The Angkor temple complex was recognized by the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization as a World Cultural Heritage in 1992. So what attracts thousands of tourists to visit the sacred temple of Angkor Wat?

1. What is special about Angkor Wat temple?

Angkor Wat temple, Cambodia is famous for tourists who love culture, especially Asian culture with Hindu and Buddhist religious cultures. Originally designed to worship Hinduism, but later due to the introduction and strong development of Buddhism, Angkor Wat was converted to worship Buddhism. This could explain why Angkor Wat is a special and interesting blend, expressing the sacredness of these two religions, creating a famous Angkor Wat as the largest religious monument in the world.

The Angkor temple complex has over 1,000 temples of different sizes and shapes bearing Khmer architectural style. Famous temples are Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, Bayon temples with countless sculptural decorations.

With the massiveness of the small temples scattered around the Angkor Wat area, visitors will feel like they are lost in a large stone maze, but the interesting thing that makes the visitor’s experience more special is that every small corner at Angkor Wat contains the beauty of culture, art, and architecture. The Angkor complex is influenced by ancient Khmer art with a unique architectural style, highlighting Khmer artistic values. The entire architectural complex is outstanding, unique in ancient sculpture and still retains ancient traces with many stone carvings such as giant reliefs, columns, doors, ceilings, walls, corridors, railings, roofs…, all exuding the extraordinary skillful hands of the ancient Khmer people.

To reach the top of Angkor Wat, visitors need to climb 350 steps but Angkor Wat is the most magnificent temple in the entire complex with the main entrance facing the west, straight towards the sunset.

 

 

Angkor Wat has 398 rooms, connected by 1,500m of corridors. Above, 5 towers are connected by 3 architectural floors, of which the tallest tower is up to 65m, 4 sub-towers are 40m high. The road leading to the main gate of Angkor Wat is also made of stone blocks, 230m long, nearly 10m wide and 5m high compared to the lake surface on both sides of the temple.

During the entire journey to Angkor Wat and to Angkor Wat temple, visitors will seemingly witness the talent of the ancient Khmer people when the stone carvings decorated with Cambodian religious culture on giant reliefs, columns, doors, ceilings, walls, corridors, railings, roofs… All of these architectures are still preserved to the present so that visitors have the best sightseeing experience.

 

 

2. Where is Angkor Wat Located?

Located 6km from Siem Riep, it will take about 45 minutes and traveling by car will be the most convenient. In addition, if visitors stay near Angkor Archaeological Park, it is recommended to choose to travel by taxi or tuk-tuk, both of which offer door-to-door service, making it convenient for sightseeing trips.

 

 

In case visitors travel from Phnom Penh – the capital of Cambodia, tourists will travel about 320 km north to Siem Reap city, where Angkor Wat is located. There are a few means of transport that you can choose:

• Bus: This is the most popular and economical option, taking about 6-7 hours. There are many bus companies providing services from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap with prices ranging from 10-15 USD.
• Plane: It’s faster and more convenient for tourists to travel by plane, which only takes about 1 hour. Airlines such as Cambodia Angkor Air and Sky Angkor Airlines have direct flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap with fares ranging from 50–100 USD, depending on the time and airline.
• Taxi or private car: Traveling by taxi takes about 5–6 hours and costs from 60–100 USD depending on the agreement and quality of the car. This is a suitable option if you are traveling in a group or want comfort and flexibility.

 

3. Angkor Wat tourists Guide 

To have a complete visit to Angkor Wat, which visitors can spend time observing and enjoying the surrounding natural scenery, consider spending about 2-3 hours because Angkor Wat has an area of quite big and many small attractions.

For some spiritual sites such as Angkor Wat, visitors should carefully prepare about clothing before visiting to show respect for the sacredness: 

• Travelers should wear shoes that are easy to move and walk around and climb stairs.; some temples will require shoes or sandals to be removed from the outside so it would be easier when travelers want to take a look inside temples. 
• Travelers should not wear short-sleeves and the length of pants or skirts should be longer than the knee. 
• Travelers should wear sunglasses and use sunscreen on hot days.
• When entering the temple, visitors must remove hats to pay respect to gods and guardians inside the temples. 

