Discovery Of Koh Ker- The Forgotten Capital Of Angkor Kingdom, Cambodia
Similar to Maya civilization in America, the ruin and disappearance of the glorious Angkor kingdom is still a big question mark to the historians and adventurers. One of the rare Angkor vestiges found in the deep forest is Koh Ker, that reveals the secrets of time buried.
Understanding about Koh Ker, Cambodia
Koh Ker is located in the north of Siem Reap province, Cambodia which is a new attractive attraction in Cambodia package tours.
It used to be the capital of the Khmer Empire for a short duration from 928 to 944. In this time, a lot of spectacular buildings and sculptures were constructed under the command of King Jayavarman IV. Left in the deep jungle for nearly a millennium and mostly forgettable, this city has been covered by the trees until being discovered recently.
Discovery Of Koh Ker- The Forgotten Capital Of Angkor Kingdom, Cambodia
The ancient capital of the Khmer Empire was forgotten in a distant jungle with a hundred ruined temples and especially a huge stepped pyramid which is the largest in the region. More ancient temples are still in the jungle when you go to this temple complex, you will feel like being in a true sense of discovery. The main material to build the temples is brick which is a type of mortar made from tree sap. It is quite remarkable how well they have stood up to the destruction of time.
This city is located in the remote area, 100 km from Siem Reap. It has no town and only a small village on the edge of the forest. Sra Yong is that village for a few kilometers away.
How to get to Koh Ker
The road to Koh Ker is relatively easy to drive but it is better to get an early start to have a good full day discovering the hidden city and have enough time to return to Siem Reap in the day. The site is 130 km from the north of Siem Reap city and the road is quite smooth and paved until the temple since 2013. There is no public transport for tourists but you can easily catch a taxi and a car to get to Koh Ker at the hotel and guest house. On the road to the entrance of the temple, you can see two small restaurants which provide basic local food near Prasat Thom. If you'd like to drive a motorbike to come to Koh Ker, you can hire it in the Ride Cambodia Motorbike Tours.
From Preah Vihear city, it takes from 80 to 90 minutes to drive by motorbike. The hiring motorbike price is $15 roundtrip, including waiting time, but you can be negotiated.
Discovery Of Koh Ker- The Forgotten Capital Of Angkor Kingdom, Cambodia
What to see in Koh Ker
The main temple complex
In order to get in the main temple complex, you have to pay $10 for the entrance fee at the kiosk 7km from the temple site. There is a range of temples here, most of them were built in brick and almost intact. Standing in front of the temples, you can feel all the beauty of it, it is like in a picturesque state of oldness with many trees being overgrown. The Prang is the largest structure here, it is a 7 stepped pyramid with a height of 40 meters. From the top of this pyramid, you can see the whole landscape of pristine forest with the Dangrek mountain in the distance and the Thai border in the north as well as the Koulen mountain range which is about 70 km to the south. Prasat Thom is the name of the temple at the bottom of the Prang and you must negotiate this to gain entrance to the pyramid enclosure. In 2007 the trees and moats around Prasat Thom were cleaned up by the villagers who work for the APSARA Authority- the operation manages this attraction.
The Rahal
The Rahal is just a lake with a length of 1,200 meters and a width of 550 meters. But in the dry season, the Rahal is nearly dry and covered by the grass in the forest. The best way to get a view of this lake is to stand on the road to see the flowers blooming on the lake in the rainy season.
Discovery Of Koh Ker- The Forgotten Capital Of Angkor Kingdom, Cambodia
Monuments at the east and the south of the baray (baray means a water reservoir in the Khmer language)
It is very easy for tourists to see four shrines with the square shape standing at the beginning of the road on the left side. Firstly, you can see a huge linga of about 2 m high in front of them. Depend on the sanctuaries, you can see the different number of linga, some have one, some have two or more. In the south of the baray is the location of the Prasat Damrei which means the elephant temple in the Khmer language. This temple has an enclosure and one tower. You can witness the beauty of four beautiful elephant sculptures which look so real and lively.
Coming to the Southeast Asia package tours, you will see more and more the interesting destinations in the small but occult country, Cambodia. If this information is helpful for you, let’s take your backpack and have a trip to Cambodia right now. Please share this post with others to have a wonderful moment in Cambodia like you. Thank you!
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