Temple-palooza: Seeing Beyond Angkor Wat

The mysteriously smiling faces of Bayon

Few things in my life will ever be as mesmerizing as the temples around Angkor. My greatest surprise was that Angkor Wat, itself, did not meet my rather high expectations. Sure it’s huge and an extraordinary feat of architecture, but personally, I found the real magic of the temples to be tucked among among the eerie faces of Bayon, the temple within Angkor Thom.

Also magnificent and goosebump-inducing were the mind-bogglingly intricate carved details of Banteay Srei, and the incredible trees springing from within the stone structures of Preah Khan.  To see all my photos from the wats and temples (and be warned, there’s PLENTY), visit my Flickr page.

The intricate carvings of Banteay Srei

Tree emerging trhough ruins, Preah Khan

Of course, for good measure, I’ll include a snapshot from Angkor Wat, but I’ve chosen not to feature one of the oft-photographed shots of the temple, rather it’s of one of my favorite moments from my visit there: watching these monks in repose:

Monks at rest, Angkor Wat

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