Angkor Wat & The Temples of Cambodia

Ta Prohm
Bayon
Ankor Wat

Angkor Wat was a remarkable sight to behold. Everyone told me to be certain to see it at sunrise, so I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to get there and watched as the temple emerged from the darkness. I agree... it's definitely the way to see it! However, Angkor Wat was not my favorite of all the temples, rather, it was Bayon (which is part of Angkor Thom) followed by Ta Prohm (where apparently the film Tomb Raider was shot) as a very close second. At Bayon, you climb up the very steep stairs of the temple to find these beautiful carvings of faces in the enormous stones that make up the temple structure. Ta Prohm was the most interesting to explore as every turn revealed gorgeous buildings, some of which had become entwined with Banyon trees, which were elaborately adorned with carvings. The carvings were sometimes Hindu or, at other times, Buddhist depending on when the temple was built. The temples were absolutely awe-inspiring!