Ta Prohm

I'd seen photos of this temple and it is one of the main reasons I wanted to visit Cambodia.  It was also featured in the movie, Tomb Ranger.  Absolutely wonderful with huge trees that have consumed many of the temples.  It's a very popular temple that attracts the crowds so the answer is definitely to come at first light.

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is Cambodia's most famous ancient temple and deservedly so.  It's absolutely epic in scale and is unbelievably well preserved, as its never been left to ruin.  Its full of beautiful carved figures and its so large that its possible, even in busy times, to find quiet chambers to just be.  I visited Angkor Wat three times; its the kind of place you can never grow tired of.  

Blessed on the 2nd go with a beautiful pink sky.

Climbing up to the upper sanctum of Angkor Watt.

The upper chambers and courtyard were very peaceful when I got there.  A wonderful place to meditate.

Boeung Mealea - the lost temple

Boeung Mealea is one of Angkor’s lost temples, a mirror image of the mighty Angkor Wat, but totally and utterly consumed by the jungle.

The temple lies about 70Km from Siem Reap.  I went there by tuk tuk with my wonderful driver friend and loved the views of Cambodian rural life on the way.

We left very early and I'm so glad we did.  The experience of exploring this vast, mysterious jungle temple with almost no one around was an unforgettable experience.  There were some very dark tunnels along the way and I was very lucky I had my i-phone torch to show the way.  It was a real Indiana Jones type experience although I'm sure he poo poo the i-phone torch !!

Temples we visited on the way home

My wonderful tuk tuk driver

He doesn't speak much English but we beamed at each other constantly.  Such a lovely, lovely guy.