The Ancient Royal Road network stretched across the Khmer Empire heading north, east, and west, and amazingly, much of it is still in use today. A fantastic way to explore that ancient trail is via the section that leads from Angkor to Beng Mealea featuring ancient bridges and unique temples along with beautiful countryside and village life.
A great place to begin this trail is from the ancient remains at Banteay Kbal Chen, then heading east-northeast taking in bridges and remote temples ending at Beng Mealea and its surrounding sites. It’s a huge day of exploring and one that is packed with wonder and will no doubt fill every camera SD card you have.
There are a lot of sites along this route, but many are lost to time and difficult to reach, so, to fit everything in one day here are top sights
Map
Banteay Kbal Chen
Originally believed to be a 10th-century brick temple that had a central shrine flanked either side by library buildings. Today only the laterite outer wall remains with only scattered remnants of the original temple seen such as colonette fragments. The walled area has been filled with earth and topped with a contemporary shrine.
Spean Thmâ Stoeng Toch
An ancient bridge measuring 25 meters long and 3 meters wide with parts of its original sandstone balustrades still in situ.
Chau Srei Vibol
A curious, ruinous and charming walled temple, featuring an outer walled enclosure with a temple ruins atop a large rise.
Banteay Ampil
More incredibly charming ruins, and rarely visited ones. It is a walled temple with three gopuras (gates) and a central tower that is flanked by two library buildings.
Ta Phou
Remains of a laterite temple that is curiously built attached to a rock shelter. It appears as it would have opened from the east with sandstone doorways leading to a shrine/balan at the rock face.
O Thmâ Dap
A sandstone quarry located just north of Beng Mealea that forms part of a river bed. It is quite fascinating to see where the temple originated from and the clear lines of where large blocks of sandstone would have been chiseled from. It’s also a nice spot to relax.
Beng Mealea
The largest site on this journey, charming, ruinous and feature packed.
Terrace Rahal
Located on the western side of Beng Mealea’s baray, and raerly visited, it is a very large cruciform sandstone terrace that connects to the eastern entrance of Beng Mealea via a bollarded causeway.
Veal Phtei Temple
A recently restored shrine located in the center of Beng Mealea’s baray comprised of a tall column atop of which is a seated Buddha on Naga.
Chrei
A sandstone temple with two libraries, outer wall with entry gopura, terrace (listed here), and basin.
Kong Pluk
Featuring a stepped laterite pyramid and mammoth terrace, it’s not to be missed on an excursion to Beng Mealea.
Parts of this trail are still dirt roads meaning it’s a path best explored in the dry season or at least not straight after the rain, that said it’s not a rough goat trail, actually, it’s mostly smooth and quite wonderful to experience just as it was 1000s of years ago.
Of course, there are beautiful village views and Kulen mountain views too.
You’ll also spot several Neak Ta shelters along the way holding locally revered items. Tik Chob Khnar Pu Community Eco Resort is also out this way and a scenic landscaped and themed monastery.
