Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

NOTE: At the bottom of this post, I've also included a "gallery" version of the photos. In comments, please let me know whether you would rather see the larger photos in context, or the gallery (which would be faster-loading). Thank you!

After several days relaxing, swimming and walking along the beach, it was time to make our way to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor.

We took the night bus from Sihanoukville at 8 p.m. and arrived in Siem Reap at 5 a.m. It was not exactly a comfortable ride, but it wasn't awful, and for the price ($18 each), it was worth it.

We were, however, very happy to be permitted to check into our hotel immediately, even though the sun still hadn't risen, and to take a shower and relax before exploring the city. Our hotel, the Ta Prohm, was very conveniently located and more luxurious than we could have anticipated; and, especially after the basic bungalow accommodations on the beach, I was more than impressed with the hard-wood flooring, hot running water and cable TV.

[caption id="attachment_1500" align="alignnone" width="430" caption="Our Room at the Ta Prohm Hotel"][/caption]

Siem Reap's main draw are the temples of Angkor, including the most famous Angkor Wat, located just a few kilometers from Siem Reap. After relaxing and having a light lunch in the city, we caught a tuk-tuk to the temples.

We had to stop at the gate to buy a pass, and as we knew one day wouldn't be enough, we opted for the $40 three-day pass. The temples are not close to each other, and we kept our tuk-tuk driver there to shuttle us from place to place; we then hired the same driver to pick us up at our hotel and to take us to and around all the temples for all three days.

[caption id="attachment_1489" align="alignnone" width="430" caption="Angkor Wat"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1490" align="alignnone" width="430" caption="Monks at the Temples"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1491" align="alignnone" width="430" caption="Us at a Temple"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1501" align="alignnone" width="430" caption="Our Driver, Tam"][/caption]

Siem Reap is a great city itself, and has more to offer than just the temples. When we got 'templed out', we spent some time dining at a variety of restaurants, shopping at the fabulous market with tons of shops, or just watching one of the fifty-two channels on TV in our luxurious hotel. We even took a Cambodian cooking class on our last day in town.

[caption id="attachment_1502" align="alignnone" width="452" caption="Old Market in Siem Reap"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1487" align="alignnone" width="346" caption="Brian Cooking up a Storm!"][/caption]

Alas, all good things must end. A mere four hours after this class, we had to catch our flight back to Tokyo (via Seoul).

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