angkor was finally abandoned in 1432, left to the encroaching jungle and the gentle tending hands of Theravada Buddhist monks.

It would be another 400 years before this so-called “lost civilisation” would be discovered by the western world. In 1860, the French explorer Henri Mouhot stumbled across the ruins and wrote a vivid account of what he had experienced, starting a tradition of archaeological restoration and the germs of a tourist industry. One can only imagine the excitement on those intrepid colonial adventurers’ faces when they first laid eyes on the romantic vista of shadowy ruins concealed in a vine-choked jungle…

One hundred and forty years later, it is still possible to experience those emotions in the temples of Angkor. Despite its legendary status, tourism is still very much in its infancy here; the country is only just beginning to recover from its recent tragic history of civil war and genocide. But while the legacy of Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge and the Killing Fields still weigh heavily on Cambodia’s fledgling economy, peace has returned to this beautiful land, and its people are happily embracing the opportunities and relative prosperity that tourism brings.

Siem Reap, the gateway to the temples at Angkor, is a town built entirely from the spoils of tourism. This small French colonial village is expanding at the rate of knots – new mega-hotels are popping up overnight, and well-heeled visitors can now indulge in day spas, chi-chi boutiques and posh bars like the atmospheric Foreign Correspondents’ Club. It’s no longer exclusively the domain of the backpacker, though budget accommodation is still readily available alongside smart new hotels and colonial favourites like Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor.

This gracious old lady, built in 1932 and meticulously restored by Raffles International Ltd in 1997, recalls the golden age of colonial tourism, offering four-poster beds, claw-foot bathtubs, art deco decorations and a charming cage lift operated by traditionally attired bellboys. This is the place to stay if money is no object – past guests include luminaries such as Jacqueline Onassis, Charlie Chaplin and more recently, Angelina Jolie, in town to film the first of the Tomb Raider movies. Downstairs, the famous Elephant Bar is the perfect place to sip on a Lemongrass Martini; while the massive 35 metre swimming pool is a welcome respite from the hustle of the markets or long, hot hours tramping over ruins.

For pure indulgence, however, it’s hard to beat a US$3 shiatsu workover at Seeing Hands 4, a tiny hole-in-the-wall massage parlour in the heart of Siem Reap. Massage, of course, is all about touch – and the blind masseuses at this charity organization feel their way around every ache and pain in your body with amazing deftness! It’s a somewhat surreal experience, but a worthwhile contribution towards a disadvantaged sector of Cambodian society.

Unfortunately, poverty is a very real part of the Cambodian travel experience. Many of its people are visibly scarred by years of conflict – one in every 236 Cambodians has lost a limb in warfare or landmine accidents, with that number growing by up to 50 victims a month. To raise awareness of this continuing tragedy, former Khmer soldier Akira has opened a Land Mine Museum, detailing the dangers of these heinous weapons of war. Proceeds from this sobering, heart-wrenching display go toward detonating still-active mines, and supporting amputee orphans who live and are schooled on site.

Another charity well worth supporting is the Jayavarman VII Children’s Hospital in Siem Reap, which, along with its two sister hospitals in Phnom Penh, saves the lives of 3,200 Cambodian children a month. Established by Swiss humanitarian Dr Beat Richer, these hospitals are funded entirely by private donations, providing employment for 1,100 Cambodian staff members and helping over 560,000 sick children a year, free of charge. Many donations for this life-giving work come via free Saturday night concerts in Siem Reap, where the somewhat eccentric Dr Richner takes the stage in the guise of his alter-ego, ‘Beatocello’, singing and playing Bach cello concertos.

Despite such obvious evidence of tragedy, warfare and bloodshed, the Cambodian people are amazingly resilient, with welcoming smiles, a great sense of humour, insatiable curiosity and a generosity of spirit. Many of the locals in Siem Reap have an impressive command of English, and are happy to converse about their lifestyle and yours, all the while offering the latest bargains in postcards, scarves and pirated guide books.

The children, in particular, are incredibly smart and savvy, with the ability to charm their way into any sale. Walking back along Angkor Wat’s causeway at sunset, I was joined by two little girls, Lee and Gear, who astonished me with their knowledge of Australia. “We know all about your country,” they said. “Melbourne has 3.2 million people. Sydney has 4 million people. Your Prime Minister is John Howard and he lives in Canberra. Will you buy my book?” Impressed and totally charmed, I promised them I would – tomorrow…and as I stepped off the bus the following morning, I was greeted by a group of at least ten children, all shouting my name and waving their wares in my face. Of course, I had no choice but to honour my commitment!

For a close-up view of how the largely rural population of Cambodia lives, an afternoon excursion to Tonle Sap, 45 minutes drive south of Siem Reap, is a fascinating, educational and hugely enjoyable experience. Tonle Sap is the lifeblood of Cambodia – the biggest freshwater lake in South East Asia covering 2,500 square kilometres in the dry season, but exploding to more than 12,000 square kilometres in the wet. 3 million people live along its ever-changing banks and in floating villages, many of them Vietnamese fisherfolk wearing distinctive conical hats. These people are all incredibly poor, living exclusively off their daily catch – but it’s amazing to see them going about their daily business – fishing, shopping, repairing motorbikes – you name it!

A boat tour on the lake reveals intimate details – the dentist making his daily rounds, boat to boat; a floating Catholic church; pigs caged on floating barges; children doing backflips into the murky water, laughing and playing happily in the afternoon sun. For these people, life appears so simple, and seemingly unadulterated - only the knowledge of the tragedy they have so recently endured tempers the idyllic snapshot.

While Siem Reap and Tonle Sap make pleasant diversions, most visitors to this region of Cambodia have come for one thing – the temples. And Angkor Wat is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg – there are literally dozens of temples in the province, each one more ornate and detailed than the next. Favourites include the Bayon, with its 216 carved Buddha-like heads, smiles as enigmatic as the Mona Lisa’s; and the delicate Bantray Srei, the Citadel of Women, with its exquisite rose-coloured carvings of goddesses carrying lotus blooms.

Thanks to the wonders of Hollywood, the most famous of the outlying temples is Ta Prohm, featured in the adventure flick, Tomb Raider. Cool, silent and evocative, this beautiful temple has been reclaimed by nature, choked by enormous Kapok figs which have become as much a part of the architecture as the walls and doorways they bind.

Like most of the temples in Angkor, Ta Prohm is best experienced when the crowds are down and you can wander through the cool, dark passageways - taking time to absorb, reflect on the past, and allow yourself to become a part of this mysterious, magical landscape.

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