Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GETTING TO THAILAND: SISOPHON TO SURIN
Getting to the border
The
O Smach/Chong Chom border crossing
connects Cambodia's Oddar
Meanchey Province and Thailand's Surin Province, but it is very remote. Share taxis link Sisophon
and Siem Reap with Samraong. From Samraong, take a
moto
(US$5) or a charter taxi (US$15) for the
smooth drive to O Smach (40km, 30 minutes) and its frontier casino zone. Crossing into Thailand is a
snap.
Moving on
On the Thai side, walk to the nearby bus stop, where regular buses depart to Surin
throughout the day (60B, 70km, 1½ hours)..
TOP OF CHAPTER
Banteay Chhmar
The temple complex of Banteay Chhmar was constructed by Cambodia's most prolific
builder, Jayavarman VII (r 1181-1219), on the site of a 9th-century temple and is one of
the most impressive remote temple complexes beyond the Angkor area. The
Global Herit-
age Fund
(
www.globalheritagefund.org
)
is assisting with conservation efforts and it is now a top
candidate for Unesco World Heritage Site status. The nearby village is part of a worth-
while community-based tourism (CBT) scheme to offer homestays to assist with commu-
nity development. Guides for a temple tour or nature walk can be procured through the
CBT office.
Sights
Banteay Chhmar
(admission US$5)
Banteay Chhmar housed one of the largest and most impressive Buddhist
monasteries of the Angkorian period and was originally enclosed by a 9km-long wall.
Today it is one of the few temples to feature the enigmatic, Bayon-style, four-faced
Avalokiteshvaras
, with their mysterious and iconic smiles.
Banteay Chhmar is renowned for its 2000 sq metres of intricate carvings, including
scenes of daily life. On the temple's east side, a huge
bas-relief
on a partly toppled wall
dramatically depicts naval warfare between the Khmers (on the left) and the Chams (on
the right), with the dead (some being devoured by crocodiles) at the bottom. Further south
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
