Making a first-time visit to the world’s greatest ancient temple, Angkor Wat in Siem Reap of Cambodia, is probaly one of the most amazing travel experiences.
Since I had first seen pictures of Angkor Wat, five months previously, I had been imagining what it would be like to walk around. Trying to envisage its size and what it would look like up close, I don’t think I could have been any more excited as I caught my first glimpse of the outer wall across a huge moat. The water glistened in the early morning sun, and a gentle breeze blew through my hair as we rode along in the open carriage. We arrived in front of a long flagstone pathway, which led up to an outer wall of intricate Khmer architecture. The morning sun was blinding, so after pausing for a few moments I walked towards the shade of the walled entrance.
Once I had passed through the outer wall, the three distinctive Hindu style towers became visible, and I think I gasped in amazement. I felt all exclamations were justified, as the design of this ancient Khmer temple was the most mystical man-made building I had ever seen. Back in the UK, I had enjoyed looking at some of London’s most contemporary architecture, such as the controversial Lloyds building and the ‘Gherkin‘, but nothing could be compared to the character of Angkor Wat, built nearly 1000 years ago.
