Siem Reap, Cambodia: Temple Run (TOUR) at Angkor Region
Aside from the Angkor Wat and Ta Phrom, I've already forgotten the names of the other temples and I don't want to research about them now so I'll just put everything I know and experienced here from that one day trip around the temples of Siem Reap.
We have booked a service the day before and since the main reason why people go to Cambodia is to visit these temples, you'd have everyone offer you tours. The best choice you have is finding a good hotel 'cause they definitely have a reliable contact there.
Above is the rate for the one day entry pass to the temples - it's 37 USD per person in 2017. You'd have your photo ID taken here and then printed out on the pass which you'll be showing to the temple guards before entering.
We arrived here before sunrise. We already ate breakfast since it was prepared as a takeaway by the hotel staff. It was cloudy so we didn't witness the best sunrise you can experience in Angkor Wat. You know that sunrise when the sun kinda looks like it's rising from the temple. Beautiful.
The experience was beautiful nonetheless. Not everyday you get to watch sunrise from this place eh.
We walked around the temple temple area and it feels like entering a fantasy world tbh. It was magnificent plus the fact that they are thousand years of age (12th century) make this visit very memorable. I like visiting places that are declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site. For the Philippines, I think I have three I haven't visited yet.
We went there on a perfect day weather-wise. It was nice touring around the temples and seeing people of different nationalities. Ito na ata 'yung lugar na napakaraming tourists, as in halos tourists lang makikita mo everywhere.
During the fall of Khmer Empire, the temples were neglected. They were re-discovered years after and to this day (Sige, nung 2017) rehabilitation on parts were still on going. But I've said, they rely heavily on Tourism (third largest sector) as foreign tourists arrival has been growing every year so they maintain the temples now.
Ganda sa pictures, infairness.
Despite the number of tourists, the entire complex is huge so you won't see a lot of people walking with you unless you decide to form lines going up the viewing areas.
We stopped for a bit to take photos at this bridge. For people who like to explore on their own, with caution they can rent motorcycles that they can use for the entire day. I'm not sure how that goes but yea, I've seen foreigners with their motorbikes.
Don't remember which temple are the photos taken from 'cause I have all the photos of Cambodia mixed up in my backlogs and I'm too lazy to look for the Cambodia folder in my hard drive. Pretty sure you'll see these anyway when you go there.
Thousands of years later, the sculptures in the whole temple area are still beautiful.
Taray ng pictures, diba para kang nasa set ng movie but most importantly, ang amazing isipin na 'tong mga lugar na 'to e 12th century pa ginawa tapos sa ibang bansa pa saka at one point of my life e napuntahan ko.
"But today, tomorrow, and the day after next, I’ve chosen to see the road ahead as a promise of hope and of possibility. And I’m going to trust that path—wherever it may lead. I know that my Father will lead me, and I know that wherever I am is where I’m meant to be. I know that there is so much that lies right outside my realm of control and comfort zone, and I’m choosing to embrace all those things with a smile on my face."
Wear comfortable clothes when visiting this place 'cause it's huge and you have to walk a lot.
At first, the experience we had after this temple run made us dislike Cambodia but upon seeing these photos and the photos from Pub Street, it was not bad afterall. Sobrang hirap lang din kasi alalahanin ng Cambodia without thinking of Tonle Sap. AHAHHA! But for the Temple experience, definitely worth it!
I think the picture above was taken at the temple where they shot the movie Tomb Raider - Ta Phrom. The most distinctive feature of this place are the huge trees and roots growing out of the walls. It's like nature was trying to redeem the entire place but then they just decided co-exist.
We were taking photos then someone approached us and told us that he can help us take photos. He took pretty nice photos 'cause he knew the photo spots just that I've no copy of the photos in my laptop anymore so I'm not able to post everything. Btw, we gave the guy a tip 'cause it looked like it was his livelihood.
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