Novice monks worship a giant Buddha at Angkor Wat temple

Angkor, the “Holy of Holies” of Cambodia, is accessible from Phnom Penh by fast speedboat, via the vast “inland sea” of Lake Tonle Sap and the city of Siem Reap.

The boat arrives around noon at Siem Reap jetty, from where it’s a 12 km trip into town. Siem Reap has really mushroomed over the last few years, now boasting over 90 hotels and guesthouses.

The Angkor complex, now known as the Angkor Archaeological Park, is HUGE, stretching about 20 kilometres from the east Baray (ornamental lake surrounded by earthen banks) to the west Baray. In all, the complex covers an area of over 300 square kilometres, and includes more than a thousand temples. Of these, many are in ruins, but there are still 39 distinct sites open to visitors.

A one-day pass to visit the temples costs $US20, a three-day pass $US40, and a one-week pass $US60. While this is certainly on the expensive side of zero, the money is being put to excellent use and is ploughed back into restoration work.

Among the structures within the Angkor complex are the monastic Bantay K’dei (the “citadel of the cells”), the beautiful Bantay Srei (women’s citadel), the huge Angkor Thom compound and of course the incomparable Angkor Wat, the most famous of all the Angkor temples.

Walk into the inner compound of Angkor Wat: the superb craftsmanship of the stone carving here almost defies description. Then climb the steep grand western staircase and walk around the battlement surrounding the temple. Each side of the temple reveals a totally new panorama. Recent researches have revealed a highly sophisticated cosmology embodied in the measurement system that was used to build the Wat.

At the start of the road leading to Angkor Thom’s Gate of Victory stand the 12 towers of Prasat Suor Prat. While now in near-ruins, these towers are said to have once been storehouses for the crown jewels. Around the Bayon - the centrepiece of Angkor Thom - the jungle sings. The cicadas sound as loud as bellbirds, while in the background a low mopoke-like shrill breaks the monotonous din. As the sun sets over the temple, the lichen-covered stonework is suffused with a radiant golden hue.