During our stay in Siem Reap, we invested in a 3-day temple pass. On our second day we focused on the temples of Angkor Thom, which is just north of the better known Angkor Wat.
Exploring the Bayon
After entering Angkor Thom through the Southern gate we headed straight for the Bayon which stands in the exact centre of the city of Angkor Thom. There are so many memorable temples in Siem Reap, but based on the volume of photos I took, the Bayon was my favourite.
It was built nearly 100 years after Angkor Wat, and it just oozes grandeur, balance and harmony. There are over two-thousand large faces carved onto the fifty-four towers that watch and smile at you as you navigate your way through this impressive temple.
Bayon Bas Reliefs
It’s built on three levels the first two of which feature galleries of bas-reliefs. A recurring composition is a group of Asaras dancing on a bed of lotuses.
The bas-reliefs at the Bayon consist of two galleries. The inner gallery is decorated with mythical scenes, and the outer gallery contains scenes of everyday life and historic scenes of battles and processions.
I’d recommend viewing the galleries of bas-reliefs in a clockwise order so that the monument in on your right. Don’t forget to tear your eyes away from the reliefs long enough at each opening to look up and catch sight of the faces staring down at you from the third level.
The entire Bayon is a maze of galleries, grand towers, claustrophobic passages, and low ceilings, which all add a sense of intrigue and adventure to your visit.
Around every corner you’ll have eyes upon you. It’s easy to get lost, but that’s one of the endearing features of the Bayon, and it doesn’t matter that you may pass the same place multiple times because you’ll be so absorbed by the intricacy of the Bayon that it’s worth seeing again and again.
But for those who have limited time you should enter the Bayon from the east, turn left at the first gallery and follow the arrow marked on the plan.
The Bayon Highlight
The main feature of the third level is a circular central sanctuary that is the architectural highlight because of the faces of Avalokitesvara (a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas).
Avalokitesvara is majestic, and the downward gaze and slightly upturned mouths add an air of mystery, as if each face is keeping a secret. No matter how damaged or discolored these faces are, each on is beautiful, impressive, and awe inspiring.
Even though hoards of tourists were swarming behind walls, through archways and down narrow alleys, this building is so expansive that you just have to show some patience to capture your favorite architectural elements of the Bayon without crowds in the frame.
Just be patient. Sit, wait, and contemplate while you wait for large tour groups to pass so that you can capture the serenity of the Bayon with no (or only a few people).
A Shot of vibrant color at the Bayon
On the way out of the Bayon there was a cluster of girls and boys in national dress and this explosion of color was in stark contrast to the monochromatic backdrop of the outer area of the Bayon.
Sweeping up the Bayon
No matter which temple we visited in Siem Reap there was always a hunched Cambodian figure with a rustic sweeping brush keeping the place tidy.
The Bayon was a visual feast of faces and bas reliefs, the detailing was overwhelming at times and my camera worked overtime to capture my encounters.
I think this is the reason that you have to limit the number of temples you see per day. At some point you just get visual overload and what you see ceases to impress.
Familiarity breeds contempt.
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Flashpacking through Cambodia
Flashpacking through Cambodia: For Baby Boomers on a Budget is my latest Roving Jay travel guide full of travel tips, advice, and sample itineraries for flash packers who want the back packing experience without foregoing some of life’s creature comforts – like a comfortable bed, a hot shower, free wi-fi, and somewhere to plug your electric toothbrush in.
I spent almost three months backpacking around Cambodia in 2017/2018 to research this travel guide, and I share insights and first hand knowledge of tourist traps and off-the-beaten-path discoveries. We ate street food, drank 50c beers, and travelled by train, bus, minivan and tuktuk to identify the best ways to get from A to B.
If you’d like to receive a free Review Copy ahead of the general public release, please click here.
Here’s my Cambodia posts on this blog:
- Cambodia Visa and Arrival at Siem Reap Airport
- Cambodia: How to Avoid the Crowds at Angkor Wat
- Filling up your scooter in Cambodia
- The Best Tasting Street Food in Siem Reap
- Angkor Wat at Dawn: Is it worth it?
- Come face to face with Angkor Thom’s Bayon
- Good vs. Evil at Angkor Thom’s Impressive Southern Gate
- The Baphuon Temple and the Terrace of the Elephants at Angkor Thom
- Visiting Siem Reap’s War Museum
- Where to Stay in Siem Reap
- Visiting Siem Reap’s Markets
- Give your taste buds a disco at Siem Reap Night Market
- Responsible Tourism at Joe to Go in Siem Reap
- What to See and Do in Siem Reap
- Which Siem Reap Floating Village should you visit?
