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Our top historic monument is Angkor Wat in Cambodia, a truly remarkable temple complex in one of the Far East's most charming countries. Over 1200 years old in parts, the Temples were the heart of the Khmer empire which, in its heyday, controlled an area from Southern China to Vietnam to eastern India. There's nowhere else quite like it, which is why it's our number one historic monument on the world!
Between the 9th and 13th Centuries AD a series of grand construction projects were undertaken by the rulers of the Khmer empire, using the empire's huge wealth and near-endless labour force. Angkor was the heart of the Khmer empire, and Angkor Wat, the areas main temple complex, was the jewel in the crown. Over the centuries, Angkor lost its power and the Temples of Angkor became more of a legend than a monument. The 'Lost City' of Angkor held huge interest in Europe in the 1860's, and various archaeologists and philologists set about documenting this amazing site. In 1908 a concerted effort was made to clear away the vegetation that had overtaken the site, and despite this process being interrupted by the wars of the 1970's onwards, today Angkor Wat and other sites in the Angkor area are beautifully presented.
 Angkor Wat itself is surrounded by a huge moat, some 1.5 km across, and has three storeys each enclosing a square surrounded by interlinked galleries. Around the outside of the central complex, an 800 metre long bas relief is one of the highlights - the 'Churning of the Ocean Milk', along the southern side, is beautifully carved and immaculately maintained.
Angkor Wat is the most important monument at Angkor, but there are a huge number of other monuments in the area, and any visitor will need a good few days to do the area justice. Angkor Thom is the ancient fortified city that was home to most of Angkor's residents in its heyday, and within Angkor Thom is The Bayon, a mesmerizing structure of giant faces of Avalokitesvara - each of the 200 giant faces stares out from the 54 towers, each with an enigmatic smile. The nearby temple of Ta Prohm is a good example of how Angkor probably looked when it was rediscovered in the 1800's, overgrown with the natural vegetation that blankets much of Cambodia. Wander around the narrow maze of corridors and crumbling structures - make sure to take a photo of the Buddha head that's ended up entangled in the roots of a tree!
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