Tuesday, September 10, 2013

The Lost Temples of Cambodia-Beng Malea & Phnom Bok

Phnom Bok Temple, siem reap cambodia
Phnom Bok Temple
If you've been following along for awhile, you know that Jeremy and I love to experience out of the ordinary destinations while on vacation. Whether it's swimming with whale sharks, road tripping across the country, or zip lining through the jungle, one of our favorite parts of traveling is finding places or activities not commonly stumbled upon. 

That's why we knew that once we saw all of the temples at Angkor, we also wanted to travel outside of the city to the 'Lost Temples'. These temples give a true Indiana Jones feel as most of it has ben left in ruins, the forest taking back claim to what was once theirs.

The first temple we visited was about an hour ride outside the city of Siem Reap called Beng Malea. It was a massive complex that was almost completely destroyed and overgrown with moss and trees. You had to crawl under and climb over the rubble at certain points to make it back to the clear path that was made just for tourists such as ourselves. 
Beng Malea Temple, siem reap cambodia
Beng Malea Temple, siem reap cambodia
Along the way, we inherited a tour guide. Three to be exact, even though two were too shy to say anything. We didn't really ask for one per say, he just immediately attached to our side once he saw us. Now, I realize that it's somewhat of a scam but I figured what's the harm to have a cute kid show us around for an hour or so? Even though all he did was point at all the statues and repeat the words 'flower' and 'apsara dancer'. He tried.
Beng Malea Temple, siem reap cambodia
My favorite part of the temples were the trees shooting out of the stone and the intricate detailed carvings that littered every inch of the temples. 
Beng Malea Temple, siem reap cambodia
Beng Malea Temple, siem reap cambodia
Beng Malea Temple, siem reap cambodia
The second temple, Phnom Bok, was just a short thirty minute ride outside of the city and was even more desolate than the first. We were the only tourists there exploring the grounds of the temple that sat at the top of a large hill. These are the stairs that we had to climb to get to the top...in about 90% humidity. Go early in the morning if you want to not faint on your way up!Phnom Bok Temple, siem reap cambodia
Phnom Bok Temple, siem reap cambodia
Even though this temple was the smallest that we saw, it was one of my favorites. How cool are the trees shooting up out of the rocks? I may be a little obsessed with the tree, rock combo. Just wait till you see our pictures from Ta Prohm.
Phnom Bok Temple, siem reap cambodia