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RTW Trip Day #39: Exploring the Angkor Temples and Ta Prohm's Tree-Entwined Ruins
- andrewsco3
- Nov 7
- 4 min read
6 November 2025
Steps: 15,464
Today was our second day exploring the Angkor temples after an incredible first day visiting Angkor Wat and Bayon, and a much-needed rest day yesterday. We’d shown the girls photos of the famous tree roots weaving through the temple walls at Ta Prohm, and they were both excited to see it in person.
Ta Prohm Temple
Ta Prohm Temple was incredible to walk through, as there were massive trees growing right out of the stone walls and roots wrapping around doorways and corridors.
You really can’t appreciate the sheer scale of the tree roots until you’re standing right next to them. They’re absolutely massive. I have no idea how the trees manage to grow like that or how the temples withstand that much weight pressing against the walls.
The girls loved spotting which trees looked like they were “eating” the temple, and we all agreed it was one of the most amazing places we’ve seen so far on our travels.
Walking through the temple felt like stepping into a movie set, which of course it was, as scenes from Tomb Raider were filmed here.
We also found the carving that some say looks like a stegosaurus, which has become a bit of a mystery. Is it really a dinosaur, a clever hoax, or just an ordinary animal with leaves carved behind it?
Neak Pean
Next we visited Neak Pean, which is a small temple built on an island in the middle of a large lake. To reach it, we walked along a long wooden boardwalk over the water, which had lots of lotus flowers growing.
The temple itself is surrounded by four small pools, and was built in a symmetrical shape - it felt very different from the other temples we’d seen. Jess lit an incense stick which she always likes to do.
Neak Peak would be amazing viewed from above as the map on the information board showed just how vast the lake is, and it is clearly man-made as it is a perfect rectangle!
Preah Khan Temple
From there we continued to Preah Khan Temple, which is another one of the larger complexes in the Angkor area.
It’s full of long corridors, courtyards, and has plenty more walls wrapped in tree roots. The carvings in the walls that we saw here were some of the most intricate that we have seen of all the temples.
It was starting to get hot, so we decided to stop for an early lunch at one of the local restaurants to recharge before visiting a few more temples, then heading back for a cool off in the pool.
Pre Rup Temple
After a quick lunch break, we knew the girls didn’t have too much energy left, but we managed to convince them to climb to the top of Pre Rup Temple.
This temple was one we’d driven past each day, and it always caught our eye because it was built from a reddish stone that made it stand out from the others we’d seen.
The steps up to the top were very steep and uneven, but we took our time and we’re careful.
We were even lucky enough to see a few Buddhist monks at the top, who walked past us and have a friendly smile to the girls.
Srah Srang
After that, we had one more temple to visit (Banteay Kdei), but since Srah Srang was right across the road, I decided to run over and have a quick look while the girls cooled off in the tuk tuk - the girls were definitely done by this point!
There’s a large stone platform overlooking the water, and the view is incredible. There were quite a few local families having picnics under the trees, as it’s such a peaceful spot. I also read that it’s a great place to watch the sunrise, and I can see why.
Banteay Kdei
Our last stop was Banteay Kdei, which is another peaceful temple that is a little smaller and quieter than some of the others.
The inside of the temple was quite similar to some of the others we had visited, but at the back there’s an incredible tree with enormous roots growing right through the walls.
There’s a pond right in front of it, making it a perfect spot for a photo - just look at the size of these roots compared to the girls!
As we left, a group of Buddhist monks was arriving at the temple. There’s something about seeing them in their bright orange robes that feels so calm and striking, and it was a lovely end to our time visiting the Angkor temples.
Siem Reap Pub Street
After spending an hour in the pool to cool off and recharge, we decided to go for an early dinner on Pub Street. Some pub streets in Asia can feel a bit seedy, but this one was great, with some really nice restaurants and bars. The food wasn’t the cheapest, but most places were selling draft beer for $0.75, which was fine by me!
Just around the corner from Pub Street is the Psar Khmer food court, which we discovered afterwards. It has cheaper street food options, so we might eat there tomorrow.
There are also lots of massage places in the area, including fish foot massages where tiny fish nibble away dead skin. The girls wanted to give it a try, and after lots of laughing and giggling, they eventually managed to get their feet in. Jess in particular really enjoyed it.
We spent some time wandering around the area, as there’s also the Old Market and the Riverside Night Market, all within just a few hundred meters of each other. We really love this whole area, it just has a lovely feel to it and is great for families too.
Previous Day #38: Angkor Wat Putt
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