Siem Reap

the artisans.

Angkor Wat is a masterpiece and the country s National Treasure. Work began on the World Heritage Site in the 9 ^th century and continued on and off for the next 600 or so years, with the last temple being built in the late 15 ^th century. With their unrivaled beauty and majesty, nothing can quite prepare you for how truly spectacular all the temples in the vast complex really are. Start early with sunrise over the most famous temple - Angkor Wat. As they sun lights up the sky, the detailed structure appears before your eyes and in the reflection of the pool of water in front of it.

A tour is highly recommended, to ensure you see the majority of the best-preserved temples and learn about when and for whom they were built. There are thousands of shrines, statues and beautiful stone-carvings, all stunning remains of the mighty Khmer empire. The complex was abandoned by the Khmer kings in the 15 ^th century and was only rediscovered in 1864 by a French naturalist. Buddhist monks still use the temples today and can be seen wondering around the various sites.

Other familiar temples in the complex include Ta Prohm, used in the film Tomb Raider. Mysterious and eerily beautiful with large tree roots creeping across and through the ruins, there has been some restoration work on it though it remains vastly untouched. Angkor Thom was the last capital of the Khmer empire and is best known for the grand Bayon Temple, with its many hand-carved, serenely enigmatic smiling faces.