ANGKOR THOM

Angkor Thom literally means "the great capital". Built under the supervision of ruler Jayavarman VII in the late ^12th century, it is enclosed by a 3 x 3 km, 8 m-high wall. Five gates open onto the site, one at each cardinal point and the "Gate of Victory" to the northeast. While the latter was reserved for large military parades, today's tourist circuit prefers to enter Angkor Thom through the better-preserved southern gate. Each of the gates features four massive faces, and it's unclear whether they represent the Buddha, the king himself, or perhaps the guardians of the cardinal points. At the entrance to the gates, stone bridges span the moat, depicting an episode from the myth of the "Churning of the Sea of Milk": the Devas, deities of the Hindu pantheon, have lost their immortality; to regain it, they decide to join forces with the Asuras (demons) to create amrita, the nectar of immortality. To do this, they must rotate Mount Mandara, which will turn the Sea of Milk and produce the elixir of eternal life. The Devas, with the help of Vishnu and Shiva, then seize the amrita, at the expense of the Asuras. On either side of the bridge, giants can still be seen pulling a snake, as in this episode. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of theft and looting, and only the one at the south gate is still in good condition.
Once inside the walls of Angkor Thom, you'll discover the remains of the largest city of the Middle Ages; in addition to the royal palace and magnificent temples, including Bayon, built in the center of the city, you can admire the ingenuity of Khmer architects. The many irrigation canals and the natural slope of the site ensured a remarkable flow of water to irrigate the many rice paddies that fed the hundreds of thousands of people who lived there. As the majority of dwellings were made of wood, only the stone constructions remain; in addition to Bayon, you should see Baphuon, the Phiméanakas, Preah Palilay, Tep Pranam, Preah Pitu, North and South Kléang, as well as the Leper King and Elephant terraces. Most are must-sees when visiting Angkor, and many are overrun by tourists as soon as the sun rises. So you'll have to alternate between sites that are preserved from the hustle and bustle and those that welcome the thousands of curious visitors from all over the world to admire this jewel of Khmer civilization.