This trip took almost a year of planning and saving. This was the first trip where my friend and I spent our travel fund on. And as expected, it was well worth it.
Inside Angkor Wat
We left Manila on a Monday night. After almost three hours, we arrived at Siem Reap International Airport. A tuktuk was already waiting for us at the arrivals. Sunny, our tuktuk driver took us to Prohm Roth Guesthouse located at Wat Bo Road, Siem Reap Central Area. We knew about this place from a blog we’ve been following. This inn is a family-owned enterprise, managed by Meang, who stayed in the Philippines for sometime, and his brothers and sisters.
The streets looked so alive, with so much people, even at night. We passed by the pub street but since it was late, better that we save our energy for the next morning’s activity.
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So off we went to get a 2-day pass to enter the Angkor complex and see these magnificent temples. We didn’t bother hiring a tour guide, which we thought we wouldn’t need. But upon hearing them speak, we probably should have gotten one.
Let me tell you this, tour guides in Siem Reap are a bunch of intelligent beings. Most of them speak good English, some of them we’ve heard speak French, German, Chinese, among others – not really sure how fluent, though – but they sure know how to converse in these languages, how convenient for foreign tourists. Plus, they know the history of each temple. We’ve talked to one kid and he told us his dream is to become a tour guide someday. That’s some serious career option right there.
Temple run begins
Prasat Bayon. This ancient Khmer temple stands at the centre of Angkor Thom. Thousands of faces are carved around this grand structure and it’s impossible to be here and not be in awe of its impressive beauty.
The architectural details, those intricate designs are what really make this place worth-visiting.
Besides the pillars, beautifully carved stones, I was excited to see monks around so whenever I saw one, I would take out my camera and snap a few shots of them. Below is one of my favourites.
What excites me more is the fact that I get to see a lot without having to move around so much. That’s what this place gives you. You pick a spot and there you’ll see people, culture, history – a story unfolding before your very eyes. I knew right there that this was going to be an awesome trip.
To be continued…
