Lakes full of dead trees surround the dilapidated house of the former ruler of Cambodia, and they make a suitably eerie border around what is a somber and confusing tourist attraction.
Pol Pot’s House is located in Anlong Veng, a town near the border with Thailand. It is about three hours by road from Siem Reap so visitors to the temples of Angkor often find their way here on a brief side trip, typically on their way to preah-vihear temples or en route to or from neighboring Thailand.
There isn’t really a great deal to see at the house, which is modest and plain and decorated only with a few scraps of furniture. Some glass-covered papers indicated the positions of writing desks and other assorted points of interest, while the information about Pol Pot, displayed in front of the house, could be found in any guidebook.
Rainy days seem to suit this bleak ‘memorial’ of one of the world’s darkest chapters, presided over by the tyrant who lived here and ordered the deaths of millions of Cambodians. Its location near the grand and magnificent treasures of the ancient Khmer world only adds to the impact of what is otherwise an unremarkable structure hidden away in the rural paths of the country.
Getting There
Busses, taxis and tuk tuks run regularly out of Siem Reap, though the best way to visit is via taxi en route to the nearby temple of preah-vihear. The airport at Siem Reap receives flights from Phnom Penh (25 minutes).
Need to Know
- What is it?: The one time residence of the dictator of Cambodia, Pol Pot.
- Opening hours: 08:30 to 17:30, daily.
- Entrance fees: $2 with admission to Ta Mok’s house
- Nearest town: Located in Anlong Veng, Cambodia a couple hours north of Siem Reap and the Angkor Temples.