Why ComeThe base for Angkor Wat and the wider Angkor Archaeological Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest religious monument complex in the world
Pairs WithPoipet (the border crossing in) and Phnom Penh (onward toward the capital)
Angkor Wat
Built in the early 12th century under Khmer King Suryavarman II, originally as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu before gradually transitioning to Buddhist use — its five central towers, laid out to represent Mount Meru, are the single most recognizable silhouette in Cambodia and appear on the national flag. Sunrise over the temple, with the towers reflected in the front pools, is the classic (and famously crowded) way most visitors experience it first.
Confirmed: a hot-air ballooning inquiry with Anantara Angkor Resort (for 10 December) never actually happened here — that flight took place later, over Vang Vieng, Laos, instead.
Practical Tips
A multi-day Angkor pass is worth it over a single-day ticket — the temple complex is large enough that rushing it in one day means missing most of it.
Beyond Angkor Wat itself, Ta Prohm (the jungle-overgrown temple) and Bayon (with its carved stone faces) are the two other must-sees within the same park.