Siem Reap, Cambodia

More than a decade after a brief first visit in 2013, I returned to Siem Reap this month to fully immerse myself in the sights, sounds, flavors, and layered history of the ancient Khmer Empire.

Right from the moment I stepped out of the terminal, the lush green countryside set the scene. I caught an airport taxi for $30 into the city center, a 45-kilometer drive from the new Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport, which opened back in late 2023 to replace the old airfield closer to the temples.

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As soon as the taxi dropped my friend and me off at the Park Hyatt, I was pleased to notice its prestigious Michelin 1 Key recognition. First things first, though: after the journey, we were famished and headed over to nearby Chanrey Tree for a fresh, healthy vegetarian meal that hit the spot.

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In the evening, we settled in for a traditional Apsara dance performance in the courtyard. Before the show began, we took part in a lovely ritual of writing a wish onto a small decorative boat and setting it afloat across the Hyatt’s tranquil reflecting pond.

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With an early 4:00 AM alarm looming for our 5:00 AM pickup to view the sunrise at Angkor Wat, we called it an early night. We had already sorted our 3-day Angkor Archaeological Park passes online for $62 each, saving us from the predawn queue at the ticket counter so we could head straight to the temple grounds.

The hotel arranged a tuk-tuk for our 6-kilometer ride to the archaeological park. As we stepped out into the cool predawn air, the staff handed us piping hot coffee and fresh almond croissants to take along. Our driver, Resak, zipped us through the quiet streets directly to the site, where we joined a few hundred early risers perching on the stone steps, watching the iconic spires of Angkor Wat slowly emerge against the dawn sky.

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By 6:30 AM, the predawn sky broke into brilliant streaks of pink and orange, casting the iconic spires of Angkor Wat in sharp silhouette across the water. After an hour of quiet contemplation soaking in the spectacle, we crossed the causeway and stepped inside the temple complex to explore its ancient corridors up close.

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Walking through the outer galleries, the sheer scale of the craftsmanship was staggering. The bas-reliefs lining the stone walls stretched on for hundreds of meters, depicting epic battle scenes from the Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, alongside intricate carvings of churning oceans and celestial battles. Every few paces revealed another exquisitely preserved apsara, a celestial nymph and dancer in God King Indra's chambers, each with distinct jewelry, ornate headdresses, and gentle, timeless smiles etched permanently into the weathered sandstone.

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We made our way toward the central sanctuary, where the temple’s steepest wooden staircase led up to the upper tier, the Bakan. Climbing toward the central towers opened up a view looking back across the vast surrounding jungle and stone courtyards.

By 8am, we descended back down to meet Resak at the tuk-tuk, ready to enjoy the huge breakfast at the Park Hyatt.

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After recharging with a lavish breakfast spread back at the hotel, we set off again in the late morning toward the fortified city of Angkor Thom.

At the iconic South Gate, the experience felt like stepping into a myth I had read about as a child. Flanking the stone causeway that crosses the vast moat is the dramatic representation of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. On the left side stand 54 stone gods (devas) with serene, almond-eyed expressions, while on the right, 54 fierce demons (asuras) scowl under heavy brows, all gripping the massive body of the multi-headed serpent Vasuki in an eternal cosmic tug-of-war.

Many of the carved heads have weathered the centuries, while others show modern restoration. Passing beneath the towering stone archway—topped by the four massive, serene faces of Avalokiteshvara gazing out across the cardinal directions, marked our dramatic entrance into the ancient royal capital.

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From the South Gate, the road led straight to the heart of Angkor Thom and the iconic Bayon Temple, King Jayavarman VII’s late 12th-century masterpiece. A UNESCO restoration sign marked the entrance, where ongoing conservation work led by Japanese and APSARA teams continues to preserve this delicate, stone-stacked wonder. Guarding the outer precincts stood a weathered stone lion, its fierce silhouette standing vigilant against the surrounding canopy of towering trees.

The temple’s outer gallery walls unfolded into an extraordinary panorama of everyday 12th-century Khmer life and historic military campaigns. Contrasting the carvings of Angkor Wat, Bayon’s bas-reliefs offer a grounded, vibrant narrative: rows of disciplined infantry marching with spears, archers poised in battle wagons, and gripping hand-to-hand combat against Cham invaders, all carved with remarkable precision.

Vivid glimpses of domestic life with bustling open-air markets, fishermen casting nets, and families gathered around cooking hearths were also carved in stone.

