Angkor without the crowds: guide and tips to better enjoy the temples

I mentioned it in the previous article marking the return to Cambodia 7 years later, but this new stay in Angkor turned out to be better than I would have thought, given the feedback I had had about it.

As I had also mentioned, I was inspired by the good advice of Tugdual (who had the site Visapour.fr, now defunct… for the anecdote, Tugdual was a candidate during a season in Ko Lanta!). He is the one who gets most of the credit for the following article, but I wanted to make it my version, firstly to demonstrate that yes, it is entirely possible to visit Angkor without having this impression of being a sheep lost in the jungle, and secondly because I had to adapt the program according to moods etc.

But the result is there, visits without too many people and an appreciation of the places much better than my first stay here!

3-day pass for the temples of Angkor

There are actually 3 packages offered to visit the temples depending on the length of time you want to spend there.

Note a significant increase in price that took place after my last visit (which dates back to 2016), because since February 1, 2017, the prices for visiting the Angkor historical park have almost doubled...

Please note that there is no reduction for students or seniors, however, it remains free for children under 12 years old. (passport must be shown as proof of good was).

3 days are a minimum to see the main temples, knowing that the validity is one week, this means that you are not obliged to go there 3 days in a row.

The one-week package seems a bit much to me unless you're really a fan of ruins. But in this case, the validity is one month! For those therefore who really like to take their time and explore every nook and cranny.

The program was therefore as follows:

Anticipating tourist flows

The goal is usually to get up early in order to arrive before the buses of Chinese, Japanese and other fans of " I arrive/photo/I leave » arrive. If getting up early is an imperative, the idea is also to move according to the tourist flow. For example, when we left the Bayon, it was seriously starting to get crowded, so it was time for us to anticipate the flow and go see elsewhere. In this case, we were going to see the temples nearby, until returning to the terrace.

It was still a bit early (around 11am) so people were still visiting, for us it was lunch break! Like that when leaving, most of the groups went back to Siem Reap to eat while we left for other temples. One in the north and one in the south so as not to stay in the same area (in order Preah Khan and Phnom Bakheng). Knowing that we finished the day early enough to avoid the groups rushing to the temples for the sunset (the last of the day, the Phom Bakheng, being popular for that)

The next day we literally left at dawn to go to the most distant temples, the tuk tuk driver still advised us to see the sunrise on the way and indeed it was worth it.

While most stayed in the area to visit the temple located opposite the reservoir (Banteay Samre) from where the photos above were taken, we were heading straight to Kbal Spean. Again, a paying choice since we will be the only ones in the forest and the first visitors of the day. In fact, when returning from the Fram buses, we will only come across French people arriving, there was still time to leave!

For the next one, the Banteay Srei, it almost worked out well, if when we arrived, there were still quite a few people hanging around the new souvenir shops (next to a large parking lot making the place unrecognizable compared to 7 years ago), we hesitated to eat, but faced with the prohibitive prices (despite the guy offering us a "special discount") we resigned ourselves to going there. And finally, it was okay, people certainly, but not the hustle and bustle either.

The rest of the day was spent at 2 temples which were relatively empty even in the middle of the day, Banteay Samré and Pre Roup, the latter being a little less “spectacular” and therefore quite ignored.

The best for the end ?

Your Prohm is one of the most famous temples of Angkor, with these big trees and this special atmosphere in the middle of the forest it is almost vital to go there early to be able to appreciate it. Note that this one is under renovation so some parts are inaccessible. But the worst is a damn bad news. The iconic trees of the temple are apparently dead and threaten to collapse, according to the they are going to cut down 4 of the big trees around and in the temple in order to preserve the rest! This can obviously be understood but it is a big part of the charm of the place that risks disappearing…

We continued with the temple next door, still as calm, and continued in the area for “secondary” temples like the Your Keo, before moving on from it duo Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda, the two temples facing each other.

We ended this 3rd and final day with Angkor Wat , and by the admission of my fellow travelers, it is not the most impressive. At the time we were there, we were able to afford the "luxury" of taking a nap break in the temple given how quiet it was. It was just early afternoon, most people were still digesting in Siem Reap and it is still too early for sunset enthusiasts (which gives magnificent colors to the frescoes surrounding the lower floor).

In summary, a relatively hairy program, certainly we were out of season (mid-August) but it is clear that there were groups. We managed to get around the problem thanks to the tips in this article, and once again, thanks to Tugdual for these tips at the base!

If you visited Angkor, did you have people? Tempted to come back?