Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ANGKOR FROM THE AIR
An exhilarating way to see Angkor is from the air. Although over-flying of the temples is not
permitted, you can still get a wonderful overview by balloon, helicopter or microlight. Angkor
passes (see p.190) are not required for any of these aerial excursions.
By balloon
The cheapest option is from the gondola
of a tethered helium
balloon ($15, children $7.50;
15min) located between the airport and Angkor Wat.
Weather permitting the balloon ascends to 200m
around thirty times a day, carrying up to thirty
passengers at a time, offering a bird's-eye view of
Angkor Wat and nearby temples.
By helicopter
Thrilling 8min helicopter trips from
Siem Reap's airport (from $90/person) around the
Angkor Wat area run by Helistar Cambodia (
T
063
966072,
W
helistarcambodia.com) and Helicopters
Cambodia (
T
063 963316,
W
helicopterscambodia
.com). Longer flights can also be arranged over the Tonle
Sap, Kulen hills and so on.
By microlight
Most exciting of all are SkyVenture's
microlight trips (
W
skyventure.org); flights start at
$60/person for 15min around Roluos up to $180 for a
1hr “see it all” trip.
3
out the
fighting
between the Khmer and Cham resuming, with the Khmer running
away towards the mountains. By the time you've turned the corner to the northern half
of the east wall, the battle is in full swing, and even the elephants are taking part, one
trying to rip out the tusk of another.
Second enclosing wall bas-reliefs
Inside the third enclosing wall, a passage on the middle of the south side of the central
sanctuary leads up to the
bas-reliefs
of the
second enclosing wall
, raised up about 1.5m
above the level of the third enclosure. These bas-reliefs aren't in great condition and are
more di
cult to follow than those of the third enclosing wall, being broken up by
towers and antechambers into small panels. It is likely these were only seen by the king
and his priests, unlike the scenes in the third gallery, which would have been accessible
to the hoi polloi. Interestingly, although the Bayon was dedicated as a Buddhist temple,
there are plenty of depictions here of
Hindu gods
. As with the bas-reliefs on the third
enclosing wall, these were intended to be viewed
clockwise
, starting from the
midpoint
of the eastern wall
, which is how they're described below.
In the vestibule
south of the east gopura
, a
hunt
is shown in progress, below which
the king is shown tarrying in the palace, surrounded by ascetics. The wall is a bit
crumbled as you turn the corner into the south gallery, but it's possible to make out
Mount Meru
rising out of the ocean - here denoted by the fish. Moving on, beyond the
tower,
warriors
parade
from left to right, while a band of musicians leaves the palace.
Below, a dead child is being placed in a co
in close by, a fisherman casts his net from
his boat, while apsaras hover above.
Shiva and Vishnu
appear in numerous, mostly
worn, scenes in the section
west of the south gopura
; towards the end of this section
you'll see Shiva standing in a pool while ascetics and animals look on from the bank; in
the same area people prostrate themselves around Vishnu, while a funeral is in progress.
In the
west gallery
, pop into the tower before the gopura and you'll find
musicians
playing celestial music while apsaras dance. Labourers hauling stones over rollers and
lifting them into place can be seen in a curious
construction scene
(on the tiny section
of gallery between the tower and the gopura) which oddly enough has had a depiction
of Vishnu superimposed on it. Just before the gopura is a
harbour scene
, with chess
players on board one of the boats, and a cockfight on another.
The first few sections of carvings beyond the west gopura are in poor condition, so
head straight to the section of gallery
north of the tower
, where there's yet another
depiction of the story of the
Churning of the Ocean of Milk
(see p.169). The reliefs
around the corner in the
north gallery
are in better nick; in the first section servants are
shown carrying offerings to a mountain sanctuary with elephants and other wildlife,
FROM TOP
PUB STREET, SIEM REAP
P.140
; TA PROHM
P.180
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