Siem Reap, Cambodia
October, November 2025
From 22 October until 9 November we visited Siem Reap in Cambodia at the end of the rainy season.
We never went there during this season and were very surprised with the wonderful green plants and moss at temples we visited.
On this website we already placed a lot of trips to Cambodia, so we just show some specific things of the temples this time. Some of them where new to us and can be found in the surroundings of Seam Reap.
One of them is Prasat Kravan, quiet, small, beautiful and recommended to visit. It is a small 10th-century temple consisting of five reddish brick towers on a common terrace, south of the artificial lake (baray) called Srah Srang. The temple was dedicated to Vishnu in 921.
The bas-reliefs on the interior walls of the central tower are representations of Vishnu. There are three in all:
Four-armed Vishnu with Garuda and holding his standard appurtenances: the globe, the conch, the discus, and the baton.
Eight-armed Vishnu stands stiffly in the position of a statue, surrounded by hundreds of tiny devotees and surmounted by a crocodile or a lizard. Relief of Vishnu on Garuda carved directly out of the brick walls.
The interior walls of the northernmost tower feature a pair of bas-reliefs of Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort, flanked by devotees.
A second one to be mentioned is Thommanon temple, one of a pair of Hindu temples built during the reign of Suryavarman II (1113–1150). This small and elegant temple is east of the Gate of Victory of Angkor Thom and north of Chau Say Tevoda. The temple is dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu.
The temple's carvings are very well preserved and the aged sandstone provides a distinct contrast to the surrounding jungle. Images of devatas, seen in profusion here, as in other Khmer temples. They are the main attraction in Thommanon. The devatas depict flower crowns, sampots (Cambodian skirts), necklaces, armbands, belts and ankle bands.
Other temples we visited this time are Banteay Srei, Banteay Samré, Preah Ko, Bakong, Lolei, Bat Chum, Sra Srang, Banteay Kdei, Pre Rup, Prasat Ta Som, Prasat Kraol, Neah Paen, Ta Phrom, Ta Keo, Ta Nei, Chau Say Tevoda, Angkor Wat, Bayon, Baphuon and the Elephant end King terraces.
We enjoyed our favorite restaurants and tried some new ones.
Also this time we stayed at hotel Somadevi Angkor&Spa, a very well-situated hotel, close to the center. It offers us relaxation, a big swimming pool, a great breakfast buffet and a clean and a fantastic spa.
