Ever since my friends in Japan were going nuts over their trips to Cambodia’s Angkor Temples, they’ve been up there at the top of my world travel hit list. And they didn’t disappoint! For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Temples of Angkor, they were built by the mighty Khmer Empire between 800 - 1400 AD. The area consists of tall monuments and vast buildings of carved stone that stretch for miles and miles among gorgeous lush forests. We bought a 3 day pass for $40 each and were driven to and from the sites each day by an incredibly friendly guy named Vinree.

Angkor Wat is the best-preserved and most famous structure. I read they’re going to build a casino in Las Vegas based on it, and it’s not surprising. It’s absolutely huge! You walk across a moat to an enormous gate, then it’s still dozens of meters to the towering structure itself. Everywhere you turn there are intricate carvings, narrow doorways, and tunnels. You can climb up some very steep stairs to the temple towers and see for miles and miles. The complex represents a Hindu symbol of the four ages of history. When you reach the center, you’re symbolically reaching the creation of the universe. Very fantastic!

Besides Angkor Wat, the walled city of Angkor Thom is also impressive. Among many structures inside, my personal favorite is the Bayon, a 54-towered building with a giant head on each side of each tower. That’s 216 giant heads!

It reminded me of a show I watched on Nickelodeon as a kid, Legends of the Hidden Temple.

Huge trees and roots intertwine with crumbling stone at the temple Ta Prohm. They actually filmed parts of Tomb Raider there.

Despite the oppressive heat and busloads of other tourists, we were able to have enough reflective moments to ourselves with the ruins to appreciate their grandeur and feel the glory of a past great civilization.