The Best of Cambodia & Laos

The ruins of the ancient city of
Angkor, capital of the Khmer kingdom
from a.d. 802 until a.d. 1295, are one of the
world’s greatest marvels. The “City of God-
Kings,” Angkor boasts some of the largest
religious monuments ever constructed. Angkor
Wat itself, the largest religious building
in the world, represents Mount Meru. In
Hindu mythology this was the home of the
gods and the kings of Angkor were gods.
Angkor was created from a fusion of feudalism,
animism, and Hinduism that impelled
the god-kings to create celestial glory on
earth to honor their own divinity.
Angkor is a vast and mysterious complex
of soaring towers, mysterious faces,
and exquisite sculptures. The location was
unknown to the outside world until
French naturalist Henri Mouhot literally
stumbled onto it in 1861. The half knowledge
and half rumor of Angkor existed for
centuries only as a myth. Although Angkor
was abandoned for 600 years, the
Khmers knew exactly where it was and had
no wish to disturb the power of slumbering
spirits. After Mahout made his discovery,
archaeologists flocked here. With war
and conflict after 1970, Angkor was once
again often lost and more often damaged.
Many temples were pillaged. Once the
wars subsided tourists became the invaders.
Today the sight is totally mobbed, but
you might still find those quiet moments
to contemplate the awesome eeriness of
this amazing man-made wonder.
The temple complex covers some 97 sq.
km (60 sq. miles) and carries the remains
of passageways, moats, temples, and palaces
that represent centuries of building.
Originally the stone would have been
interspersed with wooden buildings and
all the bustle of a living city. A millennium
Siem Reap
later what there was is gone, eaten by the
fierce, humid jungle, and what remains is
a magnificent stone skeleton.
The temples are served by the nearby
town of Siem Reap, some 6km (3 1 ⁄2 miles)
to the south. Siem Reap means “Siam
Defeated” and refers to the 16th-century
victory that solidified the Khmer kingdom,
even though the Thais were to triumph
once again as empires ebbed and
flowed. Animosity between the two neighbors
remains to this day. All of western
Cambodia was once under Thai control,
and Khmer people are very proud of their
survival in the face of so many invaders,
the very reason that an image of Angkor
Wat graces the national flag.
Siem Reap, not long ago a quiet, dusty
town of rutted roads and dark nights, now
supports a host of large five-star hotels and
resorts, numerous restaurants, and the
kind of goods, services, shops, galleries,
and spas that make the little city a new
island of luxury in parched western Cambodia.
The town’s markets have become a
great stop for souvenir purchases as well as
more traditional fare such as pig’s heads
and car parts, and the nearby downtown
area is throbbing.
A 3- or 4-day visit will suffice (though
many do it in less time) to come away with
a newfound love for mystery, religion, and
some of the most spectacular sunrises
known to man. The sunrise over Angkor
Wat itself is often stunning and justifiably
famous—a blaze of red and orange silhouetting
the central towers. It is a photographer’s
dream, although these days you will
have an awful lot of other photographers
in the frame. There are good options for
visiting more far-flung temple ruins, and
the Bayon always remains sublime.
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