A Journey to the Heart of Angkor Wat, Cambodia

For my 16th birthday, we explored the incredible and enchanting ruins of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Built hundreds and hundreds of years ago, Angkor Wat is the biggest religious complex in the world and has tons of temples, many of which are hidden and swallowed up by the jungle. I had always wanted to visit Angkor Wat and was so excited to be spending my birthday there. Even though we were there for a total of 6 days, we barely scratched the surface and there were so many temples we never got to see.

To move around easily through the complex, we hired a tuk tuk driver to bring us around from temple to temple. Even though I really enjoyed the main temples like Angkor Wat, Angkor Tom, and Ta Prohm, my favorite was a smaller one called Ta Som. What made it stand out from all the others was that it was quiet, peaceful, and was left in its original state. I had finally found the perfect place to sit down on an ancient stone, draw the cool temple in my leather journal, and enjoy my surroundings. What I loved was that it hadn’t been reconstructed – it was falling apart and in ruins – exactly the way I like it. There were trees growing through the walls, vines up above, and a loud echo of animal noises coming from all directions. I felt like a true adventurer.

Although I absolutely loved the temples, my favourite part of Ankor Wat was driving in the tuk tuk through villages and seeing the local life. It was incredible and heartbreaking to see the poverty in many villages and to see how they live with so little. Each day we would drive to a different temple and say hi to all the kids going to school. They all were so sweet and would wave back with a huge smile! They were some of the cutest kids I have ever seen and looked so happy even though they had to live with so little. We drove through the most villages on our way to Banteay Srei – so I recommend going there if you get the chance!

What I remember most about my 16th birthday aren’t the temples as much as the people. I can remember the smiles of the children, the waves from families and parents, and the laughter on their faces. I can remember that moment when they smiled back at us and I felt like I was making an impact on their lives, or at least I was being their friend even though we couldn’t communicate with one another.

So, if you ever go to Angkor Wat, make sure to get a tuk tuk and drive around the villages –  you will be amazed by the kindness and warmth you will feel.

5 Tips for visiting Angkor Wat

Book more than one day so you can take your time at each temple

When you buy your tickets, you can choose whether to get a one day or multiple day pass. Definitely go with the multiple if your travel plans allow it. The days fly by quickly and it is nearly impossible to see everything there is to see in one day. We booked 7 days and loved it because we could relax and take our time in each temple, knowing that we had more days.

Hire a tuk tuk driver and not a van or a car

Since the site is so massive, you are going to need some form of transportation. The best way to get around is definitely a tuk tuk – they are affordable and very easy to get around the streets in. The best part about them is that you aren’t closed into a car or hidden behind a window. You get to experience more of the scenery as you drive around. If we had been in a car, we never would have been able to wave at all those adorable kids or get such great photos.

Arrive early in the morning

There is one thing that you cannot run from in Cambodia. Heat. I highly recommend getting up very early in the morning and getting to the site when it is still a bit cool. Luckily, the park opens at 5:00 AM!

Bring a lot of water

It gets very hot during the day so always remember to bring water! There are not stands at every corner in the park selling water and it would be very hard to find a place to buy some. If you don’t feel like carrying a bunch of water bottles in your bag, you can leave the ones you don’t need in the tuk tuk for later.

You won’t be able to see it all. 

Unfortunately, the truth is you won’t see it all. There are hundreds and hundreds of temples, and there just isn’t enough time. We were there for 6 days and still only visited 1o temples!

Angkor Wat and the people who live in it have found a permanent place in my heart.

♥ Kaitlin

 

About the Author:

My name is Kaitlin and I love to travel, write, and volunteer. I am 16 years old and have been traveling my entire life with my family. I was born in Amsterdam and also lived in Los Angeles, Dusseldorf, Paris, and Rome all by the time I was seven. For the next 7 years, I lived in Venice, Italy – yet in September 2013, my family went back on the road for an open-ended journey to see the world. So far we have visited 36 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. My greatest joy is meeting and helping others as we travel and sharing their stories through my writing – opening hearts and minds to the realities and amazing people of the world. Join me on my journey at TravelinKait.com

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