Road trip: Rubble in the Jungle: Banteay Chhmar (13-17 May 2009) Pt. 1
Friday May 15, 2009Another holiday (Royal Ploughing Day and the King’s Birthday, which curiously lasts three days), another road trip. Destination: Banteay Chhmar.
The temple called Banteay Chhmar (‘Citadel of the Cats’) lies in Cambodia’s northwestern province of Banteay Meanchey, some 100 kilometers northeast of Angkor, near the Thai border.
It was built in the 12th century, but why and why at that exact location is not clear. Later, additional annexes and walls were built.
Nowadays, the temple is in rather bad condition, and time and looting have removed many carvings. Nevertheless, there are still some very impressive carvings and decorations.
Wear decent shoes to climb the stones and rubble, which are piled up meters high. Look out for carvings of apsaras, musicians, lion-headed telamons, 32-armed gods, and the obligatory four-faced towers. The best time to see the carvings is mid-day, when there’s not too much contrast between light and dark. The best time to soak up the atmosphere is late afternoon, when the sun goes down. Count half a day for a relaxed visit.
The Global Heritage Fund is running a restoration project. $5 entrance is charged.
Here’s a basic map of the temple:
(Adapted from: Claude Jacques, Angkor Cities and Temples, River Books Press, 2006)
Getting there
Camrys and pickup trucks leave all day from the Sisophon transport stop to Banteay Chhmar town, which surrounds the temple. The road is not too bad. Tentative price: 10,000-20,000 riel.
Accommodation
As part of a Community Tourism Project five houses are available for homestays. Click here for more information. There are also seemed to be a few basic private-run guesthouses in town.
Eating and drinking
The town market offers basic food. A late afternoon-evening sweets shop some 100 meters west of the market offers fruit shakes and Cambodian desserts.
Sources:
- Claude Jacques, Angkor Cities and Temples, River Books Press, 2006
- Beverley Palmer and Steven Martin, The Rough Guide to Cambodia – 2nd Edition, Rough Guides, London, Sept 2005
Did I mention that during the three days I was there, I only saw about three or four small groups of tourists?
And the only foreigners I saw were two people on a motorbike who arrived after dusk the night before I left the town. I’m assuming they were foreigners – I didn’t see a square centimeter of their skin – because they were both wearing a full motorbike suit, riding boots and helmets. Cambodians would’ve been wearing a T-shirt, a baseball cap and flipflops.