{"id":10780,"date":"2019-08-14T15:19:06","date_gmt":"2019-08-14T15:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seeker.io\/?p=10780"},"modified":"2019-08-14T15:19:06","modified_gmt":"2019-08-14T15:19:06","slug":"angkor-wat-cambodia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seeker.io\/article\/angkor-wat-cambodia\/","title":{"rendered":"24 Hours in Siem Reap and Angkor Wat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Angkor Wat is both a bucket list item for ancient history buffs and a contender for one of the Seven Wonders of the World<\/a>. Located in Northeastern Cambodia near the modern town of Siem Reap, Angkor Wat is just one part of one of the biggest temple sites in the world<\/em>, blending a fascinating medley of Hindu and Buddhist architecture and iconography that reflects the history of ancient Khmer culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Angkor Wat complex<\/a> was built in the 12th century as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu. Over time, as Buddhism grew in popularity amongst the Khmer people (those are the native people to Cambodia), more and more temples were built decidedly Buddhist: beautifully reflected in both architecture and art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Overgrown temples in Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And then it was lost. Sometime after the 16th century, the Khmer people all but abandoned this massive temple site for reasons unknown. It wasn\u2019t rediscovered by archeologists until the 19th century. By then, the jungle had already reclaimed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples have largely been restored, and they are Cambodia\u2019s biggest tourism draw. And for good reason. The temples here are on a massive scale. They are so beautiful that they are almost unbelievable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Angkor Wat, Siam Reap, Cambodia. Efired \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Angkor Wat is only one part of this ancient superstructure, which stretches for an area of over 400 kilometers squared. It\u2019s the biggest and most famous of the many temples and ruins in the area, but there are a whole bunch of other temples around it that you don\u2019t want to miss. So, if you\u2019ve only got one day to see the whole of Angkor Wat and enjoy the nearby town of Siem Reap, we\u2019re here to help you make the most of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting started<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll need to arrive the night before you want to see the temples and negotiate a tour ahead of time. Most hostels will have tours you can join, or you can strike up a deal with a a local tuk tuk driver. It shouldn\u2019t cost you more than $15 to hire a tuk tuk for the whole day. If you hire your own, you have more say over your trip, which can be really useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that you\u2019re visiting a bunch of holy sites, so be sure that you\u2019re dressed modestly. You want your legs and shoulders covered in order to get into all of the different sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First up: Angkor Wat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n