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Sunset at Angkor Wat
Author: Chris (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
Angkor World Heritage Site is a travel guide to help you understand and discover the ruins of Angkor. It offers you useful information on all the main ruins of Angkor and a few obscure ones.
On this page is one the most complete documentation of the monuments of Angkor. I create it out of the many visits I have made to the ruins, as well as through the help of a few people who wrote to me after seeing this page. If you have explored Angkor, and would like to help me make the information richer, I look forward to hearing from you.
Top 3 Monuments at Angkor Monument of Major Interest Monument of Significant Interest Monument of Minor Interest
Obscure Monument of Limited Interest.
Exploring the Ruins of Angkor
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Sights in the Vicinity of the Angkor Ruins
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Introducing AngkorView Larger Map The Angkor Archaeological Park, to the north of Siem Reap, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the main focus of visitors coming to view the ruins of Angkor. Angkor. The name conjures images of the exotic, distant from our everyday existence. Whether it's sunlight on Angkor Wat, or the parting of rain-drenched foliage to unveil the stone faces of Bayon, Angkor has enthrilled visitors over many generations. With calm finally settling on the troubled lands of the Khmers, a new wave of visitors can now come up close and admire the works of a mighty civilisation, lost, but now rediscovered and once again appreciated. The word Angkor is a corruption of the Khmer word nokor or ongkor, which means "capital". It is derived from the Sanskrit nagara, the same word that yielded the Thai nakhorn and the Malay negara and negeri. As its name indicates, Angkor is a city, an ancient one of massive scale. The Angkorian period in Cambodian history is generally considered to extend from AD 802 to 1431. These dates should be treated as open-ended, as there were Khmers in the Angkor region before it became a capital, and Angkor was not completely deserted when the capital was moved, first to Oudong then to Phnom Penh. Angkor LocationThe temples of Angkor are located in the vicinity of the town of Siem Reap. The name Siem Reap means "The Siamese are defeated". It is the main town where all the hotels and creature comforts are available. Except for the Roluos Group of temples, which are 13kms east of Siem Reap, the majority of the important ruins are all located 7-25km north of Siem Reap, with the closest and biggest being Angkor Wat.Visiting AngkorTo visit the ruins of Angkor, particularly those within the archaeological park, you will need an Angkor Pass which is available for durations of one day (US$20), three days (US$40) and seven days (US$60). The pass is obtainable at the checkpoint enroute to Angkor Wat. For those getting multiple-day passes, a photograph of you will be shot at the checkpoint itself, and printed onto the pass, which acts as a souvenir of your visit to the Angkor Archaeological Park. At time of updating this page (June 2009), the authorities are in the process of modifying the rules so that in future (perhaps by the time you read this), visitors holding the 3-day pass can use it on any 3 days of a week, and those holding the 7-day pass can use it on any 7 days of a month. Visiting hours are from 5:00am until sunset. There's a US$30 to US$40 fine for not possessing a valid pass.Is Cambodia safe? As the founder of AsiaExplorers, I would say it is. Naturally, one should be cautious at all times, the same as one should be back home. I have walked the streets at night without fear of harm. Unless you take reckless risks, you should be assured of a safe and enjoyable trip. 'Angkor' literally means 'Capital City' or 'Holy City'. 'Khmer' refers to the dominant ethnic group in modern and ancient Cambodia. In its modern usage, the term 'Angkor' has come to refer to the capital city of the Khmer Empire that existed in the area of Cambodia between the 9th and 12th centuries AD, as well as to the empire itself. The Monuments of Angkor stand as one of the greatest ruins of an ancient civilization. The ancient Khmers have been so prolific in temple building that even today, scientists are discovering and studying newly ruins that have previously been lost under rubble and the jungle. Today the ruins of Angkor lend themselves to a new life, as a major tourist attraction and top income earner for the otherwise poverished nation of Cambodia. The majority of these ruins are located in the vicinity of the town of Siem Reap, especially the area to the north of the town, that today forms the Angkor Archaeological Park. But not all the ruins are confined within the archaeological park. Those of the Roluos Group are located to the east of Siem Reap, Banteay Srey and Kbal Spean are to the north while Phnom Krom is by the banks of the Tonle Sap. The monuments of Angkor was the first property in Cambodia to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since then, the World Heritage Committee has inscribed a second site, the Temple of Preah Vihear. 1 February 2010 Update: I have been assisted by an online friend, Nic Boulton, who has just explored some of the lesser-known ruins of Angkor. I am added to this list the sites which Nic has explored. Angkor World Heritage Site Inscription DetailsLocation: N 13 26 E 103 50Inscription Year: 1992 Type of Site: Cultural Inscription Criteria: I, II, III, IV Angkor Unesco World Heritage Site is the star attraction of any visit to Siem Reap. Let me take you to explore the ruins of Angkor from the comfort of your desk. Angkor HotelsEverybody stays in the town of Siem Reap, and from there make excursion to explore the ruins. Before you book your hotel in Siem Reap, it is wise to compare prices offered different hotel booking websites. You will be surprised to find that the same hotel room is priced differently at different sites. So do your homework! Use this free Siem Reap Hotel Search Engine to look at and compare prices offered by different booking sites for your hotel rooms. That way, you can make an informed decision that will stretch your travel budget in Angkor.Moving About AngkorIt's too time consuming to walk from Siem Reap to the ruins. You are better off hiring either a bicycle or a motorcycle, or get a tuk tuk to drive you around. You can make the arrangements when you are in Siem Reap.Food in AngkorIn front of many major ruins are stalls selling food and drinks. The biggest are located in front of Angkor Wat and across from the Terrace of the Elephants at Angkor Thom. These are usually local fare peppered with a generous supply of roadside dust. If you can't stomach that, then you should head back to your hotel in Siem Reap for lunch, and return for the afternoon sojourn.Elephant Rides in AngkorYou won't get far, but at least you travel in style, like the Khmer kings of old. Elephant bookings can be done at their stations at Bayon and at the foot of Phnom Bakheng. | ||
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