Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat
Trip Highlight
We stayed in the mountains, in rooms open to the green, and nothing stood between us and the jungle. Birds sailed past in plain view; the trees leaned in close; we felt less like hotel guests and more like guests of the forest. The infinity pool waited in the middle of it all, and being in it was its own kind of meditation. You float at the edge of the water and simply watch the jungle, green upon green, until the day goes quiet.
Then there is Angkor Wat itself, mysterious and magnificent at once. It was built in the twelfth century as a Hindu temple, its towers shaped after Mount Meru, the home of the gods, and over time it became Buddhist too. Nothing was torn down. Faith was simply added, and today two religions share one temple with the old carvings still on the walls.
The people worshiping there are so humble and so kind that the largest religious monument on earth somehow feels intimate.
A little history, because this place earns it. Angkor Wat was built in the 12th century under King Suryavarman II and was first dedicated to Vishnu. Its layout reflects Hindu ideas about Mount Meru, the mythical home of the gods. From the late 12th century Buddhist influence grew across Angkor, and the temple became a Buddhist shrine slowly rather than all at once. Statues, rituals and worship were added over time while the Hindu carvings stayed. Today it is both a tourist site and a living religious place, and you can feel both at once.
Moments from the trip
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Approaching Angkor Wat, Cambodia's most famous temple and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Angkor Wat is a Vaishnava Hindu and Theravada Buddhist temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and the largest religious complex in the world.
See more through my eyes
A few more glimpses from this trip.
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