Phnom Bok - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Banteay Samre was built in the distinctive Angkor Wat style of construction and art and is a large, relatively low-rise temple. It was built around the same time as Angkor Wat, and the influence can be seen in the towers and railings which strongly resemble the towers of its larger and more famous cousin.

The Banteay Srey Butterfly Centre (BBC) is a new tourist attraction for Siem Reap Province featuring a live display of Cambodian butterflies. it is the largest enclosed butterfly center in Southeast Asia. The center is sometimes referred to as the Angkor Butterfly Center.

East Mebon is a mountain temple that was built in the middle of the 10th century. It was built by King Rajendravarman II and dedicated to Shiva. Mebon is a pyramid of terraces with stunning sculptures and statues, including the 2m high elephants which sit on each corner. Although not as popular as the main temples, it is a widely visited temple and one that you should definitely make time for during your visit to Siem Reap.

The Khmer temple of Ta Som, located at the eastern end of the Northern Baray at Angkor, was built at the end of the twelfth century during the reign of the powerful Buddhist King Jayavarman VII. Little is known of the history and purpose of Ta Som. It was likely dedicated to Jayavarman VII’s father, although some have speculated that it may have been dedicated to one of his teachers. The site is relatively small compared with the many other temples built under Jayavarman’s reign.

The Pre Rup was the state temple of King Rajendravarman II. It is a mountain temple built in the year 961, located just south of the large East Baray and the East Mebon, another mountain temple build by Rajendravarman II just 9 years earlier. In the early 20th century the Pre Rup had been completely overgrown and covered with soil. The temple was excavated during the 1930s and now it is one of the prime attractions in Cambodia.

The Landmine Museum represents an agonizing window into the realism of the country’s land mine situation – during Cambodia’s 3-decade-long conflict, approximately 6 million land mines were planted in the nation. This museum was founded in 1997 by Aki Ra, with the aim to make the country safe through the removal of mines from wherever he could find them. Aki Ra was forced to work as a minelayer by the Khmer Rouge, planting land mines from an age as young as 5 years old.