Highlights of Angkor Wat Angkor Archaeological Complex How to go to Cambodia Must-see World Heritage Tickets Detailed introduction How to enjoy
Angkor Wat, Cambodia’s World Heritage Site, is famous for its Angkor ruins and is a fascinating place to visit once in a lifetime. Angkor Wat Cambodia tour shows you the most popular sights and attractions of the Angkor Archaeological Complex.
How were the pyramids in Egypt and Machu Picchu in Peru built in the distant past? Angkor ruins, famous for Angkor Wat, one of the three major Buddhist sites in the world, is a representative existence of such a world and the best ancient ruins in Southeast Asia. We will introduce you the world heritage sites in Cambodia, the highlights of Angkor ruins, how to enter Cambodia, the base camp of Siem Reap, and other useful recommended information for Angkor Wat tourism.
Angkor Wat and its surrounding Angkor ruins are must-see tourist attractions in Cambodia. Many tourists come to Cambodia to see these world heritage sites.
Cambodia’s biggest attraction is the colossal Angkor Wat, which is also reputed to be the largest religious building in the world. In addition, there are places like the world of “Laputa” and many places that have become film locations like those in the movie “Tomb Raider”.
Around Angkor Wat in Cambodia, there are more than 70 temples built by the Khmer Empire from the early 9th century to the 15th century. Large buildings and works of art that stand like ruins are preserved in the dense forest, making it a popular sightseeing spot for many people to visit. If you like history, ruins, adventure, you may be attracted by the fascinating world view when you visit various ruins. In the past, many temples were built as Hindu temples, but converted to Buddhism around the end of the 12th century after a period of frequent conversions between Hinduism and Buddhism.
Angkor Wat is a must-see for Cambodian tourists, and it only takes a short stay of 1 to 3 days to complete the tour.
If you only visit Angkor Wat and the nearby ruins, you can finish it in one day, but if you want to visit the surrounding ruins, three days are enough for the main attractions, and you can visit once. Visiting the ruins in hot weather is physically demanding, but for those who want to relax and enjoy various activities such as cycling, a week or so stay is recommended.
The seasons in Cambodia are roughly divided into dry season and rainy season, but the best season to travel to Cambodia is the dry season from December to March and April. If you plan to go during the rainy season, you will need to allow extra time in your itinerary (assuming it will rain).
The Angkor ruins are far away from Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The sightseeing base of the Angkor ruins is the small town of Siem Reap, which is located in the northwest of Tonle Sap Lake, the largest lake in Cambodia. Siem Reap also has an international airport that is easily accessible from the capital Phnom Penh as well as hub airports in other countries surrounding Cambodia such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore.
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On the plane to Cambodia, you will be given a traditional immigration card. In addition to the entry card that needs to fill in basic personal information, entering Cambodia requires a visa, which you can easily obtain when you land.
Although it is an international airport, Siem Reap International Airport is a small airport, so you can walk to the airport after getting off the plane. I think Siem Reap International Airport is likely to be the bottleneck for increasing the number of flights, but the new airport in Siem Reap is currently under construction and the large airport is scheduled to open in autumn 2023.
People who have been granted visas on arrival line up to collect their visas. As for what is needed to apply for a Cambodian visa, the official website said that photos are required, so I prepared them, but in the end no photos are needed, and the visa only needs to pay a cash fee of US$30. The entry visa fee for Cambodia is only accepted in cash and paid in US dollars. Those without cash were told they could withdraw cash at nearby ATMs inside the airport.
When you arrive at Siem Reap Airport to apply for a visa, hand your passport to the reception and they will process it in order. The whole process went very smoothly and was over in about 20 minutes.
Take a taxi or tuk-tuk from the airport to Siem Reap city center. If you ask in advance about the hotel you plan to stay at, they will be more than happy to arrange a reliable driver for you, so I think you will feel safe in a new country. In Siem Reap, a tourist destination with many overseas tourists, there is no need to exchange local currency, and you only need to carry US dollar cash to travel.
In the center of Siem Reap, there are many convenient services for travelers, such as hotels, restaurants, and various shops, so if you want to stay, we recommend staying in the center of Siem Reap.
There are also popular tourist spots like Pub Street and the Old Market, which is full of souvenir shops.
From gourmet eateries to high-end restaurants favored by tourists to corner shops frequented by locals, there are many options to choose according to the mood of the day.
Admission to the Angkor Archaeological Park (including Angkor Wat) is free for locals, but foreigners need a ticket called the Angkor Pass. Tickets can be purchased online from the official website in advance, or at the official ticket office (map) upon arrival at the venue. The box office is open from 5:00 am to 5:30 pm.
