General information
| Destination | Category |
|---|
| Siem Reap, Cambodia | Sightseeing Tours |
Program details
Visit the ancient imperial Khmer capital of Angkor Thom with this fascinating three-hour tour from Siem Reap. The city’s ruins rise from the jungle and from a distance look almost like darkened melted candles but closer inspection reveals a stunning array of carvings and sculptures. The breath and scale of the complex is simply awe-inspiring.
Today the ruins of Angkor Thom, which means ‘great city’, cover 9km.sq but until its demise as the imperial capital it was home to as many as 100,000. It boasts an astonishing array of temples and palaces, with the whole city protected by walls and moats. Enter through one of the five monumental gates, cross the now dry moat over a causeway guarded by 54 demons and gods holding on to a huge serpent, then pass under the imposing towers decorated by the heads the Buddha of Compassion, which face in four directions.
The breathtaking Bayon temple is located exactly in the middle of the former capital. Climb up the stairs to be confronted by more than 200 enigmatic smiling faces on 54 towers gazing down at you from every angle.
Continue to the impressive pyramidal Baphuon temple, which was built as a Hindu temple but converted to a Buddhist one. A 70 metre-long reclining Buddha remains unfinished – a testament to the city’s abandonment. See the exceptionally well preserved carvings of the Terrace of the Leper King and admire the sculpted stone elephants of the Terrace of Elephants, from where kings would view victorious returning armies.
Meeting/pick-up point: Collection from hotels in Siem Reap city.
Duration: Three hours.
Languages: English.
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