Oudong was the capital of Cambodia for almost 250 years until it was moved to Phnom Penh by King Norodom in 1866. Oudong was largely abandoned after the capital was moved but the monasteries, pagodas, and stupas remained in use. Only some 21 miles northwest of Phnom Penh, Oudong with it’s ancient structures and beautiful…
Tag: Ruins
Family vacation to Siem Reap
In July 2020, we took a family vacation to Siem Reap province. In Khmer, the name Siem Reap literally means ‘Siam defeated‘ while the Thai refer to the province as ‘Siemmarat‘ which literally means ‘Siam’s territory.‘ Siem Reap is the home of the ruins of the ancient city of Angkor; which was the largest pre-industrial…
2020 Visit to Ta Prohm
Ta Prohm is my favorite of the ruins in Siem Reap province. This starts with the walk through jungle from the perimeter wall to the temple ruins. This post will be video and photo heavy, so please mind your bandwidth, but I included some quick text at the end offering some background on Ta Prohm….
2020 visit to Phimeanakas
Phimeanakas is one of the older temples in Angkor Thom built at the end of the 10th century. It sits in the walled enclosure of the royal palace and it’s southern neighbor is Baphoun. It was closed when we visited in 2020. It ended up being better that Phimeanakas was closed. After a long morning…
2020 visit to Angkor Wat
When Crystal and I visited Angkor Wat in 2007 there were thousands of other tourists present. We took the advice of a guidebook to start our day with sunrise at Bayon in order to stay one step ahead of the crowds but often still found ourselves surrounded by a throng. I’ve heard that the daily…
2020 Visit to Baphuon
Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Ta Prohm are the most famous temple ruins in Siem Reap province but the lesser well known Baphuon is just as worthy of a visit. Located in Angkor Thom, not far from the more famous trio, it seems unassuming from the road but it grows more impressive as you approach and…
2020 visit to Bayon
The Faces of Bayon Bayon sits at the exact center of the ancient city of Angor Thom, adorned with smiling faces looking out over the land in each cardinal direction. It’s widely agreed that Jayavarman VII, the King who built Bayon, served as the model for the faces. The same face features over the gates…