We arrived in Siem Reap to hot sunshine and it was easy to see why this is a tourist hotspot in Cambodia given its location close to the Angkor Wat complex, with busy streets, hundreds of restaurants, bars and hotels. We were destined for the Sofitel set in luxurious grounds with a huge central open-air swimming pool and lake! (See photos).
Legend has it that the name was given by King Ang Chan (1516–1566) as “Siem Reap”, meaning “the flat defeat of Siam” - today’s Thailand. This centuries-old conflict between the Siamese and Khmer peoples is recorded in some of the bas-relief carvings on the monuments that we were about to visit in the Angkor Wat complex.
After a freshen up, it was time to leave for our first visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Angkor Archaeological Park. Security was tight with each entrant to this vast site required to have a photo ID pass but the admin was swift and only took about 20 minutes to complete. We were to visit the south gate of Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple and the Leper King and Elephant Terraces.
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