The best time to visit Angkor Wat is  during the dry season, which runs from November to April next year. More specifically, from November to January of next year offer the most comfortable weather, with average temperatures around 20°C. This cooler climate makes exploring the temple complex much more pleasant and enjoyable. As April comes, the temperature will increase as it marks the transition into the hotter summer months, the temperature will be quite high. 

During the rest of the year, visitors can still visit and admire the beauty of Angkor Wat, however remember that during the rainy season there may be floods in Cambodia and Angkor Wat might be affected. The rainy season in Cambodia will fall from May to October.

It’s better for visitors to visit Angkor Wat at sunrise when it’s cooler but crowded, or at lunchtime when most of the tour groups are in town. It is also popular at sunset when the temple can develop a soft glow in the warm light of the late sun. Angkor Wat temple ruins open to welcome visitors quite early, from 5:00 a.m. and will close at 5:00 p.m.

The price for an entry pass to the temples of Angkor costs US$37 for one day, US$62 for three days (which can be used over a period of 10 days), and US$72 for one week (which can be used over one month). 

Day 1:

• Arrive in Siem Reap, meet the guide.
• Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 2:

• Visit Preah Khan, Neak Poan, Tasom temples.
• Learn about Cambodia’s history at the Akira Landmine Museum.
• Explore Banteay Srei temple and Pradark Village.
• Visit Banteay Samre.
• Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 3:

• Early sunrise photo at Angkor Wat.
• Explore Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, and Bayon.
• Sunset at Angkor Thom.
• Overnight in Siem Reap. 

For more information: https://asiavivatravel.com/explore-mysthique-angkor-legendary-mekong-in-9-days 

 

4. Other Highlights Near Angkor Wat

• Angkor Thom:

Angkor Thom has outstanding temples and architecture such as Bayon Temple, Baphuon Temple, Phnom Bakheng Temple on the top of the hill, Elephant Terrace, Terrace of the Leper King and 5 large gates leading to Angkor Thom. In which, Bayon Temple gives visitors the most impressive feeling, they are completely conquered by its exemplary and lively beauty. The temple is made up of 50 stone towers. Its core is a terraced architectural complex with 16 medium-sized stupas and many small, interconnected stupas.

 

 

Unlike Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom has a more vivid beauty when besides the stone carvings with ancient Khmer architecture, there are also statues of gods worshiped by people in this temple area. Visitors can learn more and see the majesty of the gods worshiped in Cambodia, see the respect of the Cambodian people for the gods. For this reason, Cambodia is one of the interesting destinations for spiritual tourism and exploring the culture of Southeast Asian countries in general.

 

• Little – Big Circuit area : 

One thing that tourists find quite strange at Angkor Wat temple is that there are very few trees to provide shade, most of them are large trees scattered around the area with large roots sticking out of the ground. Standing out in the Little Circuit area – this area has the most famous temple, the “ancient tree” temple Ta Prohm. The branches and roots of the ancient trees grow intertwined, covering the temple, creating a strange scene, attracting tourists to travel to Cambodia. 

 

 

The Big Circuit includes several remarkable sites, with Preah Khan Temple being a standout. This ancient temple, similar in structure to Ta Prohm, is adorned with stone walls intertwined with the roots of centuries-old trees, creating a wild, majestic setting that transports you back to an ancient world. The Big Circuit is also famous for its ideal sunset viewing spot at Pre Rup Temple. With its vast open space and the golden-orange hues of dusk, watching the sunset here is an unforgettable experience you shouldn’t miss when visiting Angkor Wat.

 

 

Besides the above highlights, Angkor Wat also has other small peripheral temples or other tourist areas including ruins from ancient villages, temples, etc. 

Conclusion

Angkor Wat (Siem Reap) is truly a must-visit, a place where travelers can experience the profound beauty and cultural depth of ancient Cambodia. Guided by the insights and recommendations from us, Asia Viva Travel, you’ll uncover the breathtaking architecture, intricate carvings, and historical richness that make this site so extraordinary. As you explore, remember to embrace responsible tourism—respect the environment and honor the cultural heritage preserved within each temple. By following these practices, we help ensure that this magnificent site remains a source of wonder for generations to come.

 

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