Also recorded as Aur Pha On, O Phaong, Neak Ta, and Andong Temple. Prasat O Pha-ong is a tall square brick temple on a raised brick terrace. It opens to the east and features three false floors, decreasing in size with each step up, also featuring “mini-prasats” at each corner. Rather than carved elements, it … Read more
There is a sandstone quarry just north of Prasat Beng Mealea that forms part of a river bed. It is quite fascinating to see where the temple originated and the clear lines of where large blocks of sandstone would have been chiselled. It’s also a nice spot to relax, as many do. This creek continues … Read more
Located atop Phnom Kulen and a few minutes west of Anlong Thom village, O’Chup Thnal Campsite is run by the local community and the Anglong Thom CBTC. The site is located by a freshwater stream with sandy banks offering a great place to swim and relax. They have also set up some basic tables, tarpaulins, … Read more
Located west of Anlong Thom village and north of the main road, Peam Kre features two partially standing brick temples. They are aligned on a north-south axis and open to the east. One of the shrines rose up on a seemingly pyramidal base of decent proportions while the other sat a little lower making for … Read more
Located on the north side of Phnom Kulen and south of the village of Kronhoung, at the foot of the mountain slope, it’s a spectacular rock monolith that tapers in at the bottom creating a rock shelter. This natural shelter has in ancient times been put to good use, featuring quite a well-executed rock carving … Read more
Located north of Wat Svay Leu and at the foothills of Phnom Kulen, Peung Komnou features stunning rock carvings. There are actually several separate carvings to see here on a group of rock monoliths. The trail leading to the site is suitable for moto/bike/hike although a vehicle could certainly make it part ways there. The … Read more
Located atop Phnom Kulen, it’s also known as Poeng Maha Eisei, or Pueng Aysey/Ey Sey along with other variants. Naming aside, it’s a small but incredibly scenic and atmospheric spot featuring rock carvings, ponds, and a small cell carved into a large rock with an opening that is framed and flanked by two deity carvings. … Read more
Located on the north side of Phnom Kulen and south of the village of Kronhoung, there are numerous rock monoliths, many of which taper in at the bottom creating a natural shelter, it’s a fascinating place. This particular monolith appears to have been a hermit/ascetics lair, featuring several carvings and remnants of walls formed of … Read more
Also recorded as Poeng Ta Roet, it’s a long alcove in the mountainside below Wat Chas featuring an inscription and carvings dating to the 10th/11th century. The figures include a group of figures commonly known as the Nine Deities seated atop their mounts (Vahana) beside which are two standing deities. One of the standing deities … Read more
Located atop Phnom Kulen and southwest of the village of Anlong Thom, it’s also recorded as Poeng Tbal. A fascinating scenic site with natural rock massifs featuring ancient carvings all sitting at the edge of a natural gulley that is believed to have been developed into a reservoir during ancient times. The groups of rock … Read more
Located around 2km northwest of Beng Mealea Temple on the foothills of Phnom Kulen, is a very unique piece of ancient infrastructure. Around 2020, a local discovered a large sandstone head of a Makara (part lion/part sea creature from Hindu mythology). Recently the site has been excavated and restored revealing it was actually part of … Read more
Also known as “Amazing Cliff”, located atop Kulen Mountain it’s an easy-to-reach site offering impressive views across the canyon below in between the mountain ranges. It is reached off the main road across the top of the mountain where there is a small parking bay and foot trail leading to the site. Around 150 m … Read more
Located just north of the village of Trapeang Popel in Svay Leu district of Siem Reap, Prasat Popel is a group of three laterite temples, that was reported to have had a moat and basin in the east. At the time of visiting, 01/23, the three towers are heavily overgrown although it’s still possible to … Read more
Unknown. Site has recently been cleared but remains unnamed. It sits atop a large raised mound where scattered laterite, brick and sandstone rubble, and several decayed pedestals can be seen including a pedestal with an octagonal center.
