Rolous Temples Place guide

Siem Reap is the city to be for Cambodian temple hopping. Here, travelers will find the Angkor Archaeological Park, which houses some of the world’s famous architectural marvels, like Angkor Wat. Although a lot of tourists do crowd the popular areas of the complex, this park offers more than one temple that will surely satisfy travelers, who have an appetite for Cambodian history and architecture. Within the vastness of this space lies the Rolous group of temples, and this is where the classical era of the Khmer Empire begins to shine.

Unlike most temples, which are made of hues of grey and white stones, the Rolous Group of Temples immediately stands out with their reddish surfaces. Made from brick, laterite, or sandstone this area was once known as Hariharalaya, the first capital of the Khmer Empire; and though it does lack the towering form of its neighboring structures, its walls are carved with mythical beasts, such as the kala (monster hear), the Garuda, the Hindu god Vishnu, female figures adorned with jewelry, and Apsaras who guard the building. Today, there are three temples travelers can visit: Bakong, Lolei, and Preah Ko.

Since the Angkor Archaeological Park is made up of various temples, Trip Guru would like to advise future travelers to make their visit in Siem Reap worth their while. It is virtually impossible to take everything in in one day, and it is acceptable to explore these ruins for a week. To reduce the chances of getting too hot, bring water (especially with all the walking involved) and the best time to avoid the heat is during the early morning. To make it easier and faster to get here, ride a tuk-tuk, which are located at the entrance.

To get to this park from Siem Reap in the most comfortable manner, you musts take a private vehicle and drive along NR6. After 150m, take a right turn followed by a left turn once you have passed 2.5km. Keep driving for 350m and the archaeological park should be at your left side. The park is open from 5:00AM to 6:00PM and passes are sold for $20 (1 day), $40 (3 days), and $60 (7 days) respectively.