Visiting Siem Reap

by: Sok Sopheaktra

Siem Reap has many places where tourists both domestic and international, can spend their holiday trip together with family, friends and co-workers. The Siem Reap province is the main tourist site in Cambodia According to Khmer History from 9th Century to 12th Century, a lot of temple complex  were built in Siem Reap province. The province is located in northwestern Cambodia, on the  shores of the Tonle Sap Lake which is the biggest lake in Cambodia. Its distance is 314km from Phnom Penh, and can be reached along the National Road No 6 via Kampong Cham Province and Kampong Thom Province.

         
Siem Reap has been popularly known for tourists because of these landmarks: Angkor Wat temple,Phnom, Bakheng  mountain, Banteay Srei Temple and many others. Angkor Wat has been regarded as the (7^th) World Heritage in the world.
 

            Angkor Wat  literally means “City Temple” It is a Temple Complex which has 65 meter height, 200 hectares land area and surface of temple 1,500 meters  built at the beginning of 12^th Century during the reign of the King Sorayak Varaman II (1113 – 1152) dedicated to Preah Vi Snouk who was named Prech Bo Me Vi Snouk Lok right after he died. This temple is a huge sacrifice of Sorayak Varaman II. His intention is to create the real haven on the earth. Angkor Wat Temple is the soul of Khmer people (90% of Cambodian population). It represents Khmer art, great civilization, spiritual heart, national identity and political power in the Angkorean era.

Angkor Wat is not only provided fresh air and cool environment, but also conveys visitor’s feeling to move into the ancient time, the golden age of Khmer empire.

Huge trees seem to tell visitors that those temple were abandon or forgotten for a very long time. So what did happen during that time? How did people live? What was really look like in that era? And how many mystery was hidden according to the time? Almost visitors ask themselves those questions above, when they take their time to visit Siem Reap Province. Besides, Siem Reap provides other services such as: Luxury hotels, quest house, souvenir’s shops, restaurants, night clubs and so on that can make tourists easy to stay, to live or buy the souvenirs for their relative or friends. 

Phnom Bakheng which has 45 meter height and 109 peaks located on the top of 65 meter height mountain of  Bak kheng where tourist usually climb up to get fresh air and take picture of sun set in the afternoon overlooking  Tonle Sap Lake and Angkor Wat set in dense Jungle.

Banteay Srei Temple was built in 10^th century which Cambodian uses this temple to pray to Hindu and Shiva. It is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. The building themselves are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by standard of Angkor construction. This temple was built with a very beautiful carving. Even this temple is a bit old, but it still can attract many tourist to visit its.

         
Angkor Wat as well as any Khmer ancient temple just a pile of stone, but in the eyes of scholars those ancient stones are not things, actually they have many ancient sculpture and poem on the wall presented about craftsmanship, architecture, believe, faith, living of People in ancient time.