- Memorable Boat Trip from Siem Reap to Battambang
- Libations and Bric-a-Brac tempt our purse strings in Battambang
- Vegetable Amok at About the World Restaurant in Battambang
- Cooking Classes at Nary’s Kitchen Battambang
- Pomme Bar, Restaurant and Hostel, at the Core of the new Battambang
- An educational trip around Battambang’s Central Market
- Sightseeing and things to do in Battambang Cambodia
- Bayon VIP Bus from Battambang to Phnom Penh Cambodia
- Exploring Phnom Penh’s 172nd Street in the dark
- The challenge of wandering Phnom Penh’s streets
- A visit to Phnom Penh’s Central Market
- Exploring Phnom Penh’s Markets
- Phnom Penh Photo Diary
- Tops sights to see in Phnom Penh
- Touring S-21 Security Prison (Tuol Sleng Museum Phnom Penh)
- A reflective visit to The Killing Fields
- Taking a train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville
- The majesty of Otres Beach sunsets
- Our Workaway Gig at Otres Beach Market Cambodia
- Working Away to make Cambodian Bagels
- Cambodia Pastry Wars: The Battle of the Quiche
- Our Cambodia workaway gig renovating a market stall
- Unwind on Cambodia’s Koh Ta Kiev Island
- Cambodian Beach Massage and Grilled Seafood
- Building Community during our Cambodian Workaway
- Gecko Village in Kampot Cambodia – a Photo Essay
- Christmas Eve in Kampot
- more coming
Bayon was my favourite temple on the Angkor complex as well. When I first saw the monumental faces staring down at me I was literally lost for words. I can relate to the ladies always brushing the floors in the complexes, they seemed to get everywhere. A lovely article that brought back happy memories.
Thanks Angela… yes I loved this one too, and it was difficult to tear myself away from it. I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss a face.
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Can you even imagine that the art is actually handmade, not just manmade … the people back then had some patience, right? It must have taken forever and then some 😀
I would love to travel in kambodya and see places like this!
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Yes this is defiantly a labour of love. Each temple we visited was unique and oozed craftsmanship.
This place is magnificent! I can imagine that my camera would be going non-stop. It’s so amazing that these works of art have lasted all this time. I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to drag me away until the last bit of light was gone. Thanks for sharing this gorgeous place.
We came back from our trip with nearly 6 thousand photos, and countless videos too.
This was my favourite temple in the Angkor wat complex. I did my first ever 10km race around Angkor Wat and watched the sunrise over this temple. That moment will stay locked in my memory forever
It’s a special part of the world that’s for sure.
So beautiful! Although I loved the amazing faces of Bayon, having read this, I’m not sure I quite appreciated the full majesty of this temple when I was there. On our visit, we had just been to Angkor Wat for sunrise so were a bit jaded by the time we arrived. It was so busy I found dodging the selfie-sticks a little off-putting. But having seen this I wish I had had more patience that day & taken time to truly admire the beauty of Bayon. I also had to wrestle a monkey for my breakfast as we arrived in Bayon so maybe the excitement just got too much for me! The next day we headed to Ta Prohm & were one of the first to arrive which was a totally different story & that one became my favourite.
I think time and crowds can definitely slant your perspective of a particular temple. There’s so many visitors who are just in the area for a day, and they’re rushing through the temples at lightening speed trying to scoop up enough photos and don’t have the time to truly appreciate the splendor of this area of Cambodia.
I’ve always wanted to visit Angkor Wat, but now I see that I need to extend my bucket list to include this unmissable gem. Those carved faces are incredible, and I can only imagine (at the moment) what it must be like to get up close to them. I loved all of the pictures of the beautiful girls in their costume too – such vibrant colour 🙂
Yes the girls were the icing on the cake. A real treat at the end of the tour.
The Bayon is the most artistic of the temples – I think that those faces give it some kind of personal, human touch. I went there very early, but still, it was packed. Therefore, although I was very impressed by this mesmerizing work of architecture, I enjoyed the smaller temples on the large circuit a bit more. Those remnants deemed almost bewitched and the absence of other people allowed to really immerse into the atmosphere.
I also got the three day ticket, by the way; I don’t think you can really appreciate all those fantastic treasures in one day.
A three day ticket .. with a break between each day is the ideal scenario. If you see too many temples too close together, they lose their impressiveness … we only scratched the surface during our temple tour, there was definitely more we could have toured. Just an excuse to go back again I think.
I never realized how many different temples there were. I am sure that many people miss Angor Thom. I can see why the Bayon was your favourite spot. And I am sure that it was fascinating to see the 2000 faces. I loved all the variety in the expressions. I would need a good map to make sure I did not get lost in one of those claustrophobic passages!
That is a really amazing.