Phnom Bakheng - Temple on the Hill

Our first itinerary to the Angkor Archaeological Site actually started off with Phnom Bakheng. The temple is a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, home of the Hindu gods, a status emphasized by the temple’s location atop a steep hill.

It was quite a tough trek up to the top. That late afternoon was hot and humid. All the stone blocks for the temple itself would have been carried up the mountain by elephants, a truely mammoth(!) task.

Located atop a hill, it is nowadays a (very) popular tourist spot for sunset views (below) and the much bigger temple Angkor Wat (above).

It wasn't easy to capture shots - so many people ! Huge crowd gathering at the summit to enjoy the sunset view, this makes Phnom Bakheng one of the most threatened monuments of the Angkor site.

Sandstone carvings at the temple and looks like still in quite good condition. Nice.

Monks everywhere in Siem Reap. Do you know why monks wear orange ? I know they either wear yellow, orange or brown. And the color probably tells you his status in the monastery.