Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GREENLEAF GUESTHOUSE $
( 0 4436 5073;
www.greenleaftour.com
; Th Thanarat, Km7.5; r 200-300B; )
Step past the slightly chaotic common areas and you'll be surprised by the good-
value rooms (with cold-water private bathrooms) at the back of this long-running
family-owned place.
Guest House
HOTEL DES ARTISTS $$$
( 0 4429 7444;
www.hotelartists.com
; Th Thanarat, Km17; r incl breakfast 3500B;
)
Breaking from the Khao Yai norm, this tasteful hotel goes for French-
colonial chic rather than a nature theme; though with its gorgeous mountain views
out the back you won't forget where you are.
Hotel
If You Like...
Khmer Temples
If you like Phanom Rung, then you'll enjoy these other nearby Khmer ruins:
1 PRASAT MUANG TAM
(8km from Phanom Rung; admission 100B; 6am-6pm)
This Khmer temple is an
ideal bolt-on to any visit to Phanom Rung, which is only 8km to the northwest.
The whole complex was once a shrine to Shiva, dating to the 10th or 11th cen-
tury. Laterite walls shelter five
prang
and four lotus-filled reservoirs, each
guarded by whimsical five-headed
naga.
The principal unrestored
prang
contains
a lintel depicting Shiva and his consort Uma riding the sacred bull, Nandi. As at
Angkor Wat, the
prang
represent the five peaks of Mt Meru, the abode of the
Hindu gods and Barai Muang Tam (a reservoir located across the road) repres-
ents the surrounding ocean. A 150B combo ticket allows entry to both Phanom
Rung and Muang Tam at a 50B discount.
2 PRASAT TA MEUAN
(55km from Phanom Rung; admission free; daylight hr)
A series of three ruins
bordering Surin province and the Cambodian border that defined ancient route
linking Angkor Wat to Phimai. The ruins include a 12th-century rest stop for pil-
grims, a healing station and Shiva shrine that was looted during the Khmer
