Angkor Wat and The Tomb Raider Temple

On our first morning in Cambodia, we met our guide at 4:45 am and departed for the sunrise viewing of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat (temple) is the largest and most visited temple of the Angkor complex. This architectural marvel is said to be the largest religious monument in the world with an area 4 times that of Vatican City. 

While 90% Buddhist today, Cambodia during the Angkor period embraced both Hindu and Buddhist beliefs and the temples reflect this in the statues and bas relief carvings. The conical temple spires represent lotus buds, a flower sacred in both religious traditions.

Apart from the Angkor Wat temple, the entire Angkor complex includes hundreds of temples within an area of roughly 75 square miles. Angkor, once the capital city of the Khmer empire (802-1432), included Cambodia and much of present day Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

After the fall of the Khmer empire the majority of the temples were abandoned and left to be consumed by the jungle. The temples were rediscovered during the mid nineteenth and early 20th century, and restoration projects continue to this day.

Perhaps our favorite temple is Ta Prohm, also known as the “Tomb Raider Temple'' for its association as a backdrop for scenes in the Angelina Jolie/Lara Croft Tomb Raider movie. This temple is haunting in its largely unrestored state. Large Spong trees (Tetrameles nudiflora) also known as Silk Cotton Trees, have engulfed the walls and buildings with their vast root systems. The appeal of this temple lies in that it appears much like the first European explorers would have seen it when rediscovered.