DAYS 22-24 SIEM REAP

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Today was a long 315 km, 6 hr drive by a comfortable public bus to Siem Reap the nearest regional centre servicing the once lost Khmer civilisation best known for the temple complex at Angkor Wat. The trip passed though typical tiny towns and scenic rural views before reaching our 3 day stay at Angkor Holiday Hotel.

Took a tuk tuk into town for dinner & walked back to our hotel via pub street & the adjacent night markets. The excited chatter of the huge number of visitors on the street mixed with the blaring music & the wall of neon colour made for amazing atmosphere. The girls took up the challenge to dip their feet into tanks of hungry fish which nibble away at dead skin giving a tickling sensation.

Next day our bikes really came into their own with 30 kms of stop stat cycling around the ancient iconic sites. Accompanied by a local guide our first stop was the Ta Prohm temple, a popular film set location due to its untouched ruin condition where huge trees & roots are growing out of the ruins creating an eerie atmosphere. Next was the Ankor Thom temple which would have been remarkable in size but was almost completely ruined except for some impressive gate entrances.

Our third stop before lunch was the Bayon temple where a multitude of serene and smiling Buddhist stone faces on the many towers of the site give a wonderful atmospheric & lived in feel. Most of the afternoon was spent in the huge Ankor Wat temple. The huge scale of the structure is hard to comprehend & is impressively grand however the precise renovations gives it a monument like feel rather than a living place.

Our final day in Siem Reap was a return ride of 70 kilometres to the Phnom Bakheng & Banteay Srei temples both early 9th and 10th century Hindu temples. Both are relatively small scale & have a warm feel due to the unusual pink brick construction. Banteay is renowned due to the preservation of its intricate carvings.

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Photos

Sandstone carvings
Most intricate about all aspects of their lives

Banteay Srei
Entrance carvings

Banteay Srei
Beautiful carvings