One of the largest and most remote temple complexes in Cambodia, Banteay Chhmar is located in a charming village with an excellent community based tourism initiative.
Despite driving allllll day through barren countryside, along a bumpy dirt road that is generally impassable in the monsoon season (June-October), you are greeted with a oasis of sorts: Fourteen charming villages situated around the 2 by 2.5 km moat that surrounds the temple grounds, collectively named after the massive ruins of Banteay Chhmar, “the Citadel of the Cat”.
Built for the son of King Jayavarman VII, who died in battle before his father would become king, Banteay Chhmar has only recently undergone some restoration. Bayon-style towers with the faces looking in opposing directions are mostly in ruins. Collapsed towers and interconnecting gallery chambers are exhilarating to walk through (there are no guards to stop you) and exploring the mazes of overgrown courtyards that are scattered with stones from collapsed towers is a genuine Tomb Raider experience.
As perhaps the only visitors there, if you get separated it might be a while before you reconnoiter; Banteay Chhmar is a sprawling, convoluted, and overgrown temple complex whose grounds are larger than nearly any other in Cambodia, enjoyable to explore as the face towers and relief carvings are hidden amidst the debris and dense jungle that surrounds the temple.
Highlights of the temple that echo others built by Jayavarman VII, such as Angkor Thom, include the partially reconstructed southern causeway featuring parallel columns of gods and demons holding the bodies of massive sandstone nagas (mythical serpents), and the mysterious face towers, some of which remain at the central sanctuary.
Bas-reliefs at the temple are both artistically and historically important; those on site include the multi-armed Avalokiteshvara (Lokeshvara), the Boddhisava of Compassion, and a number of battle scenes, while those that have been removed by looters or for preservation include scenes depicting the life of Jayavarman VII, such as the king relaxing with his wife and concubines.
As you scramble over boulders to the music of numerous bird species, dangerous snakes are an unlikely worry (its easy to forget that the overgrown grounds are still within a moat!); however, malaria is a legitimate concern. The northeast border area near Thailand have a high malaria risk from a strain that is resistant to many antimalarial drugs.
While Banteay Chhmar and nearby temples can be accessed on a long day trip from Sisophan or Siem Reap, you may have a more enjoyable visit if you combine your trip to the temples with a home-stay in a nearby village, where you can experience rural Cambodian life.
Getting There
Buses run to Banteay Chhmar from Siem Reap, although its remoteness out near the Thai border makes it a long and arduous trip as National Road No.56 is one of the worst major roadways in Cambodia. The nearest international airport is in Siem Reap.
The temples around Banteay Chhmar can be visited as a single destination or as part of a northern border loop, including Anlong Veng, where Pol Pot’s grave is located, and even Prasat Preah Vihear for those on the ultimate remote temples circuit.
Need to Know
- What is It?: One of the largest, most remote, and most ruined Angkor era temple in Cambodia.
- When to Go: head to Banteay Chhmar sometime December through March to be sure of dry weather.
- Nearest Town: The temple is located just south of Banteay Chhmar commune, which is located north of Sisophan (the provincial capital). Banteay Chhmar is a good days-drive from Siem Reap, where an international airport is located.
- Trivia: Banteay Chhmar has been listed by the World Monuments Fund as an endangered site due to severe looting owing to its remoteness.
- Some believe the central sanctuary served as a funerary shrine for the son of Jayavarman VII
- Banteay Chhmar lay near the ancient highways that connected the Khmer capital at Angkor with Phimai and Sdok Kok Thom, both of which are located in modern-day Thailand.
- The main old Khmer inscription found here is on display in Phnom Penh’s National Museum.
- Opening hours: Standard daylight hours.
- Entrance fees: $5