There are three types of Angkor Wat tickets: 1 day ($37), 3 days ($62) and 7 days ($72). Your photo will be taken at the time of purchase and a photo of your face will be printed on the ticket. Please show your ticket to the staff when entering the park or visiting the temple. If you don’t have much time or just want to feel the atmosphere, you can buy a 1-day ticket; if you like archaeological sites and adventures, and want to visit various temples, you can choose a 3-day ticket or a 7-day ticket to see how long you can stay, I Think you should choose.
The park is open until 7pm and the temple complex is open until 5:30pm. If you buy your ticket at the ticket counter after 4:30pm, you can actually use that ticket to get in from that evening onwards. If it suits your itinerary, we recommend buying tickets at night and then going to Angkor Wat to watch the sunset.
The Angkor ruins are about 6 kilometers away from Siem Reap, the tourist base, and can be reached by tuk-tuk or taxi. If you have limited time and want to visit the ruins efficiently, we recommend that you request a chartered vehicle. You can negotiate by yourself or arrange through OTA or travel agency.
Typical day plans are provided when you request a tuk-tuk or taxi ride
Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple and other major temples around Angkor Wat, such as short-distance one-day tour routes,
It’s a one-day route called the Grand Circuit that takes a roundabout route.
You can even customize it if you have a specific schedule of where you want to go.
Tuk-tuks are only convenient around Angkor Wat, but I think a car would be more comfortable when visiting remote sites like the Queen’s Palace.
If you prefer to drive yourself, you can rent a bicycle or motorbike, or join a bicycle tour to explore the ruins.
The Angkor complex is dotted with exquisite temples where you can experience the splendor of the Khmer dynasty, including Angkor Wat. Here is a great video of the popular ruins in the Angkor ruins. It is a World Heritage Site recommended for lovers of history, ancient ruins, adventure, and photography.
The most iconic and must-see of the Angkor archaeological complex is the colossal Angkor Wat, which has been billed as the largest religious structure in the world. Angkor Wat faces west and offers spectacular sunrises, especially early in the morning. In the evening, the sun shines in from the front, and there is a unique atmosphere, which is beautiful, so it is recommended to visit at night if you have time.
Started in the early 12th century and completed around the end of the 12th century, Angkor Wat is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu by the Khmer king Suryavarman II.
The Khmer Dynasty originally believed in Hinduism, but converted to Buddhism at the end of the 12th century. Today, Angkor Wat, together with the Borobudur ruins in Java and the Bagan ruins in Myanmar, are called “the world’s three major Buddhist ruins”, where monks can often be seen.
Angkor Wat is a massive fortified structure surrounded by a moat. You can climb up the steps to visit the small central shrine in the center.
There are murals of ancient Indian and Hindu scenes such as Vishnu Buddha, the churning milk sea, Mahabharata, Ramayana, etc. in the vast grounds, which are impressive and you can spend a good time here. It is very hot during the day, so we recommend visiting in the morning or evening.
Here is a great short video of Angkor Wat.
You can also watch a longer version of the video, which captures the beauty of Angkor Wat from sunrise to sunset.
Great video of Angkor Wat from sunrise to sunset!A video introducing the monumental temple ruins of the World Heritage Site
Angkor Wat is as famous as Angkor Wat. Unlike Angkor Wat, which is a huge temple, Angkor Thom is a walled city surrounded by moats and walls, with the ruins of many temples scattered throughout. Angkor Thom was built around the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII who believed in Buddhism, and there are still many ruins of Buddhist temples.
This is the south gate, but there are still gates in the east, west, south, and north, which are the entrances to the city. It is a place that usually passes by, but it is a place with great scenery, so it is recommended to stop and take a photo.
From the south gate, you can see the beautiful sunset over the moat.
Bayon Temple is the most famous temple in Angkor Thom. Bayon Temple is most famous for its Khmer smile, with a human face carved on the four sides of each tower. Like Angkor Wat, there is a small temple in the center, but you can’t climb it, you can only walk around it. Despite being a stone ruin, a big tree is firmly rooted.
Like Angkor Wat, Bayon is dotted with several Buddha statues, as well as stunning murals depicting battle scenes.
The Angkor ruins give the image of ancient ruins in a tropical rainforest jungle, but Ta Prohm is a temple where you can feel the vitality of such plants.
The Angkor ruins are also a famous filming location. The representative shooting location is the Ta Prohm Temple (Ta Prohm) that appeared in the movie “Tomb Raider” (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider).
There are many huge trees among the ruins, and the process of growing will cover the ruins. It is home to many different types of trees, making it a popular photo spot.
Queen’s Palace is the site of a Hindu temple built of red sandstone, not far from Angkor Wat.
This is a small but popular attraction with beautiful murals and statues, including the goddess “Devata”, also known as the “Mona Lisa of the East”.
On our Angkor Wat Cambodia tour, we show you the most popular sights and highlights of the Angkor archaeological complex that you can visit in a day.
For those who want to see more Angkor ruins, there are many more wonderful sites. I would like to introduce them again.
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