Koh Ker Travel Guide

This ancient Khmer site is 60 miles northeast of its much more famous counterpart, Angkor, but it offers a far more adventurous alternative to Angkor if exploring remote jungle-clad temples is your thing.

For a brief period between 928 and 944 AD, Koh Ker was the capital of the mighty Khmer empire under King Jayavarman IV and his son. Koh Ker is dominated by a lovely 30-meter temple called Prasat Thom, which looks over a valley littered with smaller temples and monuments from the Khmer era.

But there are 38 known temples, called prasat, around Koh Ker that are dedicated to Hindu gods such as Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu.

The area around Koh Ker has only recently been demined so few travelers know about it or have been. Visitor facilities are basic and few, but for a real taste of overgrown long-lost jungle temples, Koh Ker is a great bet.

Just be sure and heed any warning signs posted about mines. They are a real threat, and areas outside the temples have not been cleared. The site is located just 3 hours from Siem Reap, making it fairly easy to reach if you have your own transport.

Getting There & Away

The easiest way to reach Koh Ker is from Siem Reap, around 3 hours’ drive along a fairly decent road. Visitors will need to arrange their own transport as no public transport goes to Koh Ker. Siem Reap has a small airport serving regional flights, or there’s always the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh a few hours further south that handles international flights.