Sunset at Phnom Bakheng

I woke up refreshed from my nap.  I would have loved to just stay in bed but the excitement of finally seeing a temple was too much that I was ready in just a few minutes... that and a cup of strong coffee :D    Our tuktuk driver, Narim was right on time and was waiting for us downstairs.

We stopped by the ticket area first to purchase our temple pass.  We got there at around 4:10 pm but were advised to buy our ticket at 5:00 pm since entry to the complex is free past 5.  I did not understand at first but they explained that if you will buy a 3 day pass at 5pm, you will technically get 4 days since they won't stamp your ticket for the day.  Pretty cool, huh?  Some tourists were a bit annoyed though because they wanted to go inside at once.

Entrance

Phnom Bakheng was built at the end of the 9th century and has become the to go spot in the Angkor complex during sunset because of its location.  The temples are situated on top of a hill promising its visitors a spectacular view of the sunset and the other temples surrounding it.

There is a 20-30 minute trek to get to the top.  The time of course depends on your speed :)  This was a bit challenging for us out of shape fatties (note to self: must get back in shape soon!) but we managed and thankfully just in time to witness the sunset.

Beautiful!

Lots of rocks that were once a part of the temple

Expectation: a serene experience at Phnom Bakheng

  My expectations were shattered when I saw this...

Reality...  It's a party!

There were a LOT of people waiting for the sunset.  It was noisy, crowded and hot!  The tip in a situation like this is to be patient.  Don't worry, you'll find your own spot :D  Also try to remain cool and considerate.

Cool silhouette photo by Erman

And it is not so bad since it's quite interesting to take a photo of the crowd :D  Just look at those silhouettes!  And finally...  This is what we've been waiting for - the sunset!

Beautiful sunset at Phnom Bakheng

We decided to wait at the temple for a bit after the sunset.  I have no idea why everyone was in a rush to get down, but it was good since we were given the chance to take better temple shots sans the crowd :)