 | magellan (153)
07/27/2005 |  Angkor Wat is just about the most stunning destination I have ever been to. It's a series (60, 100?) of ruins of temples located in the Cambodian jungle, dating back to the tenth and eleventh centuries. When these temples were built, Cambodia (then called Khmer), was the dominant power of Southeast Asia, encompassing much of what is now Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. And it shows. These temples are magnificent. Huge, awe inspiring, stone formations looming in the jungle. What I did was cruise around the back of a scooter taxi for a day, and spent a day cruising around from site to site, wandering through the ruins, and soaking it all in. The scooter driver knew some English and knew enough about the sites to provide some cool background.
Of the temples, Angor Wat itself is the most impressive and most visited. But it's actually not the one I enjoyed the most. There are other temples that are almost as imressive, and completely empty of tourists. Climbing around these ruins was just fantastic. Make sure to climb the temple on the mountain at the end of the day and catch the sunset.
In one of the ruins, i got accosted by two young monks who wanted to practice their English (as part of their training). I spent about 45 minutes talking to them against the backdrop of these stunning, centure old structures. It really was a powerful experience.
In terms of lodging, you can get a clean place to stay in the nearby town of Siem Reap for about $5 a night (yes, I said $5). Meals cost about $1, in the really touristy places, about $2.
Getting there is a bitch however - I took the bus from the Thai border and I don't recommend it. Dirt roads for 6 hours, with cavernous potholes, no AC (in my bus), and rickety bridges that make you feel like you have about a 70% chance of getting across. It was miserable. I'd recommend dropping the cash and flying from Bangkok or Phnom Penh.
This was an amazing experience, and I could not recommend it more highly. Message me if you need more info on what to bring, how to get there, etc.
Oh yeah, one more thing - no ATms in all of Cambodia, bring plenty of cash :) They do accept dollars.
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