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Cambodia is known for its incredible temples, specifically the famous Angkor Wat.
But after attending the recent Cambodia Travel Mart in Siem Reap I quickly discovered
that this small country has so much more to offer first time and repeat visitors.
The Temples of Angkor are an iconic symbol of Southeast Asia and rightly Cambodia’s
zip lining, cooking classes, horse-riding, the circus and more, there is plenty to keep Beyond the Temples
top attraction. But Siem Reap, gateway to Angkor, offers much more than temples
and is emerging as an activity centre for the Mekong region. With microlight flights,

temple-weary travellers occupied.

“Angkor” translates to “city” and “Wat” translates to “temple”;
those words don’t come close to describing the majesty, complexity
and beauty of the Hindu and later Buddhist temple complexes, built
mostly during the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries.

The best known Angkor Wat complex is grand, surrounded by a
moat, with each of the walls of its four sides almost a half-mile long.
Four of the nine original towers were heavily damaged by lightning
over the centuries, leaving the five remaining at about 250 feet tall.
While the towers provide an iconic view, we were more fascinated
by the countless intricate carvings covering the walls and ceilings of
sandstone, heavily influenced by Hindu deities.

Nothing can compare to the thrill of being in these beautiful, an-
cient places, imagining yourself living during the time they were
built, and thinking about the thousands and thousands of people
who have stood in the same exact spot you are standing.

Geologists and historians estimate the Angkor area had a popula-
tion of one million at its peak, with 50,000 people working full
time on the temples until drought followed by flood caused peo-
ple to abandon the area.
The sites became overgrown by jungle and were largely unknown
to the West until the beginning of the 20th century when it was
part of French Indochina. Archaeologists worked from 1910 to

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