DESTINATION
DESTINATION
Clockwise Tonle Sap; bust of
Jayavarman VII in Guimet Museum,
Paris; Banteay Kdei reflects the
same style as other temples built
by the king, the omnipresent
Lokeswara faces of Bayon
As Silkair’s MI 616 began its descent,
the verdant jewel that is Cambodia came into
view. A land mass cut up into irregular yet
remarkably tidy plots of padi fields, it is one
of the top 20 exporters of rice to the world.
Aside from growing grain for the planet’s
population, Cambodia is home to the Angkor
Archaeological Park, containing the remnants
of the Khmer Empire of the ninth to 15th
centuries, Angkor Wat being the most famous
of them all. But while this massive structure
built by King Suryavarman II early in the 12th
century bears testimony to the engineering
genius, tenacity and artistry of the Khmer
people, and draws millions of visitors from the
world over each year, it is the three temples
built by his successor, Jayavarman VII, that
fascinated and charmed me.
A King’s Vision
In Siem Reap, discover Jayavarman VII’s quest for a kingdom’s nirvana
words + photos Juliana Chan Photo of Jayavarman VII Vladimir Renard
232 AUGUSTMAN december 2013
Love Triangle
King Jayavarman VII came into power
spectacularly after leading the Khmer army
to expel the invading Cham forces from the
country. Upon restoring peace to Cambodia,
he began a benign rule that saw the setting up
of hospitals, reservoirs and rest houses to see
to the needs of his subjects. After which the
monarch went on to build a pair of temples as
tribute to his parents: Ta Prohm to honour his
mother and Preah Khan for his father. He then
built one for himself, the imposingly stunning
Bayon, and constructed his capital city of
Angkor Thom around it. My guide Bunchay
Cham told me that if connecting lines were
drawn through the hearts of these three
monuments, they would form an equilateral
triangle, signifying perfect harmony. While
this has not been verified nor refuted by
archaeologists or scholars, the idea of such a
contrivance does add to the romanticism of
the sites.
Ta Prohm and Preah Khan share similar
architectural and decorative features. They
originally served as Buddhist monasteries
and places of instruction, as Jayavarman VII
embraced Buddhism instead of Hinduism, a
departure from the preceding line of kings.
More recently, they served as shoot locations
for the movies Tomb Raider and Troy. Unlike
Angkor Wat, which is surrounded by a moat
and thus protected from encroachment by
the forest, Ta Prohm and Preah Khan appear
to be swallowed by vegetation. Nature seems
to have made an emphatic statement that
she has reclaimed civilisation here. After
rediscovery, Ta Prohm and Preah Khan were
left largely untouched, endowing them an
atmospheric feel. Going through its chambers,
you are apt to find doorways closed in by
fallen lintels, pillars and roofs, giving a sense
december 2013 AUGUSTMAN 233
DESTINATION
Clockwise Children on an
improvised rubber-tire swing near
Sra Srang; suite at Raffles Grand
Hotel d’Angkor, approaching
Phare the Cambodian Circus
that Lara Croft is just around the corner.
Even if you have seen a hundred pictures of
it, finally stepping onto the upper terrace of
Bayon still overwhelms you with its sheer scale
and omnipresent Lokeswara faces. Scholars
have tried to make sense of the numbers of
towers and faces, but come up against too
many missing pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle.
Without going into studious debate, one
is naturally taken by the sense of serenity
radiating from the peaceful expressions, which
all seem to be inspired by the countenance
of Jayavarman VII himself. I found myself
dumbfounded and spellbound in turns, before
becoming just another Angkor tourist looking
for a good spot for a snapshot, but there are
too many – the perfectly squared windows and
doorways make splendid portrait frames.
Live It Up
The trouble with temple trekking is you can all
too easily feel fatigued and confused. Add to
that, hordes of other visitors unintentionally
photobombing your pictures can be downright
annoying. This is where Country Holidays
played a brilliant role on my Siem Reap trip.
It had certainly done its homework in terms of
identifying the optimal times to do different
things and different places, all led by a very
knowledgeable guide. A destination as special
as this begs for exceptional experiences.
234 AUGUSTMAN december 2013
Country Holidays set me up on a tranquil
cruise on the moat surrounding Angkor Wat
at sunset, during which Bunchay turned
bartender and fixed me a solid G&T. It also
arranged a picnic breakfast after a pre-dawn
temple trek, on a tuk-tuk that had been
customised to transform into a dining cart,
no less. Lunch on my final day was on a boat
after cruising through the picturesque floating
village of Kompong Khleang on Tonle Sap.
There is usually a lot of action on this major
lake that connects to the Mekong, but as it was
spawning season (August to October) when
I visited, the only activity seemed to be the
mending of boats, nets and sundry traps.
After you’ve spent the day exploring
archaeological sites, wash the dust off and
get a taste of the gateway city of Siem Reap.
Pub Street is a must for its surprising array
of cuisines offered in quaint little shophouse
restaurants and trippy looking pubs. Save one
evening to check out the street food. It ranges
from the very mild – grilled corn on cob and
reconstituted egg, which are delicious – to
the challenging – water bugs and ant larvae.
Do not miss Phare, the Cambodian Circus. It
was set up to help orphans and endangered
children by channelling their energies into the
performing arts. The acts are really quite good
– showing shades of Cirque du Soleil minus
the glitz and glamour. The best part is seeing
The trouble with temple
trekking is you can all too easily
feel fatigued and confused
the joy on the youngsters’ faces when they
perform for you.
A Good Base
Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor is an excellent
choice. Aside from being one of the first
major hotels to operate there, as well as
contribute to the infrastructure and upkeep
of present-day Siem Reap, its proximity to the
Angkor Archaeological Park allows for greater
flexibility in your itinerary. When an afternoon
proved too humid for exploring temples, I
hang out by the pool instead. The hotel has
a grand legacy and context of its own, and
has welcomed famous authors, explorers and
foreign dignitaries, including Hilary Rodham
Clinton. It even has a resident historian, a
Khmer Rouge survivor, who will relish telling
you about its role in turbulent and peace times
over one of the Raffles’ signature cocktails.
More about Country Holidays at www.countryholidays.
com.sg; Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor at www.raffles.
com and Phare at www.pharecambodiancircus.org