Siem Reap, Cambodia: Angkor Wat, the City of Gods

Onederz Hostel Siem Reap

Onederz was where I stayed in Siem Reap and the location was perfect. I was looking to join a group tour for Angkor Wat to learn about the history and the temple complex, and they had a tour desk so I booked a tour through them. The location was also excellent; it was only a 4-minute walk to the main street and downtown. What I liked about the hostel was that it was very social and had free/paid events that hostel guests could join. I joined the Khmer Bracelet-making class for free and made one bracelet and one anklet. Also, the location was amazing and it wasn’t far from the main street.

I made one bracelet and one anklet during the bracelet-making class. So easy and fun!

Angkor Wat Tour

The group tour with a guide and round-trip transportation was great. There were two types of tours that you can choose from: Small Circuit and Grand Circuit. For tour times, they had either sunrise or sunset. Tour fees exclude entrance fees, which is $37 USD for one-day entry, and 3-day entry is $62 USD. 

I purchased online entrance ticket on the official website for one day (you can purchase the ticket in-person on the day of. Same price as online tickets. The ticket office was open at 4:45 am!!) I went on the small circuit sunrise tour departing at my hostel at 4:30 am to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. We had almost 22people in our group with one guide 

Small Circuit 

*Ta Keo is temporarily closed

[FYI: If you decide to do the grand circuit, the itinerary looks like this: Preah Khan-Ta Som- Neak Poun-Pre Rup- Bakheng. You can also book a private Tuk tuk tour and explore at your own pace too.]

Angkor Wat 

The most famous of all the temples is Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat means "City of Temples" and... as you all know, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is believed that it took almost 30 years to build this temple. Manpower and elephants were used to construct Angkor Wat and even Bamboo boats were used to transport sandstones. It was originally built as a Hindu Temple to worship the God Vishnu which then transitioned into a Buddhist Temple. The guide told our group that people who believe in both religions still place significance on Angkor Wat. 

We were supposed to catch the sunrise here, but it was super cloudy so we couldn't see the sunrise. Still, it was stunning and I loved the color of the clouds.

Banteay Kdei 

Banteay Kdei means "Citadel of Chambers" and it used to be a monastery. It rained heavily while we were exploring. Thank god, my guide brought our entire group an umbrella, so we were not soaking wet all of the time. 

Ta Phrom

This was the coolest temple! As you can see, the tree roots were growing over the building and the roots looked like an octopus. Inside the temple was interesting too. There were wall carvings and I was impressed by the details!

Victory Gate 

This gate was located in the east of Angkor Thom and is called "Victory Gate" since King Jayavarman VII sent his army to battle against Champa through this gate and also welcomed his troops upon return through this gate. If you look closely, you will see the face at the center of the fate. 

Bayon Temple

I saw a lot of short-tailed and long-tailed monkeys here! Bayon is the only Buddhist temple in the center of Angkor Thom. This was my favorite temple after Angkor Wat. The details were amazing here! I even spotted a pig and a piglet outside the temple.