Wat O.D.?
 

What with all the Wats in Thailand and Cambodia (I plan a side trip to Angkor), are there any must sees, or will I be suffering a wat overdose by the time my trip is over? Is Ayuthaya (sp?) necessary if I go to Angkor Wat? Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the subject.

i did not like ayut...it pails in comparison to angkor wat...
save the time and money for extra angkor...

make sure you have a driver and a guide at angkor...you will save time and heat exhauston that way...$20 each per day...

allow at least 2 full days to angkor and 3-4 would be better...lots of walking and some climbing...

i get watted out ....some are not interesting...hit the main ones in bkk first...wat po, wat arun (one of the best), marble wat, etc

what up with all the churches in the west..

actually it's said that the nicest wats or in Burma..

angkor is kumar.. and not the oldest example but the biggest..

If you are really interested in Wats, I'd suggest at least 5 days in Cambodia to see the temples at Angkor. Take a look at Dawn Rooney's book, Angkor, to prepare. I'm not quite sure what orgy is trying to say, perhaps that the temples at Angkor were built by the Khmer culture. Some are Hindu, some are Buddhist, some were one, then the other. These are a remarkable group of temples (dozens). I spent a week there and loved every minute. Generally, three days is considered the minimum to see the "major" temples, but I loved many of the so-called minor temples, where I was often the only visitor. Personally, I preferred to do my homework before visiting Angkor, and then exploring the temples on my own, Others prefer to have a guide. In any case, you'll need a driver.

I have to agree with rhkkmk, that Ayutthuya pales in comparison. I'd recommend visiting a number of the temples in Bangkok - an entirely different experience than those at Angkor. Another experience of Wats, again, a different experience, is Luang Prabang, Laos.

I agree with Kathie, DO get a good book first and read up on the history, sorry I cannot recommend any in particular but I know there is a book written by a French guy (it's in English too) that delves into the history of the place. if you read up on a place it makes the 'world' of difference when you go there.

I was thumbing through an Angkor Wat guide the other day, and I came across some commentary about the more remote Wats in Angkor being run by the military. The commentary went on to note that a fee, i.e. bribe, must be paid to gain entry into these areas. My question is twofold: (1)are these areas worth seeing? (2)are these areas safe? Thanks again for everyone's input.

How old is that book??? None of the readily accessible wats in the Angkor complex are "run by the military." All are assessible via your temples pass. All do have guards, and they will check your temples pass.

Yes, the more remote wats are worth seeing, and yes, they are safe. Indeed, perhaps the most popular wat, Banteay Srei is one of the remote wats.

My 2 cents:
I've been to Angkor twice, for about a week each time. I would go again in a heartbeat and would definitely spend a week minimum. There is a lot to see and as Kathie says, many of the "minor" sites are exquisite and fascinating. They are all quite different from each other, so I did not get tired of them at all. We visited many of the sites several times at different times of day because the light makes for such a different experience.

Yes, get a car and driver. It is very much worthwhile. Personally, I don't think you need a guide. I think you can self-guide easily using Dawn Rooney's book. (Please buy it before you get to Cambodia, as the books in Siem Reap are illicit printings and the author gets no financial compensation for them at all.)

Plan a morning itinerary, return to town for lunch and a rest at midday, then a late afternoon itinerary that includes sunset. Midday is really too hot to be out in the full sun. The Elephant Terrace and Terrace of the Leper King, in particular, are best seen first thing in the morning because there is no shade.

We didn't have to pay any bribes last year (Feb 2003). I think the guide book you have is outdated. It wasn't that long ago, however, that you did have to pay for your security ...

Like Kathie I like to do some reading before I go, and although I also had the latest edition of the Odyssey Guide (Rooney's book), I found this superior in layout, background, photography, and practical matters. It's also sufficiently well-produced to double as a souvenir, although a little less portable than the Rooney:

Ancient Angkor by Michael Freeman and Claude Jacques, published by Phaidon.

I agree on the issue of not buying a fake copy of this book, but just on a technicality, it's the publisher, not Rooney, who will suffer if you do, since no royalty is paid to Odyssey authors.

Although I spent eight nights there on my last visit, following the same pattern of activity Marilyn Freund suggests. I, too, would happily return for the same amount of time all over again. No group of ancient monuments I've ever been to comes near it for its combination of scale, variety, art, surprising vistas, and ability to take one's breath away.

Peter N-H
http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html