Angkor Wat is a trip of a lifetime – definitely not a stopover on your way to anywhere else.
In November 2021, after more than a year and a half of closed borders, Cambodia reopened to tourism. The southeast Asian country has one of the best vaccination rates in the world, almost 85 percent of the population fully vaccinated. With many resorts and destinations trying to attract reduced numbers of tourists, it might just be a good time to go.
Angkor Wat, which translates to City of Temples, is much more than the few root-bound carved stone buildings that show up most often on the travel sites and post cards. Over a thousand buildings are spread through 154 square miles of protected forest – a park seven times the size of Manhattan. The temples were built across a 500-year period, with evolving styles of architecture and art that make the guided tours definitely worth it.
The temple covered in ancient roots is actually called Ta Prohm, a royal monastery built in the 12th and 13th centuries. Work has been done to stabilize stonework and provide safe access, but it has been left mostly exactly as it was ‘discovered’ in the 1900s (the locals have always known it was there, of course, but it was abandoned and rarely visited by outsiders) so that tourists can have the experience of exploring it in its ‘true’ state.
Other less-known sights commonly hailed as must-see locations include Ta Som, Ta Nei, Preah Khan, Preah Ko, Pre Rup, East Mebon, and Banteay Srei. It would be easy to spend several days or even weeks exploring what the Angkor Archaeological Park has to offer.
Most travelers to the area stay in hotels in and around nearby Siem Reap, the modern city that stands just outside the park. Most resorts in the area offer tours or shuttles, with nicer places offering personal guides, cooking classes in local and historical cuisine, and access to the less public temples.
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