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Leaving Bayon behind, we explored further into the royal enclosure of Angkor Thom. An informational signboard detailed the layout and ongoing preservation of the ancient complex, guiding our path toward the grounds of the Royal Palace.

Among the shaded courtyards stood the enigmatic Terrace of the Leper King, crowned with the serene, seated statue of the Dharmaraja, while beneath it lay hidden, multi-tiered retaining walls densely carved with rows of seated deities, nagas (serpents), and underworld guardians.

Just a short walk deeper into the forested enclosure brought us to Phimeanakas, the 10th-century Hindu pyramid temple nestled within the royal palace walls. Its steep, stepped tiers rose toward the forest canopy, the legend was that the Khmer kings united nightly with a mythical multi-headed serpent spirit to preserve their realm.

Looking closely along the base of the terraces, I saw sculptures depicting stone elephants with 3 trunks.

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The tuk-tuk ride back and forth between the temples and the Park Hyatt became one of my favorite parts of the daily rhythm. Leaving the bustling town behind, the road wound through stretches of vibrant, lush greenery framed by dense jungle foliage and towering dipterocarp trees. Along the way, quiet roadside ponds came into view, blanketed in broad, circular lily pads and vibrant green lotus leaves.

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After a full day of exploring ruins under the tropical sun, returning to town revealed another side of Siem Reap: a surprisingly vibrant and sophisticated culinary scene. In the evening, we sat down for an exceptional multi-course Cambodian tasting menu, an artful journey celebrating traditional Khmer flavors through modern plating techniques.

Each course arrived with striking presentation, turning fresh local produce, fragrant herbs, and aromatic spices into pure edible art. We rounded off the night with an imaginative dessert pairing Cambodian vanilla ice cream and caramelized local fruits. Savoring each course was a relaxing way to unwind, an indulgent feast that brought a memorable day of temple trekking to a perfect close.

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The next stop on our circuit brought us to the legendary Ta Prohm, the late 12th-century monastic complex originally consecrated by King Jayavarman VII as Rajavihara in honor of his mother. At the entrance, a prominent UNESCO signboard set against the jungle backdrop highlighted the unique joint conservation effort between the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and APSARA. Rather than fully clearing the ruins, the work entailed stabilizing the collapsing galleries while deliberately preserving the evocative, wild embrace of nature that first captured the imagination of early explorers.

Nearby, sheltered under an open-sided thatched pavilion, a small ensemble of traditional Khmer musicians added an atmospheric soundtrack to the scene. Playing seated on mats with traditional stringed tro and percussion instruments, their resonant, melodic tunes drifted softly through the damp morning air, setting a reflective tone before we stepped beneath the temple's crumbling stone lintels. Some of them had lost limbs owing to the landmines from the Khmer Rouge regime, but continued to perform and earn tips instead of begging.

Inside the complex, the ancient architecture coexisted with raw nature at every turn. Massive silk-cotton (Ceiba pentandra) and strangler fig (Tetrameles nudiflora) trees soared high above the stone courtyards, their strong roots spilling over mossy roofs and coiling around doorways. In several narrow passages, these giant root networks had split the sandstone blocks apart while paradoxically holding the fragile walls together, framing weathered devatas (gods) and intricate stone carvings that peeked from behind the living wood. Wandering through these corridors felt like navigating a forgotten lost world.

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Standing before the detailed Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) interpretive board at Ta Prohm, the historical significance of the complex came into focus. Commissioned in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and dedicated to his mother, the sprawling site once supported a population of over 12,500 people, including high priests, dancers, and attendants, with tens of thousands more from surrounding villages supplying its daily needs.

The illustrations detailed the temple's layout of concentric enclosures and vaulted stone galleries, showcasing how the restoration team meticulously preserves this delicate equilibrium, stabilizing precarious lintels and reinforcing crumbling sandstone masonry while leaving the iconic strangler figs and silk-cotton roots intact as living guardians of the ruins.

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Moving along the temple trail, we stopped before the interpretive signboard at Pre Rup, King Rajendravarman II's mid-10th-century Hindu state temple. Dedicated to Shiva, it illustrated the "temple-mountain" design, featuring three steep, terraced tiers built from reddish laterite and crowned by five towering brick sanctuaries.

The historical notes revealed that while its name translates poetically to "turning the body", a reference to cremation rites, it functioned as the royal center of the ancient capital. The illustrations highlighted the distinct transition in Khmer engineering, where warm brick towers met porous laterite foundations, in contrast to the sandstone complexes I had visited earlier.

