Siem Reap is a city in the same province on the territory of Cambodia . Its history is closely connected with the very origin of the Khmer Empire. Who knows what would be the future of this place, if at the dawn of the 9th century local ruler Jayavarman II did not call himself a devaraj, a king-god in his lands. It is commonly believed that it was at this time that the Khmer Empire appeared. Thanks to the fact that the ancient ruler started a grandiose construction, there are so many ancient sights in the vicinity of Siem Reap. The most interesting of all are the ruins of the ancient city of Angkor, which hid in the jungle from prying eyes for many centuries.
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General information
As mentioned above, the city of Siem Reap is closest to one of the main attractions of Cambodia - the temple complex of Angkor. If you conduct a tour of Siem Reap itself, then you will have a unique opportunity to look at the ancient paintings carved on the walls of magnificent buildings. They will tell you about the times of economic and military greatness of the Khmer empire, as well as its greatest victories. In these places, the ancient Eastern architecture harmoniously harmonizes with more modern buildings that appeared about a hundred years ago. Initially, it was possible to settle only in hotels with limited facilities, and now in Siem Reap available housing for all tastes and prosperity. Despite the fact that this city is provincial, one should not expect a cheap vacation. Holiday in Siam Ripa is the most expensive in the whole territory of Cambodia. The most favorable time for visiting Siem Reap falls on the beginning of September - the end of October. During these months (after the end of the rainy season), the air temperature stops at around 30 degrees. Local residents say that at this time the sky is the cleanest, and the vegetation is especially green.
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Temple complex of Angkor
Of all that you will see during the excursions to Siem Reap, of course, the most memorable is Angkor. It is believed that this majestic complex was built in the period between the 12th and 13th centuries. The towers built here are decorated with amazingly thinly carved faces of forgotten gods. Entering the territory of Angkor, you immediately begin to feel yourself a bug under the menacing looks of stone sculptures. It is also surprising that, depending on the angle under which light falls on the statues, their facial expressions change. In their faces, you can read an ironic grin, and then a grinning grimace of hatred. Many scientists believe that local residents noticed this. Perhaps that's why they left these magnificent buildings. Only the Buddhist monks remained loyal to their alma mater. It is believed that the population that lived here, in fear, fled into the woods to establish new settlements away from these places. But in fact the city was not empty, it was soon inhabited by monkeys, predators and poisonous creeping reptiles. This place was for several centuries lost by mankind in the thickets of the jungle, and the very mention of it was erased from the memory of the local population. Discovered the city with its untold riches in the XIX century. It happened by chance. One French traveler lost his way in the jungle and accidentally stumbled upon this city. At that time, everything here was encrusted with jewels and gold. As you can understand, in time all the riches of Angkor were removed, but despite this, the largest temple buildings of the complex have survived to this day, which, in fact, attract the guests of Cambodia.
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At the end, it remains to be told how quick and convenient it is to get to Siem Reap. To the greatest joy of tourists, that they plan to rest here, this city has its own airport, which is located just six kilometers from the bulk of the buildings.