Phnom Bakheng (Siem Reap, Cambodia) – Elephant Ride To A Beautiful Sunset
August 24, 2012 - Earlier, we visited Banteay Samre and Banteay Srei. We saved the afternoon for Phnom Bakheng, which is a spectacular temple mountain located atop a hill; because, we wanted to see for ourselves why this is hugely popular to tourists. We got what we were looking for - a magnificent sunset view of Angkor Wat and the magic surrounding it.
You have two options to reach Phnom Bakheng – one is to hike up the temple mountain; or, ride an elephant. I didn’t have any second thoughts. Riding an elephant is way easier and I think it adds up to the whole experience as well :)
Elephant Ride at Phnom Bakheng
Price of going up for a short 5-10 minutes is not cheap: $20 per person and if you want to ride again going down, it’s another $15 per person.
TIP: Only ride uphill and enjoy the walk down. The elephant path is different so at least you get to see both.
View of Angkor Wat temple from our Phnom Bakheng elephant ride
(tipping is welcome)
Final stairs up the temple mountain
(hooray to us! This is the only ascent we did)
Be prepared to bring a snack and have a little picnic of your own. There are a LOT, I mean really, A LOT of tourists on top. Everybody’s looking for the perfect shaded spot while waiting for sunset.
Phnom Bakheng offers a breathtaking 360 degree view. This is truly the best place to watch the sun set. I would love to come back again and again.
Ruins just below the spectators’ seats.
You wouldn’t want to miss this so better take the hike down than ride the elephant.
Locals serenading the tourists as you go down the hill
All in all, Phnom Bakheng leaves a memorable spot in our hearts. They say that they close the gates at 5:30PM and it gets really dark after so most tourists go down even before sunset. I suggest that you bring a flashlight and a good company and ENJOY!
Cambodian Beer ($2) and Cambodian Steak ($5.50) at AnnAdya Restaurant
We had an awesome time today that we decided to celebrate the night at AnnAdya Restaurant with a good Cambodian beer and lovely steak.
Siem Reap, Cambodia Tourism: Where To Go and Eat - 6D5N - Day 1
Banteay Samre, Angkor Wat - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Banteay Srei – Siem Reap, Cambodia
Beng Mealea - Must See Place in Siem Reap, CambodiaTonLe Sap River Tour: Stilted Village Tour
Borei Angkor Resort and Spa
I've read that elephants they use for shows in Thailand are being tortured. :(
ReplyDeletethat's so sad :(
Deletethe ones that we saw in Cambodia looked healthy.
I hope they are well taken care of.
Thanks for this. Was thinking of whether to go to Phnom Bakheng or not because of the hordes but it seems that it's not that bad.
ReplyDelete