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Cycling Around Angkor Wat, The Sacred Temples Of Cambodia
This is a city run by tuk-tuks, you will have a hard time finding other transport, but it is possible..
Cycling Around Angkor Wat, The Sacred Temples Of Cambodia
Arriving in Siem Reap you will be greeting by a city that is run by tuk-tuks, they are everywhere and they will do anything to get your business, which is fair enough in a poor country and in the grand scale of things they are very affordable. But when you have just forked out $60 for a 3 day pass to visit the Angkor Wat temples, a $15 tuk-tuk for the day can be a bit heavy (especially if your a backpacker on a budget).
This is your typical tuk-tuk in Siem Reap. One of the things I love about SEAsia is the variety of tuk-tuks from town to town, they all have their own styles.
By choosing to cycle yourself around the temples you will not only save a lot of money, but you will also have free reign of what you want to see and how long you want to stay places. I spent $1 a day on my bike!
An elder monk sat with a young apprentice, they were both talking when I spotted them and saw the epic framing that was just asking to be photographed! Its always polite to ask for a photo as some monks do not want to be photographed.
The sun rising behind the temples, this is one of the most popular spots to watch sunrise and if you hate crowds you will hate this. It is an incredibly beautiful spot though with the crystal clear reflection pool.
I arrived at the temple that everyone visits during sunrise at about midday and found the place empty, I almost had the temple to myself apart from 3/4 people!! Considering the 1000's of people visiting daily this was the thing that convinced me that taking a bike was truly the best option.
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The sunset at Phnom Bakheng temple, this place sits on top of a large hill that will take you about 10/15 minutes to walk up, but the views from the top a definitely worth it! It is a very popular spot and they only allow 300 people up onto the temple at a time so make sure you get there in advance!
On the road towards Angkor Thom you will be surrounded by jungle, if you're lucky you might spot a group of monkeys hanging out on one of the grass banks. Keep an eye out for people stopped on the side of the road, this usually means their feeding the monkeys.
If you do head to Angkor Wat for sunrise then you may be in for a treat, a parade of monks walking in a long line around the temple in their bright orange robes. Truly a once in a lifetime experience!
This is the big reservoir called Jayatataka that surrounds Neak Pean , this is one of the furthest temple you can go to and will definitely test you if your on a bicycle! I turned up just before sunset and had some really nice views, but then I had to cycle the 2 hour trip back as it got darker and darker..
Make sure to take a big ol' bottle of water with you, but don't worry about running out as there are plenty of stalls on the sides of the roads offering ice cooled drinks for $1 or less (depending on your bartering skills).
This is the sunset at Prae Roup Temple, another top spot to watch from as it has a high platform at the top with nice views. Beware though that the guards close this temple as soon as the sun hits the horizon, so the most beautiful sunsets will have to be watched from down at the entrance (that's where this photo was taken).
This is a truly must see collection of temples and although the entrance price can be steep there are ways of making the whole experience a lot cheaper.
Quick Facts:
Angkor Wat entrance fee: 1/3/7 day pass - $37/$62/$72 USD.
Bike hire: $1 to $2 a day.
Tuk-tuk hire: $15 to $25 a day.
Accommodation: $2 to $5 for a bunk in a hostel dorm room.
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
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More South East Asia:
The Life In Pai, Thailand
The journey to Pai is a 3 hour ordeal up & over a mountain, full of sharp turns, speeding vans and insane Thai drivers..
The Life In Pai, Thailand
Having heard on the backpacker grapevine that Pai was a must visit, Hannah & I booked our minivan and headed for the home-made hippie village in search of good food, chilled vibes and some great views.
The journey to Pai from Chiang Mai is a 3 hour drive up and over a mountain where you can expect hundreds of sharp turns, sped around at wheel screeching speeds by your insane Thai driver. You may want to pop a few motion sickness pills if that's your thing.
During the drive I spotted this monk getting a dubby. We overtook them seconds later!
The view over Pai from Yun Lai viewpoint; you'll need a scooter to find this place but its certainly worth it and its only 20 baht for entry!
