Itinerary:
|
Located near the small town of Siem Reap, the Angkor temple complex is comprised of countless ceremonial structures built between the 9th and 13th centuries by the once mighty Khmer Empire.
We start at the South Gate of Angkor Thom City. We also explore the centerpiece of the ancient city, The Bayon. Also included in tour this morning is Baphuon temple, the Royal Enclosure and Phimeanakas as well as the Terrace of Elephants and Terrace of Leper Kings then visit the famous jungle temple of Ta Prohm. We take lunch at Cafe D’Angkor restaurant in front of Angkor Wat and then we enter this magnificent temple, easily the most famous and best-preserved of all structures within the Complex. We have most of the afternoon here before heading back to Siem Reap.
• Angkor Wat was built between 1112 and 1152 by King Suryavarman II and dedicated to Vishnu, the Hindu god of preservation, although some believe it is actually dedicated to the king himself as the temple faces west, representing death. It is the best preserved of all the temples. Its layout and its scale are simply breathtaking: the wall surrounding the enclosure measures 1,000 by 800 meters in length and the moat, said to represent the oceans of the world is 200 meters wide. It is, in all probability, the largest religious monument ever built, covering an area of 81 hectares. The five towers that dominate the scene are said to represent the five peaks of Mount Meru, the mythical home of the omnipotent Hindu deity Shiva.
• King Jayavarman VII built Angkor Thom at the end of the 12th century shortly after the completion of Angkor Wat. It is surrounded by a massive perimeter wall and a moat with five monumental gates and covers an area of more than ten square kilometers, indeed Angkor Thom means 'Great City'. The most important monuments are located in the centre of the city, namely the Bayon, Baphoun and the Terrace of Elephants. The Bayon in particular is a fascinating piece of architecture and one of the most photographed. It is a bizarre structure, with a total of 54 towers elaborately decorated with over 200 enigmatic smiling faces.
• Ta Prohm is the Mahayana Buddhist temple was built on 1186 by the same king who built Angkor Thom Jayavaraman VII for dedicated to Pragna Borometa (king’s mother). Temple is surrounding by 600meter by 800meters wall that made of lava rock and sandstone with the skyline row on top, main impressive of this temple are the Balsa wood trees are standing on the temple roof top and attracting by it’s charm of the trees and gigantic roots similar to the difference animals and birds.
|
|