5 Must-See Temples in Siem Reap

Visited: November 2014

When we got married five years ago, Jonathan wanted to spend our honeymoon in Thailand. I was definitely on board, but I wanted to make sure we also made time for Cambodia – a region that had always fascinated me for its rich religious and cultural sites.

Cambodia’s long history includes the reign of the Khmer Empire between the 9th and 15th centuries. During this period, many Hindu and Buddhist temples were constructed in the city of Angkor, which has since grown into the city of Siem Reap (thanks largely to tourism at the temples).

Angkor Wat is arguably the most famous temple complex in Siem Reap, but it wasn’t our favorite. (Although we highly recommend a visit!) Given the plethora of temples in Siem Reap, we’ve identified the top five temples you can’t miss when visiting the province, though you can’t really go wrong with any of them.

1. Bayon

Located inside the huge Angkor Thom complex—along with other historic sites including the Terrace of the Elephants and the Phimeanakas Temple—the Bayon is known for the impressive rock faces located throughout the temple. There are 54 towers in all, to represent the 54 Khmer provinces of Cambodia during the Angkor Empire.

Bayon Temple is also a great starting point for your Siem Reap travels if you have a guide, as the temple’s carvings communicate the cultural and religious history of the region. For example, what is now Cambodia switched between Hindu and Buddhist rule for centuries, so there are spots in the temple where you can see where a Buddhist symbol was adapted to a Hindu one or removed altogether.

2. Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei is unique among the Angkor temples because of the pinkish hue of its stone and its generally smaller size. In fact, the temple is often referred to as the “Citadel of Women” because it is said the intricate carvings at this site required the hand of a woman, not a man.

This elaborate yet small temple is located outside the city proper of Siem Reap, but the drive takes less than an hour by car.

3. Ta Prohm

Unfortunately, this temple is often even more crowded than the others because of its featured prominence in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in 2001. However, it is still neat to see the way powerful tree roots and long-reaching vines have grown around and into the stone to become part of the temple. The semi-ruinous state of the temple caused by the tree growth also means there are plenty of mysterious nooks and hidden carvings to discover during your visit.

4. Beng Mealea

Spoiler alert: This was our favorite temple of the trip!

Beng Mealea is located about an hour’s drive outside the city of Siem Reap, but it is definitely worth the trip. This temple is truly one with nature; unlike Ta Prohm, which appears to allow nature to run wild but has actually undergone significant restoration work to facilitate access and stability, Beng Melea has yet to be restored. The lack of modern maintenance means this temple is the perfect spot for adventurous explorers, who can scramble over the rocks and ruins to see hidden corners of this sprawling temple. (A local guide is recommended!)

Also, on that topic, when we first arrived at the temple, I definitely gave some side-eye to a few tourists who were wandering off the apparent path and exploring other corners of the site. But then, our guide encouraged us to hop off and explore, promising it was allowed and encouraged to explore areas that didn’t seem to be on “the” official path (hence the photo of us above).

5. Angkor Wat

Of course, no list of Siem Reap temples would be complete without the largest religious monument in the world, Angkor Wat. The old advice to show up at 4:30 a.m. for the sunrise to avoid tourists no longer works—this temple is generally crowded all day long—but a vibrant sunrise (or sunset) is still the perfect backdrop to view Angkor Wat. Be sure to allow yourself a few hours to fully explore the temple and climb to the upper towers.