This was a short tour, 3 days in total from Aug 1 – 3, heading northwest from Siem Reap into Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey and back to Siem Reap. Due to other obligations, getting the Ancient Cambodia book finalised and so on, we had not really had a break since our last tour in January and it was well overdue! There was no great plan for this trip, just to have a short break and get some fresh photos, but it turned out to me way more interesting than I thought.
Considering it’d be sealed roads for the most part and no camping, we take take one bike, the Honda Dream instead of the two Honda Waves, how exciting! Of course it isn’t, but like the Wave, the Honda Dream gets the job done, and it’s bit more comfortable.
Day 1
From Siem Reap we’d head to Angkor Chum village and grab some breakfast at the market, Bai Sach Chrouk of course which is about the only thing I eat when travelling. Afterwards going for a wander around the pagoda, Wat Char Chhouk, which features remnants of an ancient temple that it seemingly replaced.
From there, it’s only a few minutes to the Kdei Ta Kom Group of ancient sites that includes several bridges, standing temples and archeological sites that we have covered previously in 2021. Recently the Kdei Ta Kom Thom site has been cleared once again with new signage added which is nice to see, so, a chance to get some fresh photos. Nearby is the smaller Kdei Ta Kom and Spean Chang-er which had a full head of water. Nearby are two other bridges, remains of a firehouse, and a moated site without remnants which we didn’t revisit this time around.
Next we’d head to Preah Phnom, en route we’d stop by what clearly looks like a temple site on satellite view, and sure enough, it was. For now I’ll label it Rovieng Thmei Temple until I found out it’s real name. Speaking to the locals there, the last time someone visited the site was a foreigner some 10 years ago. A little further north is Preah Phnom. I haven’t been back here since 2021 and it’s now adopted a whole new character, seemingly showing more “blackness” of weather induced oxidation and a little more overgrown.
I get the feeling they’ll be, or should be, promoting the Kdei Ta Kom Group and Preah Phnom area as a day trip from Siem Reap. The roads are good, great actually, and there’s enough attractions in a centralised area to make it an interesting and rewarding day.
North of here is a site I’ve wanted to visit for the last two years, a curious circular site (last image above) perhaps quite similar to Phum Lvea, some time ago I tried to reach it from Kok Mon Temple to the north but impossible on moto at that time, so this time try from the south. After pushing through deep loose sand for 1km or more, there was a flooded impasse, so, we’d have to go on foot. But sadly, there’s not quite enough time in the day for a expedition on foot with Samroang still one hour away. So, we’ll make a dedicated trip on an another day and take the Honda Wave which is better suited to trails like that.
We’d quickly drop by Wat Moung-Botum Temple which sits at the center of an intriguing cluster of four archeological sites. None have any notable visible remnants today but Mong Temple to the north was once a group of nine shrines as recorded by Lajonquiere in the 1900s who believed it likely to be hiding an inscription beneath its rubble. Prasat Lic to the south did actually provide an inscribed stele which Coedes noted as being fragmentary, revealing at the least that Buddhist images were installed there possibly during the reign of Jayavarman VII. Another site, Kok Balang, immediately to the east features a large mound and a sole sandstone fragment.
As for Wat Moung-Botum, it features an incredibly well-preserved Chedi that *may* be around 100 years or older. It also preserves at least one stone sema from the vihara that proceeded the pagoda we see today.
We would get to take a look at one of the circular like sites around Klang Hay Commune of Srei Snam while en route to Wat Lbeuk. These circular sites are without any visible indication of moats. Some appear undeveloped and hopefully stay that way for archeologists to one-day reveal more than we know now, and if in fact they are ancient. Below are Google Earth images of the several of these distinctive patterns clustered in a 35 sq km area. The last image is a drone shot of Slaeng Ta Vet village.
Wat Lbeuk is apparently an ancient site that, noting historical images, was redeveloped into a Buddhist vihara sometime after the Angkor era one could guess. Today it features a contemporary pagoda and some remnants of that earlier vihara including sema. If you’re looking for the tire repair guy, he’s at the southeast corner of what was once the ancient temples baray (reservoir), now surrounded by homes.
Next stop would be Spean Toap, how can you not stop there. Then Cheung Tien Temple which features the rearranged remains of a temple on the monastery grounds. It’s unclear when the re-arrangement took place.
Daylight had almost finished by this time and it was straight to Samroang, staying at the Choranay Inn once again.
