Banteay Srey’s red sandstone radiates warmth under the early morning sunlight. I visited this ancient temple with an Aussie mate, Geoff, before the crowds started flowing in. The Joker chose to stay in bed and have a sleep-in while we ventured out early in a tuk tuk.
It was great to be able to wander around and then sit back in peace and take in the view before the crowds made it impossible to move. Banteay Srey, located about 32 kilometres north-east of Siem Reap, is a relatively small temple compared to the famous Angkor Wat. It was built in the 10th century and was dedicated to the Hindu God, Shiva.
It’s name, Banteay Srey, means citadel of the women or citadel of beauty and is believed to be because of the incredibly intricate and well-preserved carvings throughout the temple. These amazing ancient structures are dotted around Siem Reap but we have only been to a few on this trip. The price of visiting is pretty steep for anyone who wants to pop in regularly ($20 for a day) so we are waiting until visitors arrive and we can share the experience with them.
Have you got any ancient wonders or some stunning architecture where you live?
*This series was inspired by Holly at Four Around the World. I’ve linked up with her Snapshot Story Sunday. This idea behind this post is to share the story behind the photo and perhaps bring out a few photos from the archives. All our archived pics are on hard drives in Australia so I’m creating some new photo memories along the way. Enjoy!
Holly says
That is such a stunning photo. A place I really want to visit too. The name is perfect, as it is beautiful. Thanks so much for linking up
Sam Walker says
Hi Holly, thanks for the invite to link up and for the kind words. Hope you get to visit one day.
Ruthie says
Beautiful photo! I love that you travelled early to experience the temples before the crowds arrive. Best way to connect to the culture and your surrounding don’t you think? I remember the crowds in Bangkok were overwhelming when we visited the Golden Buddha and alike. It would’ve been a dream to have the experience all to ourselves.
Sam Walker says
Hi Ruthie, thanks for stopping by. Yes, it is the sad part about popular places – you have to share them with everyone else. So many places I’d like to go and just take in the surrounds with no-one around. A bit of peace to absorb what you are actually seeing.
Fairlie says
It’s beautiful light in that photo! I loved the particularly red colour of Banteay Srey when we visited it. So many great temples to visit around Siem Reap – you’re wise to spread them out to share with your visitors as that will make each one very special. We suffered a bit from temple overload by trying to see too much in a couple of days. (Came here via Mammalovestravel)
Sam Walker says
Thank you Fairlie for stopping by and taking the time to comment. One of the beauties of visiting early in the morning is not just the lack of crowds but also the beautiful light which works very well with the beautiful red sandstone of Banteay Srey. It is very easy to get templed out in Temple Town. And on hot days, clambering around ruins is exhausting. Great you got to see them though 🙂
Karissa @ OCD Kitchen says
Very Cool temple! I hope to journey around like you do someday!
Sam Walker says
Thanks Karissa. I hope you get to travel around as well. It really is an education as well as a lot of fun.