Also recorded as Prasat Daun Chan and Dong Chan, it is located around 400m to the southwest of the western entrance of Beng Mealea Temple. It features an outer laterite enclosure wall with a single cruciform entrance pavilion (gopura) on the eastern side and a single shrine with a library building in the southeast corner. … Read more
The site is located southwest of Anlong Thom village, atop Phnom Kulen, along the trail that leads to Rong Chen Temple. Only the base of a brick temple remains to be seen. Notable for the width of its walls, the site is also flanked by a natural rock monolith.
A ruinous brick temple that sits atop an elongated laterite base. Originally it was believed to have had three towers but only one remains partially standing today. Nearby are the scenic and spectacular rock carvings of Peung Moha Ey Say. In front of the site, there is a large exposed section of natural bedrock that … Read more
A ruinous but fascinating site that was once three brick temples with a library building. The temples are raised higher than normal with ascending staircases and traces of ornate carvings can be seen to indicate this would have been a very special and ornate temple site. They are all collapsed, but the base structures are … Read more
Built partway up the side of the scenic Kulen mountain, Ta Ong (or Prasat Tadong) was originally a group of three ancient brick temples, today one tower remains mostly standing. The tower features ornate lintels carved into the brickwork, reminiscent of 7th-century style, and a series of false floors almost appearing as temples stacked atop … Read more
Located atop Phnom Kulen, and often referred to as the Reclining Buddha, Preah Ang Thom (Khmer: ព្រះអង្គធំ) is an 8 meters (26 ft) tall statue of the reclining Buddha reaching nirvana. The statue is carved into a huge natural sandstone boulder to which a modern staircase has been added along with a shelter over the … Read more
Also known as Wat Phnom Bei, it’s located at the foothill of Phnom Kulen and to the northwest of Beng Mealea temple and features a contemporary pagoda located atop a natural rise with spectacular views across the massif of Kulen and the surrounding plains and hills. On an adjacent rise, an arrangement of rocks forming … Read more
Located north of Kulen Mountain in the commune of Kantout, the moated 10th-century temple site features the remains of three temples, “library” building, enclosed by a laterite wall with eastern gopura. Three inscriptions were registered from the site. The site is reasonably easy to reach (12/22) with a farm trail leading off the dirt road … Read more
Along a stretch of the riverbed for around 500 m there are carvings of linga, several big and small yoni, and a large carving of Vishnu. Along the walls of the riverbed, a small carving is also seen in the bedrock. At the very southern end or the beginning of the carvings, there is also … Read more
Located on the north side of Phnom Kulen it’s the ruins of an ancient brick temple. The site was heavily overgrown at the time of visiting, just after the rainy season (01/23) with lots of overgrowths still present, the remains can just barely be spotted from the nearby trail. Only the remains of one brick … Read more
Prasat Rong Chen, or Rong Chen Temple, sits atop Kulen Mountain (Phnom Kulen) located around 60-70km north of Siem Reap and about 2 km southwest of the village of Anlong Thom. It is a fascinating and historically important site dating to the 9th century that is anecdotally touted as where the Khmer King Jayavarman II … Read more
Also recorded as Prasat Preah Trapeang North, it is the remains of a square laterite temple. The temple stands alone, opening to the east with a sandstone doorframe with false doors and pilasters formed in laterite on its other sides. There’s a large mound of bricks with earlier site reports speculating about the temple having … Read more
Located near the Siem Reap-Preah Vihear border, and 1km south of the highway, also known as Prasat Songkei Sheng, it’s a group of four temples, a “library”, with an outer laterite enclosure wall. On visiting on 01/23, the site is quite overgrown but incredibly fascinating featuring three brick towers in a row on a north-south … Read more
Sema Peam Kre is a very unique site in the context of the early Angkor located atop Kulen mountain near to and believed to be contemporaneous to the Banteay (Royal Palace) of Mahendraparvata around the 8-9th century. It is a very early Buddhist site featuring upright large carved stone slabs (sema stones) arranged to demarcate … Read more
Located just east of Beng Mealea, it’s a small ancient bridge that is still in use today and, quite amazingly, holding up to today’s heavy vehicles. It has been sealed over with bitumen and goes completely unnoticed apart from the locals who live on either side. It’s quite small, only around 13-15 m long and … Read more