Pai Canyons aren't so as big as you would expect a canyon to be, but they are certainly a great sight to check out. I have to say I had more fun exploring and climbing the narrow walkways with drops either side than the actual views!
Exploring Lod caves is really interesting and I would really recommend it! It will take about 2 hours to get there by scooter and there are some crazy steep hills going up and down.. But its so much more fun than getting a tour bus there, plus you can arrive a little later in the day and get the cave to yourself pretty much!! (We were joined by 3 people, normally the cave is full with 50+ people!).
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Mo Paeng waterfall is a really refreshing place to visit just outside of Pai, but we had more fun petting the SUPER friendly cows that live there; they just kept licking us and this one above was going in for a kiss with Hannah!
If you like animals, be sure to visit a elephant sanctuary and help fund the people saving elephants from torture & riding parks.
The White Buddha statue sits at the top of a big ol' flight of stairs, but once you reach the top the views are pretty epic and its a great place to watch the sunset. If your into temples, check out Bangkok's many grand temples!
This old western looking house, known as the 'Yellow House' is found on the road towards Pai Canyons. Its pretty interesting to stop off at and take a look around as there really isn't anything like it!
The food in Pai is amazing. We were treated to some of the freshest, most healthy snacks we've had in Thailand! There is a big hippie vibe in town and in turn, a lot of vegan and vegetarian places to eat, all cheap as chips too.
I urge you to rent a scooter (if your able to drive one safely) and just explore the area, turn off on random roads and just keep following them. We found some jems that we didn't even know existed just through a little adventure!
Our little red underpowered scooter!
Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about Pai!
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
More Photo Journals:
Temple Hopping In Bangkok - Photo Essay
No visit to Bangkok would be complete without a few temple visits, these shines are absolutely beautiful...
Temple Hopping In Bangkok - Photo Essay
No visit to Bangkok would be complete without a few temple visits, these shrines are absolutely beautiful and although no picture can ever do them justice (in some places photos are forbidden anyway) you can still get a good idea for the kind of jaw dropping sights you can expect when you visit.
The two temples visited in this article are Wat Pho, home to the reclining Buddha and Wat Saket, which towers above the city.
Almost every surface is covered with small coloured mosaic tiles, its truly an awesome sight to see they amount of work that has gone into every detail.
The bright orange robes worn by the monks at the temples are one of the most iconic symbols of South-East Asia.
The reclining Buddha is a HUGE statue that resides in Wat Pho, the sheer size of it will blow you away. One of the things I was fascinated by was the detail on the feet as you can see above.
Work started on the reclining Buddha in 1824 and took about 25 years to complete, it stands 15 meters high and lays 46 meters long.
Above: Bangkok's skyline as viewed from Wat Saket rooftop.
Fun fact: The name Bangkok is just a name used by foreigners, its real name is Krung Thep, this is an abbreviation from its full name which translates into:
"The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn."
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The gardens are as you would expect are stunning, they are full of colours and water features. The contrast of the white wall against the bright green and pink in the picture above really stood out to me.
The sun shining through the leaves and flowers during the walk up to the top of Wat Saket, this place is a tropical jungle placed right in the centre of the city.
Towering pillars inside Wat Pho that are covered head to toe with decorative flowers and colours.
Little monks having a bit of fun with the gong on the rooftop of Wat Saket.
Another interesting feature at Wat Saket was a row of incredibly realistic monk figurines, they look like the kind of thing that collectors would love!
Back to Wat Pho and the main attraction is the huge central building home to this insanely detailed Buddha shrine, the colours and details can really hold your attention. I sat in front of the shrine for a good hour just taking it all in.
Whilst sitting at the shrine a group on monks started to fill up the sitting area next to everyone and started to chant their prayers, it was both interesting and relaxing to sit and listen.
Hope you enjoyed that sneak peek into what Bangkok has to offer, hopefully you will be inspired to take the trip yourself!
For more info on Thailand, check out this guide to seeing the sights of Koh Phangan island by scooter.
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
More wanderlust:
Taran & Makoto here, together we form Nomader How Far photography.
Check out my photo journals