20250425 Regent Seven Seas Voyager Cruise Bangkok to Dubai, Day 4, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm

Regent Seven Seas Voyager Bangkok to Dubai Day 4 - Siem Reap, Cambodia, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm Tomb Raiding

Ahh, sleep. We got between 7 & 8 hours of it last night, and it was a welcome change. I was hoping for another good one tonight since today was long and hot again. With the heat, our guide scheduled the temple stops - the ones with the most walking, in the cooler morning hours. And by cooler, I mean in the high 80s to low 90s with high humidity as opposed to the mid-90s and higher humidity in the afternoon.

Our first stop today was Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm was initiated in 1186 AD by King Jayavarman VII.  Originally known as Rajavihara, it is a Khmer temple built in the Bayon style, completed in the early 13th century. Its unique style with trees growing on top of and through the buildings made it popular with tourists, as did its appearance in the Angelina Jolie movie, Tomb Raider.

Restoration work is underway at Ta Prohm

As we entered the complex, we were greeted with music provided by victims of land mines, still very much a problem in Cambodia

Yes, that tree is growing out of the top of the building

The roots at the bottom were amazing

Intricate carvings along the wall

A silk cotton tree

Roots growing along and into the walls

Hey - what's in the tree? We'll get a closer look in a minute.

Can you tell yet?

More impressive roots

The interior door frames were made from thick wood

Speaking of thick wood, look at how thick those roots are

Hey, there are more of those things

They are killer bees' hives - our guide said ten stings can be fatal

A cool lattice-like tree

This tree was featured in Tomb Raider

That is a ficus tree

A tomb for the King's mother

More amazing roots

The western entry/exit for Ta Prohm - the faces are thought to represent the King

We boarded the bus for the short ride to our next stop, the temple complex Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom was also built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century and served as the final capital of the Khmer Empire. Angkor Thom translates to "Great City" and was the center of his empire. The city was surrounded by a 7.5-mile wall and a moat that measured over 300 feet. The 3.5 square mile city remained the capital until it was eventually abandoned in the 16th century. 

We drove around the Terrace of the Elephants with its wall featuring elephants carved into it

Approaching the main complex

We passed several large Buddhas

The Banyon Temple

The towers have faces carved into them

Scholars disagree on what/who the faces represent

A reclining Buddha

Carvings representing battles

Another Buddha

Faces everywhere

Some of the carvings were incredibly intricate

Yup, another Buddha

One of the two entrance gates

Driving away from Angkor Thom

As we headed toward our lunch venue, we caught a view of Angkor Wat in the distance

Our lunch spot - a traditional Cambodian restaurant

We had a fixed menu

Local beer, of course

Arlona went another way with a Sex on the Beach

Pomelo salad

Pror Her Soup

A different local beer - I like Angkor better

The nicely presented beef Lok Lak and stir-fried morning glory

And the jasmine rice

A nice fruit plate with watermelon, pineapple, dragon fruit, and banana

Our next stop was a local craft factory. Disadvantaged locals are given jobs to produce traditional Cambodian handicrafts, with the sales benefiting them and the underprivileged.

Cotton and silk fibers are spun into yarn

Artisans use looms to produce items like scarves and towels

Wood carvers produce art pieces

Stone carvers produce statues and other art pieces

Paint and lacquer are applied to banboo to make art pieces

Artists weave natural fibers from plants to make baskets and other items

Waste leather is recycled into art as well

It was interesting seeing how manual the entire process is. The artists are learning a trade, and the sales benefit the needy. It also preserves the traditional Cambodian techniques.

As we exited, we saw a pair of these lovely  painted Jezebels flitting about - the top of the wings is white, and it creates a flash of color as it flies

We returned to the hotel with a few hours on our own this afternoon. Arlona took a dip in the hotel pool as I wrote up today's adventures. We both took a bit of a rest before tonight's performance dinner in the hotel.

The hotel has a side area dedicated to Cambodian Culture. It was set up with luminaries lining the pathways and cultural appetizer stations representing different areas in Cambodia. 

A variety of insects

Fried rice balls with coconut cream sauce

Beef skewers

Fried crispy shrimp cakes

Fruit selection

Bananas with pounded rice

Pounding the rice

We enjoyed the crispy shrimp cakes, rice balls, and the beef skewers. We avoided the fried insects. Drinks were also provided.

Before dinner started, we were treated to a performance of the Peacock Dance.

Our multi-course dinner offered a taste of Cambodia.

Our first course came out in style

The palette cleanser course was served on formed ice with flashing lights underneath

The meal was great. Each course was interesting and presented very nicely.

During dinner, we watched four traditional Cambodian dances between courses.

A band and a singer accompanied the dancers

The dancers

The two tall ones were definitely not the dancers

We returned to the joys of air conditioning in our room. Arlona tried playing phone games for about two minutes before passing out. This heat is oppressive, and we are feeling its effects along with still being low on sleep. Tomorrow is an easy day. We'll eat breakfast and then get ready to depart the hotel. We meet in the lobby at 9:30. We'll drive to the airport and fly back to Bangkok. Then, we'll make the 75-minute drive to Laem Chabang, where we will embark on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager. Tomorrow will be an exciting day.