There are few places on earth that have the power to leave a person in silent awe. The ancient temples at Cambodia’s Angkor Archeological Park in Seam Reap have that effect. The park most famous for the temple Angkor Wat, once the home to the Khmer society in the south-east Asian country, attracts more than 2 million people each year. Now there is one more reason to visit - a newly-opened temple. After nearly 50 years since reconstruction work began the Baphuon temple is now complete, ready for the world to experience. This was no easy renovation job. The work involved taking apart 300,000 sandstone blocks and reconstructing them to original form. The project that began in the 1960s was put on hold because of Cambodia’s civil war and later by the oppressive Khmer Rouge regime. What could be described as a life-sized 11th century Lego project is now done, thanks to the financial backing of France. Even though the temple has been reconstructed to its original glory, there are still nearly 10,000 blocks left over that now litter the landscape.
Many ways for travelers to visit Angkor
Organized bus or boat tours, or simply on your own, there are many easy ways to visit the Angkor temples in Cambodia. Whatever way you choose be sure to give yourself time. There are two ways to see the park, the short route or the long one. At least one day is needed for the short, and at least two for the long. The days can be extremely hot, so pack lots of water. Be sure to buy your tickets at 5pm the day before you want to go and see the evening sunset for free.