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Next on the route was Ta Som, a small, late 12th-century Buddhist temple built under King Jayavarman VII and dedicated to his father, Dharanindravarman II. An interpretive signboard outlined the ongoing Ta Som Conservation Project, managed in partnership with the World Monuments Fund and APSARA to stabilize the fragile sandstone structure.

Stepping through the outer gopura beneath the calm, towering stone faces, I entered a tranquil sanctuary. Inside, the symmetrical corridors framed central shrines, while outer walls displayed beautifully sculpted devatas (goddesses) with flowering headdresses. Nearby ponds covered in blooming white water lilies added to the peaceful, secluded atmosphere, making Ta Som feel like a hidden gem.

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A wooden boardwalk led us across a vast, lotus-draped reservoir to Neak Pean, an enchanting 12th-century island temple also built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. A signboard detailed its design as a symbolic representation of Anavatapta, the mythical Himalayan lake whose sacred waters were believed to cure all illnesses.

At the center of the large square basin sits a circular stone sanctuary flanked by an imposing sculpture of the flying horse Balaha, while four smaller connected ponds represent the elements of Water, Earth, Fire, and Wind through animal and human gargoyle spouts. The ancient structures and stone stupas, the water and sheltering forest canopy made it a very serene sanctuary.

As we finished our circuit, the skies opened up into a steady tropical downpour. Resak promptly rolled down the clear plastic rain guards on the tuk-tuk, cocooning us inside as we splashed our way back through the drenched, verdant countryside toward town.

By that point, we had explored so many ancient temples, bas-reliefs, and sacred courtyards that our heads were pleasantly spinning from sensory overload. Returning to the hotel offered the perfect sanctuary to shower, rest our tired legs, and recharge for the special dinner we had booked that evening.

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Refreshed, we headed out to Malis, one of Siem Reap’s premier fine dining destinations, to experience their celebrated multi-course "Living Cambodian Cuisine" tasting menu. The meal revealed the Khmer culinary art, and every plate arrived stylishly. We started with delicate amuse-bouches served over polished stones, followed by vibrant, refreshing salads tossed with fragrant native herbs and edible blossoms, a velvety, aromatic soup infused with local spices, and succulent spiced mains paired with colorful reductions.

The tasting journey concluded on a sweet high note with an imaginative dessert presentation set over a bed of green lentils, featuring a velvety ice cream, a gastronomic finale that turned the day's temple adventure into an unforgettable sensory journey.

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The following morning, we drove about 25 kilometers northeast of the main Angkor complex to visit Banteay Srei, often translated as the "Citadel of Women" or "Citadel of Beauty." Built in 967 AD and dedicated to Shiva under the ancient name Tribhuvanamahesvara, it stands apart from every other temple in the Angkor empire.

Instead of laterite, Banteay Srei is crafted from a distinctive, fine-grained rose-pink sandstone that can be carved almost like wood, allowing for a level of micro-detail and preservation that is simply breathtaking.

Visiting the central parts, the intricacy of the monuments was mesmerizing. Every doorway framed deeply carved, three-dimensional narrative scenes from Hindu mythology, from Ravana shaking Mount Kailash while Shiva and Parvati look down serenely, to scenes of Indra atop his three-headed elephant Airavata.

The intricate floral motifs, swirling foliage, and exquisite niche devatas were sculpted with such precision that French explorers once believed only the delicate hands of women could have created them.

Squatting guardian figures with lion, monkey, and bird heads flanked the stairs, watching over sanctuary towers that glowed with a warm, reddish radiance under the morning sun.

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A short detour on our way back brought us to Banteay Samre, a mid-12th-century Hindu temple built during the reigns of Suryavarman II and Yasovarman II. A signboard highlighted ongoing vocational training and meticulous restoration efforts dedicated to preserving the site's rich heritage.

Often likened to a miniature Angkor Wat due to its similar architectural style and central sanctuary, the temple was peaceful and secluded. Stepping through its layered sandstone gopuras and inner courtyards, we admired the vibrant Hindu myths, alongside finely detailed floral friezes and serene figures sculpted into the stone columns.

Reflecting on the whirlwind of the past few days, returning to Siem Reap after more than a decade proved to be an unforgettable journey. Wandering among these centuries-old sanctuaries left me with a profound sense of awe.

Beyond the staggering architecture and rich mythology, it was the warmth, genuine hospitality, and enduring spirit of the Cambodian people that truly made the experience so special.

From tranquil predawn sunrises and exhilarating tuk-tuk rides through the lush countryside to extraordinary culinary feasts, this visit was an enriching adventure.