Ta Prohm Temple
With tourism still down, we really got to be alone in some parts of the temple which is usual and very cool! With all the walkways it’s not quite like you’re discovering a hidden temple, but still a neat experience.
The last place we stopped on our full day of Temple Madness in Siem Reap was Ta Prohm or "Eye of Wisdom.” It was built as an ancestor temple (our guide said ancestor temples were built flat so the older generations had no problem accessing them). We visited in March of 2023.
This temple is unique because the trees are growing around the stones. In several cases the government of Cambodia added structures to support the root systems of these trees so that both the temple and the plants can co-exist. And co-exist is the right term to use because the temple would suffer a lot of damage if they tried to remove the trees.
This chamber held the cremated remains of the king’s mother and the view here is looking to the sky.
The stones that were embedded in the walls here are in the Met in NYC. Sadly, the Cambodian people were uneducated of their true value and sold them for money after the brutal civil war in the 1970’s. I couldn’t find much information about this online, but this is how our Cambodian tour guide explained it. Also quite possible that the Khmer Rouge stole them and sold them to fund their efforts during the war—or that someone else used the chaos of war to steal them and make a buck. However it happened, I would love to see them returned! If anyone has more details about this could you send me a message?
A handful of people queuing for photos with the large tree near the entrance and we were no exception, but there was no one back here so we took our time.
If you’ve seen the film Tomb Raider then you’ve seen this place before. It’s not associated with Jurassic Park at all, but I think this temple embodies the quote, “Nature finds a way.” It’s also a good reminder that nothing lasts forever.
The stegosaurus! Lots of debate over this little guy and it was awesome to see it in person. Carved in 1100… did the carver see a dinosaur or hear about it as a story passed down by his ancestors?? Read more here.
This doorway was one of the specific locations where Tomb Raider filmed. I had to look it up on YouTube, but Angelina Jolie jumps down in front of this door.
I traveled with my husband and parents and all four of us agree that the people in Cambodia were some of the most hospitable we have ever encountered! Tourism never bounced back after the pandemic so now is definitely the time to plan a trip.