Angkor Wat has been on my bucket list for a very long time, almost 10 years. With its close proximity to Singapore, there is almost no excuse for not visiting earlier but I hadn’t, till now. Having finally seen it, I have conflicting emotions with regards to the experience. I would love to say that it was amazing, but… it really wasn’t.
We engaged a private driver and car for a day for 38 USD.
The Good:
There’s only one but it’s a big one. The ARCHITECTURE.
Angkor Wat
The day started with a 4 am morning call, so that we could catch the sunrise at the Angkor Wat temple.
After the sun was up, we made our way into the sprawling temple complex.
Prasat Kravan
Check out the jaw-dropping stone carving skills of the old Cambodian artisans.
Banteay Kdei
Ta Prohm
This is where scenes from the Tomb Raider movie were filmed.
Takeo
Faces, faces, faces…
Victory Gate
There were a couple of other stops but these were the ones which stood out.
The Bad:
1) The Heat
By 9 am, the muggy weather was already unbearable.
2) The Crowd
This was our company for the sunrise. The lake was surprisingly tiny so a fair amount of squeezing and pushing was required to obtain a front row seat. Perfectly understandable (everyone did not wake up at 4 am for a photo filled with heads), but the experience was not pleasurable. Instead of gasping with awe at the sunrise, I could not wait for it to be over.
3) Climbing with my Feet, Hands and Butt
I am not against climbing but I wish someone had mentioned that the climbing would involve my hands and occasionally, BUTT as well. Most of the steps we encountered were awkwardly narrow and steep. Climbing down can be mildly terrifying for those with a fear of heights, like me. Especially when there were no nearby surfaces to grip or hold on to, it was safer to sit and move my butt down step by step. And most of the time, the views just weren’t worth the effort. I wished I had just stayed down.
4) Temple Fatigue
Temple fatigue set in a lot sooner than expected. The temples are more similar than different. By the 3rd stop on the itinerary, our interest was rapidly dwindling and we had ceased to be impressed by anything. We zoomed through the remaining places so fast, or rather, as fast as our feet could take us through the uneven pathways and precarious steps, that we were done by 1:30 pm, Mind you, we had already been out for more than 8 hours by then. We chose to give up on sunset at Bakheng Mountain and return to our hotel immediately. It was my first time ever voluntarily giving up on a sunset opportunity and terminating a tour early.
On hindsight, it would have been more practical to split the sightseeing to two half-days instead. However, that would mean getting the 3 days pass (USD 62) instead of the 1 day pass (USD 37). The difference is pretty hefty. I think I would rather spend the money on a massage in Siem Reap. 😉
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