MikeBuckley

Thanks to everyone for the great help that made my trip to Angkor so memorable.

Poeple often ask about the time needed to see Angkor. The following schedule worked perfectly for us, though notice that some of the popular activities are not included in our itinerary:

Day 1 -- Arrived late. Rushed directly from the airport to see Angkor Wat at sunset. Went to the hotel afterwards.

Day 2 -- Sunrise at Angkor Wat but didn't go inside. Elephant Terrace and Leper King Terrace in early morning. Ta Prohm in late morning. Lunch break about noon to 2:00pm. Bayon in the afternoon.

Day 3 -- Arrived Bantreay Sei about 9:00am. (Preferred to get there earlier but enjoyed stopping along the way to learn how the natives make the sugar candy they sell along the road. Also spent time photographing natives riding into town with their goods.) Returned to hotel for 2-hour noon break. Angkor Wat all afternoon. Phnom Bakheng at sunset. (Would not recommend Phom Bakheng. The view is not all that great, mostly because there is a lot of haze. For those who take the elephant ride because climbing the mountain is difficult, be aware that to get a good view you still have to climb difficult temple steps after you get off the elephant.)

Day 4 -- Bakong at about 8:00am. Caught an 11:00am flight from the airport.

My favorite: top floor of Bayon.
Wife's favorite: Angkor Wat.

Confession: When I saw all the posts about how hot and humid it is and the need to take a long noon break, I figured that my wife and I wouldn't need that. We exercise regularly, eat healthily, are in good shape and love ruins. Yet we needed the break exactly as everyone mentioned. Hanging on the edge of the pool while enjoying a drink never felt so good! Despite the large amount of time spent in the shade, I still got sunburned on my upper arms through the tee shirt! (First time that ever happened.)

If you don't do a lot of research, definitely hire a guide and driver. I did a lot of research and planned all the details, so a driver (no guide) was just fine for us even though it was our first time to Angkor.

Hotel -- we stayed at the Princess Angkor Hotel. The room was large (not luxurious). 24-hour room service was great for eating an early breakfast before dashing off to see Angkor Wat at sunrise. The restaurant is adequate and the entire menu is available poolside. The adequate exercise room is open 24 hours. About $55 per night including taxes, service and breakfast.

The only problem I had is that the temperate of the shower water would change dramatically about every minute. The last night we were there it became uncontrollably scaulding hot. I had immense trouble getting anyone to appreciate the problem. After appearing in the lobby in my bathrobe (the only way to make my point), the owner politely offered me the shower in his room. The shower was fixed while we had our evening meal.

Kathie

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip, Mike. I've been looking forward to your trip report. It looks like you opted to visit just a few sites and spend a longer time there. I found that my favorite temples were the small, "minor" temples where we were often the only visitors. (Ta Som, for instance)

It's interesting, we went to Phnom Bakheng at sunset, rode the elephants and had a great time. It wasn't especially crowded the day were we there, and we had a great view - no haze. No one else I've heard from had a good experience there, mostly because it's apparently usually very crowded. It's just a reminder to me that we all have different experiences.

rhkkmk

loved the report and especially the bathrobe scene...they do catch on quickly when we make visual points...

i'm older, out of shape and could not imagine anyone doing "complete" days of touring at angkor....there are doubting thomases everywhere

MikeBuckley

Kathie: To say that Phnom Bakheng was crowded is an understatement. That in itself wouldn't have been an objection because it's the sort of place that huge numbers of people can enjoy the view. Most were pretty quiet, trying to generate a feeling of solitude despite the numbers.

Bob: They actually didn't catch on quickly at all to my appearance in the bathrobe. I was compelled to become extremely forceful by essentially bringing everything to a halt until the owner surfaced. The sad part is that he had been watching all along and only responded when I became adamant in a way that was embarrassing to the staff and the customers.

Naturaltan

Mike, glad to hear that you'd enjoyed your trip to Angkor Wat.

I was there two weeks ago and blown away by the beauty of it. I did the sunrise both at Angkor wat and Angkor Thom, sunset at Bakheng and Angkor wat. They were disappointing as both days were hazy (yes, morning and dusk). Enjoyed the solitude of early morning at The Bayon though (only two other persons were there with me).

The first full day we tried to see as much as we could so we didn't go back to town for lunch, but had lunch at the stalls near Ta Prohm. It was a mistake and we understood why most people go back to town for lunch. The stall owner ripped us off left, right and center, we ended paying US$16 for a not very good meal.

