Kbal Spean
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Commonly known as the valley of a 1000
Lingas, Kbal Spean: is set deep in the jungle to the north east of Angkor. A 45 minute
steep
walk takes you to the river and waterfalls where hundreds of phalluses are carved on the riverbed.
Kbal Spean Waterfalls
The waterfall here 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. This Hindu Pilgrimage site predates Angkor
Wat by
some 200 years; making it one the most ancient sites in the region.
Kbal Spean is looked after very well; the
waymarked trail is a very attractive route through atmospheric jungle.
The path is steep; with some well maintained steps. Sounds of birds and
wildlife with hundreds of butterflies enhance the visit which is at its best
in the rainy season or early in the Dry season May through to December.
From February the river dries up and the falls become
just a trickle; so we stop running tours until May or June when the river
flows.
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Walking up the hill
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Strange vines spiral upwards |
Forest canopy captured using ultra wide
lens |
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Fungi along the path |
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New Vishnu at Kbal Spean
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 One
of the most impressive features at Kbal Spean was the carving of Vishnu on
the rocks by the upper cascade.
It was hacked off
in 2003 by robbers. An ugly scar remained until August 2006 whe a new
replacement carving was added. The new carving has blended in well as you
can see by the recent photo above.
The image on left
was taken a week after it was installed
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On a trip here in December
05 I was talking
about wildlife to an Australian couple and said that one thing that I really wanted to see in
Cambodia was a large snake. I had seen the odd small one but would
want to see a python or similar. Within minutes we saw a young golden python
among the sacred Lingas.
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Python amongst the Lingas |
A small cascade with Lingas |
The river washes over the Lingas |
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Lingas are arranged in formal patterns;
aligned to the compass |
The Linga on the right is well over 2 metres across |
Carved animals on the rocks |
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All images and text © Dave Perkes 2007
www.peaceofangkor.com
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Peace
of Angkor Villa 0133 Slorkram Village, Siem Reap, Cambodia
PO Box 93125
Email us
( 855 (0)63 760 475 |
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