The Best Spot in Cambodia for Watching Sunsets - Bakheng Temple.

Bakheng Temple (Phnom Temple) is located northwest of Angkor Wat and is a Hindu temple in the form of a pyramid. The temple's height dominates all other buildings of the Angkor monuments and is the most popular spot in the area for watching the sunset. Every sunset, the western side of the top tier of Bakheng Temple is always crowded with tourists coming to watch the sunset. Bakheng Temple was built by Yasovarman I between 889 and 910 AD. In 893, Yasovarman I established the capital of the Angkor dynasty next to Bakheng Mountain and subsequently built the royal temple of Bakheng Temple on the mountain in 889. Although Bakheng Temple is only 67 meters high, it offers a very broad view, overlooking the entire face of Angkor. Bakheng Temple is established on a flat mountaintop, below which are five steep tiers of the base, each 15 meters high and square in shape. Each tier has ten stone steps, but the area decreases with each level, from 76 meters on each side at the bottom to only 47 meters at the top. The closer to the summit, the steeper the steps become, and eventually, you'll find that with each step you take, about half of your back foot is hanging in the air. At the summit, there are five towers, located in the center and four corners, symbolizing the five peaks of Mount Meru. However, if you pay close attention along the way, you'll find that these towers are everywhere, distributed at every corner of each tier, totaling 108, representing the sum of the cosmic order in Hinduism. There are two ways to climb Bakheng Mountain. Besides walking up the mountain, the other option is to ride an elephant, but the cost is not cheap, charging 10 to 15 US dollars for a one-way trip up or down the mountain. However, due to elephant protection, riding elephants up the mountain is not recommended here. Walking up the mountain is not too difficult; the old trail has been closed due to disrepair, and now tourists can take a newly opened trail to reach the base of Bakheng Mountain in 15 minutes. The road is flat and surrounded by birds and flowers, which is also a nice experience. At the base of Bakheng Mountain, to continue climbing to Bakheng Temple, you must first queue up here to get a Temple Pass. Since Bakheng Mountain has a total control limit of 300 people, but too many tourists love to come here to watch the sunset, if you don't arrive early in the morning to queue at the base, you may only be able to sigh at the sunset. It is generally recommended that if you want to catch the sunset before six o'clock, you should be prepared to arrive at the entrance around four o'clock. Otherwise, once the Temple Passes are distributed, you can only climb the mountain after someone comes down (since everyone is here to watch the sunset, someone coming down means the sunset is over). In addition, Bakheng Mountain is open from 7 AM to 6 PM, but control starts at 5:30 PM, and the Bakheng Temple at the summit is not allowed to enter, and visitors must start descending in an orderly manner. So if you arrive too late, you may only make a wasted trip to the summit. As the time for sunset approaches, the sun begins to slowly sink in the west, and the afterglow spills over the distant Tonle Sap Lake and the jungle where the Angkor Wat monuments are located. Paired with egg-yolk-colored clouds, it forms a gorgeous sunset scene. It is said that the sunset at Bakheng Mountain is rated as one of the top ten most beautiful sunsets in the world, definitely a place not to be missed. Additionally, since Bakheng Temple has a 360-degree view, if you don't want to squeeze with others at Angkor Wat, this is also a good choice for watching the sunrise. Ticket Price: General admission ticket for the scenic area, one-day ticket 37 US dollars, three-day ticket 62 US dollars, seven-day ticket 72 US dollars Opening Hours: 7:30 AM to 6 PM Address: Angkor Archaeological Park, Krong Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia