Angkor is the great stone capital of the Khmer empire, spread across more than four hundred square kilometres of forest and rice field a few kilometres north of Siem Reap. The empire ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia between the ninth and the fifteenth centuries, and its kings built huge temples as symbols of the cosmos. Angkor Wat, built in the twelfth century by Suryavarman II and dedicated to Vishnu, is the largest religious monument in the world, with five towers rising like lotus buds above a vast moat. Its long walls carry carved reliefs of battles and myths, and it was later converted into a Buddhist temple that is still in use.
Not far away, Angkor Thom was the walled city of Jayavarman VII, with the enigmatic stone faces of the Bayon smiling from the towers. Ta Prohm, partly swallowed by giant silk-cotton and strangler fig trees, has been left as the French explorers found it, and it is the most atmospheric place in the whole complex. The monuments were forgotten by Europeans until the nineteenth century, though they were never really lost to the Cambodian people, and today they are the symbol of the nation, with Angkor Wat on the flag.
Visiting is a matter of planning. The heat is heavy, and a day among the stones means long walks and steep stairs, so water and a hat are essential. The most popular times are sunrise and sunset, with crowds in both places, and the quieter hours of mid-morning are better for smaller temples. A ticket is needed and is checked at barriers, and clothing that covers shoulders and knees is required at the main temples. The dry season, from November to February, is cooler and clearer, while the rainy months turn the moats green and the roads muddy.
The roads in Siem Reap province are flat and straight, with plenty of motorbikes, tuk-tuks, bicycles and trucks, and the rules are rather flexible. Be cautious at junctions and avoid riding after dark, when unlit vehicles are common. Siem Reap, a city of about a hundred and forty thousand, offers fuel, restaurants and every sort of lodging, and the local dish of fish amok, a mild curry steamed in banana leaf, is worth trying. The ride goes on to Koh Ker, a remote temple city far to the north-east, which is quiet and wild compared with the crowds of Angkor.