Angkor Cycling Tour

On this cycling tour of the temples, we will start the day by cycling to the first temple of the tour, Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is probably the most famous of the temples in the Angkor Archaeological complex. Built in the early 12th century by the then King Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat was originally constructed as a Hindu Temple for the God Vishnu. It gradually became a Buddhist temple by the end of the 12th century. Divided into several layers and standing over 200 feet high, Angkor Wat is the largest religious temple in the world.

After exploring Angkor Wat we will continue the bicycle tour with the short ride to the Angkor Thom temple complex. Here, we will discover and explore the temples within the Angkor Thom area. Angkor Thom was first established during king Jayavarman VII’s era and was the capital city of his empire. Several more temples were added over the years to the complex making this an exciting site to visit.

As we enter the complex through the magnificent Gateway to Angkor Thom, we first come across the many stone faces of Bayon Temple. Bayon Temple sits in the middle of the complex and has an impressive 54 towers with 216 stone faces carved into them. It is said that the stone faces are a portrait of King Jayavarman himself.

Continuing the tour of Angkor Thom, we head through the city complex to the Terrace of the Elephants. This giant 1000-ft terrace was used as a viewing platform, where the King would sit and watch public ceremonies. The terrace gets its name from the many carvings of elephants on the eastern face.

A short ride later we come to the Terrace of the Leper King. Built in the 13th century by King Jayavarman VII, this interesting terrace gets its name from the god of the underworld, whose statue proudly stands at the top. Other temples in this ancient city include the Phimeanakas and Baphoun temples.

After a short break we will finish the cycling tour with a ride to Ta Prohm.  Re-discovered in the 19th century, this temple is famous for the symbiosis between the trees of the jungle and the giant crumbling stone walls of which the tree’s vast root systems climb in and around the temple. Ta Prohm was built by King Jayavarman VII in the 12th century as a Buddhist temple which he dedicated to his mother.