Angkor. That is where we are heading. Welcome to the city of the gods, swallowed up by jungle and animal life. Credit is due to French explorer Henri Mouhot, who rediscovered a sacred site, the famous Bayon temple, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first second you see it, you are immediately reminded of something. Or, probably, it’s just a sudden sense of déjà-vu. But both options are plausible, since the mystery surrounding the place served as inspiration for the setting of the Tomb Raider saga. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Riddle solved. It turns out that it took six centuries of Khmer empire for the temples of Angkor to be completed and, in fact, they truly are the secret ingredient to bring about your most striking moments in Cambodia. The Bayon temple boasts 49 towers of Khmer baroque style, all filled with eye-catching faces and oblique eyes and eyebrows that stare at visitors laughingly, if petrified, due to the stone they embody. If you look closely, represented are the faces of Avalokiteshvara, who is the bodhisattva of compassion, and also the king. But be warned, try not to wander too far around the architectural wonders and magnificence of nature that surround you, because there are creatures walking around that are deceiving with the loving faces they display. It’s true. The city is overrun by kleptomaniac monkeys, who rob to ensure their survival. In search of bananas, they are capable of making your phone disappear, so you can’t be too careful. Back to business, Siem Reap will take you at least three days to visit thanks to its rich historical and cultural heritage.
Beaches of white sand and crystal-clear waters