Preah Khan Travel Guide

This must-see 12th-century temple in the sprawling Angkor complex means ‘sacred sword’ and is one of the largest and most accessible structures on the site. Preah Khan is simply huge, with dozens of passageways, hidden rooms and amazing wall carvings.

Within the enclosure are hours of rambling and exploration. The Central Sanctuary is a large courtyard that offers views of the jungle and sky along with dozens of demons and deities guarding the site. The Second Enclosure features two levels that await visitors with lions, serpents, false doors and a maze of corridors leading to tiny rooms.

In the days of the Khmer empire the site was a Buddhist monastery and self-contained town, hosting some 15,000 monks and 100,000 farmers and officials. In the heart of the main temple, the walls were once dotted with nooks each filled with diamonds, gemstones and gold until the Khmer Rouge stole them all.

Thankfully, most of Preah Khan has been restored just enough to allow visitors’ imaginations to wander back to the days of old. Trees grow out of the buildings and monks occasionally wander its halls. It is not as heavily visited as other sites at Angkor so an air of tranquility remains. Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor city.

Getting There & Away

Preah Khan and the Angkor complex are located within minutes of Siem Reap. There is an international airport at Siem Reap that handles several flights from regional cities. There are also buses that cross the Thai border and head to Siem Reap. From Siem Reap, there are countless taxis waiting to whisk you into the mysterious realm of Angkor.