Siem Reap’s Off-the-Beaten-Path Temples
While it’s hard to drag yourself away from Siem Reap’s UNESCO World Heritage listed Angkor Archaeological Park attractions like Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Bayon, it’s worth dedicating a day or two to explore off the beaten track temples. Within the park there are lesser visited ruins such as Banteay Kdei and Pre Rup, however, do hire a car and driver to venture further afield to sites like Banteay Srei, Beng Mealea, Koh Ker, Preah Vihear, and the jungle ruins and river carvings on Mount Kulen.
Banteay Srei, Cambodia
The 10th century temple of Banteay Srei, known as the ‘Citadel of Women’, is one of the prettiest temples with intricately detailed carvings and decorative features painstakingly carved into the pink sandstone. It’s also one of the most compact and can easily be explored in an hour or two. You can make a day trip of the journey out there (25km from Siem Reap) by combining it with visits to the nearby Landmine Museum and Banteay Srei Butterfly Centre.
