Spread across the country of Cambodia are many of the world’s most awe inspiring temples. Some, like the iconic Angkor Wat, are visited by hundreds of tourists a day, while other, lesser known structures remain hidden and undisturbed, shrouded in thick jungle and pulled apart by roots and decay.
Built under the reign of mighty Angkor kings like Suryavarman II and Jayavarman VII, these incredible temples remain a testament to the power of the ancient Khmer Empire.
Originally, many of the temples near Siem Reap were built as Hindu places of worship, but were later converted to Buddhist temples as the Khmer culture made a shift in their religious direction.
Even today, Buddhist monks can be seen walking the grounds, as these ancient sites still hold deep spiritual importance.
Incredible value can be found for the modern day adventurer as well, as many of the massive temples have mysterious rooms and dark corridors. Some have trees growing through their ruined walls, others have been overtaken by monkeys, and still others have been virtually reclaimed by the forest around them.
At every turn and step there appears wondrous feats of ancient engineering, ingenuity and artistry.
And despite one’s comfort level with mossy-ruin adventure, a visit to the temples of Angkor is definitely worth while for anybody!
You can stop at Angkor Wat and marvel at the beauty and grandeur of the largest religious monument in the world… or, if you have a few days, you can continue, and go full-on Nathan Drake into the jungle—where the ruins are devoid of tourists and the eyes of weathered stone faces follow your movements.
And that’s even more fun.
All in all, it’s a backpacker’s paradise.
And thanks to the tireless efforts of several countries, decades of donations, many brave men and women, and a few dogs that didn’t know what they were signing up for… Cambodia is almost entirely free of land mines, which also makes trekking through the jungle more fun.
