Where We Be
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Ta Prohm feels wonderfully remote but is actually quite easy to reach, being located only a kilometer east of Angkor Thom |
| Ta Prohm -- Angkor, Cambodia |
| Ta Prohm combines crumbling ruins with nature run wild -- a paradise for photographers |
| Visit first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon and you'll have the place largely to yourself |
| Built in the late 12th century, Ta Prohm has 700 years of time working against it. Things probably looked quite a bit different in the days of the Khmer kings. |
| The temple's partially collapsed state means you have to take a circuitous route through it. This makes it easy to get disoriented but in a good way -- making the whole experience more Tomb Raideresque. |
| What lies beyond the jumble of stones? Only Lara Croft knows. |
| One of three main galleries at Ta Prohm, as seen from the outside |
| The third gallery was reconstructed as shown above -- so not everything has been left as found |
| Visiting Ta Prohm shortly after sunrise, when the jungle is fully alive with birdsong and other unusual sounds, is a sensory-rich experience |
| Powerful tree roots grow right over and sometimes through the ruins |
Ta Prohm is better known these days as the
Tomb Raider Temple -- a nickname that instantly
conjures up images of an ancient temple half-
covered in vines and writhing roots. The mix of
evocative ruins with nature run amok makes
this one of our favorite Angkor temples. Many
doorways are blocked by piles of stone, making
you wonder what undiscovered treasure might
lie beyond. Partially collapsed corridors make it
easy to get lost inside the maze as you happily
wander about. Trees with huge grasping roots
grow right into and over the ruins. Adding to
the sense of wildness are the jungle sounds
coming from above: exotic birdsong, buzzing
insects, and who-knows-what-all hooting away
up there. This temple feels mysterious and
remote precisely because it was left in much
the same condition in which it was found. We
recommend you visit Ta Prohm first thing in the
morning to beat the crowds; having the place to
yourself definitely adds to the ambience.
Tomb Raider Temple -- a nickname that instantly
conjures up images of an ancient temple half-
covered in vines and writhing roots. The mix of
evocative ruins with nature run amok makes
this one of our favorite Angkor temples. Many
doorways are blocked by piles of stone, making
you wonder what undiscovered treasure might
lie beyond. Partially collapsed corridors make it
easy to get lost inside the maze as you happily
wander about. Trees with huge grasping roots
grow right into and over the ruins. Adding to
the sense of wildness are the jungle sounds
coming from above: exotic birdsong, buzzing
insects, and who-knows-what-all hooting away
up there. This temple feels mysterious and
remote precisely because it was left in much
the same condition in which it was found. We
recommend you visit Ta Prohm first thing in the
morning to beat the crowds; having the place to
yourself definitely adds to the ambience.
| Lavishly detailed carvings remain intact among the ruins |
