Everyone has a list of must-seeplaces, but if you haven' t been there yet, you should put the temples at Angkor Wat right near the top of that list. They are located in Southeast Asia near Siem Reap, Cambodia and we went there on a hot and rainy day. The weather only added to the fairytale feeling of this 12th century archeological find of the ancient Khmer religious world. 

After all, they were only discovered by a French researcher in 1920, and since then a comprehensive program of restoration and research has begun and this has resulted in the best "ruins" we have ever seen! 

The largest Temple has the actual name of th"dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. Surrounded by a moat, it takes up one square kilometer and has three levels (we climbed them all!) plus a central tower. The walls are covered inside and out with bas-reliefs and carvings. 

Next to Angkor Wat is Bayon, a temple with 37 standing towers whose exterior is covered with serene-looking stone faces. Even though it was very hot, we explored every inch of this temple.

Located a few miles away is Banteay Srey, which loosely translates to "citadel of the women." This temple is even older, constructed in the late 10th century. It is made of pink sandstone and has an ornate design that gives it a fairyland ambiance which was enhanced, as we said previously, by the rain. 

The last temple we visited was Ta Prohm. While the excavation through the forest is complete on the other temples, Ta Prohm was deliberately left un-restored. Trees are growing right through the structures. It is an amazing sight and offered some of the best photo opportunities of our journey! 

We could have spent hours in each temple, exploring all of the different levels. We left with a real feeling for this ancient world. Please put it on your "must see list" and no matter the weather, DON'T MISS IT!

- Manny & Diane G., Ambassador Clients since 2005