Fashionista's Travels: Bayon Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia

We left Angkor Wat about 4 hours later for Bayon temple. The tuk-tuk ride from Angkor to Bayon took about 15 minutes more or less. 

Hubs and Asuras (demons) churning the ocean of milk in search of the elixir of immortality.

Hubs and devas (gods), the other half who were involved with churning the ocean of milk in search of the elixir of immortality.

Believe it or not, this small gateway can even fit a lorry!

Arrived at Bayon temple about 15 minutes later and this is what greeted us. The temple looked slightly in ruins (but that's what you get when you've existed for almost a thousand years). Despite looking derelict and like it might collapse at any time, there's actually efforts to help preserve the temple. For more information on the conservation efforts of Bayon temple, you may want to click [here].

What remains of the temple. I wonder how impressive it would have looked like during the days of King Jayavarman VII.

Wooden stairs leading to the top of the temple. 

Doorways leading into the temple.

Stairs.

Looking up.

The face of Bayon. It's said that the face of Bayon is similar to the king himself.

It's said that there are about 216 faces of Bayon on the temple. For more information on Bayon temple, you may want to click [here].

Yours truly and Bayon.

Another face.

Looking down.

Towers. Here we are looking up.

Devata. I've kinda noticed how there are similar Cambodian words to Malay words like Naga, devata (for us we call it dewata or dewi), garuda etc..

Wooden stairs. Quite a tight fit but I think we can manage the short trip up and down the stairs.

Temple ruins.

Stone carvings. Somehow it looks that they are heading for war, but then again, I might be wrong.

The whole Bayon temple complex. And no, it's not as small as it looks. 

The whole temple is actually quite a walk if you feel like exploring. On most parts we just rambled around the front parts (facing the main entrance) of the temple and went up to the second story. We didn't manage to see the back part of the temple though. Compared with Angkor Wat, Bayon temple is slightly deserted (it was about 10 am in the morning), there were very few tourists wondering around, which made the atmosphere surrounding the temple very silent and eerie. 

Although we didn't spend as much time in Bayon as we did in Angkor Wat but the temple is a magnificent testament to a powerful kingdom in the past. It's amazing that the temple is able to survive and continue to tell its tale on the Khmer empire.

xoxo Mrs Fashionista.