Day 2
Next day we’d head west along Road 56 and stop at Prasat Kap Kong which is a moat surrounded site featuring a large laterite platform that may have once supported a trio of shrines. Historical notes suggest they may have never been built or completed, regardless there does seem to be a scattering of brick and sandstone fragments to suggest otherwise.
Next stop was Wat Sokunthearam Kouk Mon which features a contemporary pagoda party surrounded by a moat. Several sandstone pedestals can be seen on the grounds and a beautiful sandstone temple crown resting in front of the Buddha statue. To west by a large baray there’s a Neak Ta shelter with a sandstone fragment presenting some curious iconography.
We’d head north from here and get some fresh photos of Prasat Chan. I’m more convinced know that is an asrama/”palais” and unrelated to the ancient road. Next, we’d head up the mountain to Ta Muen Thom Temple and get some fresh photos. This time, which I didn’t do last time, take the trail to the west and see the remains of the ancient “staircase”/causeway that led from the edge of the mountain. Also featuring a sandstone elephant sculpture giving the site is name Preah Damrei (or Prasat Damrei on Google Maps). The staircase/causeway is interesting, seemingly terminating into a foot trail leading down the mountain while laterite paving leads northwards, but for how far I do not know The large collection of sandstone remnants suggest there’s much more to know. The Khmer guards led us over further to a beautiful lookout where we sat and chatted for a while.
We’d stop by Wat Ta Muean which houses a collection of ancient temple relics, this time, there was a local who could inform us that most of the pieces come from from the nearby Chan temple.
We always try to stop at as many pagodas as we can and Wat Prey Veng was definitely a worthwhile stop. The friendly monk houses a collection of relics from the wider area, deposited here for safekeeping. There is a large collection of well-preserved ceramics, which is interesting, I do not know how old they may be while inside his quarters he houses numerous fragments from ancient temples sites, circa 11th century. It’s quite a nice monastery and he hopes to make a small museum to preserve all the pieces and present the local culture/heritage.
Next stop was Soeng Temple, which was nearly submerged and locals suggest its safer to visit again in dry season. According to historical notes it was collapsed as far back as the 1900s, although it was noted for having interesting bollards on its eastern causeway, which if still there, would be well and truly underwater. Next time.
Continuing west along Road 56, we’d stop at Si Liem Temple which seems to have been excavated in recent times exposing a seemingly significant series of shrines. All that remains is the basement of said shrines, sandstone fragments of pedestals and such. It’s heavily engulfed in shrub and I couldn’t really make out what the original configuration of the shrines may have been.
Stopping by every pagoda we could, next along was Wat Sovan Mealea Ov Lok which houses a collection features numerous pedestals, a pediment fragment, a colonette, and several temple crowns from a circa 11th century site.
We’d make it to Banteay Chhmar for a late lunch, there’s slim pickings in town as it’s only just now beginning to bounce back apparently. For our time there we didn’t spot any other visitors.
It’s the fourth visit to Banteay Chhmar temple since 2021 and every time it presents something new that I had not noticed before. It really is a very special temple. Making it even more interesting is the work that’s been going on over that same time in restoring the western gallery wall featuring the amazing and unique depictions of Avalokiteshvara, and now, the western section of the north gallery wall which has just been completed.
We’d stay at the Banteay Chhmar guesthouse once again, the next day I did notice there is another near the market. I don’t know which is better.
Day 3
The next day, we’d get some fresh photos of Prasat Ta Naem and my favorite of the outer satellite shrines, Prasat Samnang Ta Sok.
We’d also get some drone footage and then it was time to head back to Siem Reap. We’d stop for a break at Wat Prasat Toek Chum with the kind monks introduction some artifacts I did no see on the last visit many years ago. In conversation, it came up that there was an old bridge to the south, so the village chief turned up and led us down to take a look. It was the location of a large wooden bridge on a road that apparently linked the road of Siem Reap to Banteay Chhmar temple before the development of the modern road we use today. Was it also the road the that linked to Banteay Chhmar temple in ancient times? Regardless of that question, a big thanks goes out to the village chief for sparing his time.
We’d stop for a drink in Samroang, then again at Wat Pongro, which appears to have a laterite quarry, and again at Wat Chong Kal before making it back to Siem Reap in the late afternoon.
Concluding, it turns out our short break would be far more interesting than expected leaving plenty of reasons to return and explore more.
See more tour journals here and all the sites visited Siem Reap, Oddar Meanchey, and Banteay Meanchey.