Remote sights with spectacular temples

Further Afield

Cambodia has some truly spectacular sights away from the Angkor Area. Many of these places have been very difficult to visit due to danger from land mines and poor roads. Mine clearance schemes have opened up many areas to visitors. Roads are steadily improving making some sights a lot less hard to visit.

Kbal Spean

Beng Mealea

Preah Vihear

Beng Mealea: is a spectacular jungle temple less than 2 hours drive to the North. Set behind huge walls, dripping with vegetation with huge trees growing out of the ruins; the visitor has to clamber over enormous piles of rubble, climb through windows and walk along the tops of walls to get to the central sanctuary which has collapsed. Beng Mealea surpasses even the famous Ta Prohm for atmosphere. The whole site is bathed with dappled light from the jungle canopy making it the ultimate temple for adventurous photographers. There are many intricate carvings here; including some of the most beautifully decorated Naga balustrades

Beng Mealea

Kbal Spean: Commonly known as the Valley of a 1000 Lingas, is set deep in the jungle to the north east of Angkor. A half hour walk takes you to the river where a hundreds of phalluses are carved in to the rock of the riverbed. There is an impressive waterfall here which is best seen at the end of the rainy season. At the top of the falls are numerous carved figures and animals This site has only been opened up to tourism since 1998 and is less crowded than the nearby Phnom Koulen.

Walking up the hill Cascade Thousand Linga Rver

More on Kbal Spean

Preah Vihear: One of the most spectacular sights in Cambodia, Prasat Preah Vihear is set in a stunning location at the top pf a 550metre (1500ft) cliff right on the Thai Border. Until October 2003 this site was extremely difficult to reach on the Cambodian Side.

Preah Vihear

Preah Vihear achieved notoriety as it was the the stage for the final surrender of the Khmer Rouge in 1998. The area is still littered with land mines and shell holes. There is an old field gun still up there as a reminder of the war and the remains of a helicopter which crashed here at the time of the surrender.

The road is spectacular and very steep. It is tough even for 4WD vehicles. Many people take a hard 3 hour walk to the top. Once at the temple; the visitor is rewarded with fabulous views from the impressive ruins which stretch for nearly 1km up the mountain. The sanctuary is perched on the edge of the cliffs with amazing views over the seemingly endless Cambodian jungle to the south. The temple is not yet restored but has some very spectacular carvings and lintels which are almost as splendid as those at Banteay Srey.