My favourite is Preah Khan, there were hardly anyone there(mid day)when we visited so we had almost the whole place to ourselves, wonderful! Bahkeng was a circus, especially when everyone tried to come down (after the sunset)in the dark.

Angkor Wat first thing in the morning (after the sunrise crowd had gone)was not too crowded, we managed to find a quite corner to comtemplate the beauty of this place.

We didn't hire a guide either as we did our homework before hand and enjoyed walking around the temples at our pace. We did all the major temples(return visits for our favourites), the Bantay and Rolou group in two and half days and had a morning free to browse through the old market.

Just like you, Mike, we felt three days were enough for us to see what we wanted to see. Thanks for report, by the way, it brings back pleasant memories.

MikeBuckley

Naturaltan, you'll appreciate that one of my highlights was a lengthy conversation with a young monk while sitting in a quiet place in the top tier of Angkor Wat. As we had stepped onto an exterior section of the temple, we were both a little uncomfortable with the fall that would occur if we stumbled. He discussed his family, his home near the Thai border, and his plans. He asked about my family, age, and plans. Other than watching nearly nude monks wash their robes at a temple in Lamphun (near Chaing Mai, Thailand), it was the only revealing experience I had with a monk. And it was the only lengthy conversation.

Naturaltan

Mike, thanks for sharing your encounter with the safron kind with me. Our only interaction with the local was with our driver. He told us how he managed to escape death while his family (parents and siblings)was slaughtered by Khemer Rogue in such a calm and collected manner, it was almost disconcerting. Perhaps he has told his story a thousand times and his emotions had drained off a little every time he recites the story? He is happy with his life now and fiercely proud of his son who is working for Unesco conservation branch in Cambodia.

Angkok Princess was one of our choices but we chose Ta Prohm hotel for its location. Otherwise, I wouldn't have the courage appearing in the lobby in just my bathrobe to get things fixed even though I have a gym-toned body. After living in England for twenty odd years, I must have acquired the English's attitude of "putting up with it". This probably explain why the services in England so shoddy.

Have you taken many photographs? How about sharing them with us? We took some but our photographs do not really do justice to this magnificient place. We bought the "Angkor: city and temples" book to remind us of this trip in Bangkok for half the price they tried to charge us at Siem Reap airport.

Loved your Thailand trip report too.

MikeBuckley

Naturaltan, One of the guys I used to work with was a Vietnamese immigrant who had escaped North Vietnamese imprisonment by killing a guard with his bare hands and living off the land for over a month. He would tell this story with relatively casual ease (maybe because a lot of time had passed?) though not without obvious reflection. It's the only time I remember him ever talking about himself and did so only when asked about the ordeal. It seemed to be his way of expressing appreciation for being in America and reminding Americans of how we too easily take our situation for granted.

Regarding pictures, I take slides. To get them online requires scanning them and posting them on a site. If I take the trouble to do that, it will be a first and I'll let the forum know.

You're probably aware of the better photo books. Just in case you're not, the following two are several cuts above the typical coffee table book.

<i>Sanctuary - The Temples of Angkor</i> is published by Phaidon. The photographer is internationally famous National Geographic contributor Steve McCurry. Warning: The text, cleverly appearing in a saffron font on white paper, is inexcusably difficult to read. If I were a conspiracy theorist, I would be convinced that the captions were designed to test the eyes, patience and persistence of the reader. Despite that, the images are incredible.

<i>Ruins of Angkor Cambodia in 1909</i> is published by River Books. Photography is by Pierre Dieulefils. He had access to the temples because of his work with Ecole Francaise d'Extreme Orient. The initial 1909 edition was largely unknown for nearly a century because only 500 numbered copies were published. It wasn't until a few years ago that one of them was discovered and a facsimile edition was published. The text is in French, English and German. It's available at Amazon for $40. I saw it at the National Museum in Bangkok for $25 before enjoying a guided tour and subsequently forgot to return afterwards to buy it. I purchased my copy for $33 at the bookstore in the Bangkok hotel the Spice Market Restaurant is in, after being erroneously warned by the sales clerk that it is only in French. Though I gave her the correct information, she was unwilling to offer me a discount in return for the favor.

Naturaltan

Mike, thanks for the recommendations. It was a toss between &quot;sanctuary: The temples of Angkor&quot; and &quot;Angkor: City and temples&quot;. The later won for its layout and text, though I like the photographs of &quot;Sanctuary&quot; better. I haven't come across &quot;Ruins of Angkor Combodia in 1909&quot;, I shall look for it when I am in Bangkok next. Good day.