The temple city of the Khmer Empire
Angkor was the heart of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th centuries, and its temples spread across hundreds of square kilometres of forest outside Siem Reap. Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world, is best seen at sunrise, its five towers mirrored in the ponds before it. Within the walled city of Angkor Thom, the Bayon is covered in serene stone faces, while at Ta Prohm giant fig roots grip the crumbling galleries. Allow at least two or three days, by tuk-tuk or bicycle.