Captivating Siem Reap in One Day!

Siem Reap, has long been a destination for architectural and historical seekers alike with the Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom being famous worldwide, but as a destination it has a great deal to offer for many types of traveler, but you find the groove and pattern of the small city within the day. It's a very safe and easy-to-get around town, and very economical for every sort of traveller! Not to mention it's a short 20 minutes from Angkor Wat - the famous temples in Cambodia!

Temple Run! You played it, I lived with it. lol

Before you can jump in, you need to pay $20 to enter the Angkor Wat Archaelogical Complex for one day. You can also pay for different passes like 2-day and 3-day passes, but we opted to bought the one day pass cause we intended to explore everything in one day! Lol

Enchanting Bayon Temple. The smiling faces  of the towers were most fascinating. A true marvel constructed some 1,000 years ago. Definitely worth a visit!

We went first to Bayon Temple otherwise known as 'The Temple of Many Faces'' it’s an interesting one to include in our itinerary. Built in dedication to the Buddha in the 12th century, it has withstood time very well. It's only a short distance from Angkor Wat and a little less crowded.

Next in our itinerary is the Baphuon Temple. This temple is tucked away in the woods so could easily be missed. You have to walk down a long bridge like path way to reach this temple which adds to the beauty of the temple. It's a magnificent temple with a small pyramid at the top.

Baphuon Temple

Not as busy as the other temples, very quiet and have a calm feel to this temple. The steps are not for the faint hearted or anyone with walking difficulties. They are extremely steep but so worth climbing to experience the view from the top. Take your time going up and down these steps, you don't want to be falling down these steps - trust me!

Some tourists were even over taking other people on these stairs - not a good move could easily cause an accident as well as making other people feel even more nervous about their decent as these people over take them.

Lots of beautiful pictures can be taken from the top of this temple. Do remember ladies you will need to cover your shoulders and wear appropriate length shorts - nothing too short! There are guards at the entrance to the temple that will turn you away if you're not dressed appropriately.

View from the top.

Next in our temple hopping was Ta Prohm. You might have seen the place in the sequel of Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft - Tomb Raider movie. It is the place where Jolie met little girl at the ruined temple. In this site, nature shows what it's capable of, the trees might ruining the temple but what we see is true beauty, man-made temple and nature become one. A must see site while you're in Angkor Wat Complex.

Ta Prohm. This is the where the iconic's Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider were shots.

And finally, no trip to Siem Reap is complete without a visit to Angkor Wat, and rightly so. This iconic temple complex is officially the largest religious structure in the world, and one cannot help but absorb its spiritual flare upon gazing at its beauty. There is no end to the depth of Angkor Wat, we spent enough time immersing ourselves within its history, bas reliefs, impressive architecture and mysteries.

The Mighty Angkor Wat...

The history is told in the frescoes, the alleyways, the carvings, the views. The Temple is an amazing construction that has survived despite it's many years in the jungle and poor treatment during the Khmer Rouge years.

Angkor Wat, the largest temple in the world. Beautiful beyond words.

We were all exhausted after a long day but it was all worth it. You might get templed out for awhile especially when you visit one temple to another but digging in to to their stories and history will enrich your understanding and will surely capture your hearts.  A must see at least once in a lifetime!