Ta Prohm Kel Temple

Address: Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Website: https://www.apsaraauthority.gov.kh/

Hours: Daily 5:00am-6:00pm

Admission: Angkor Archaeological Park pass required: 1‑day US$37; 3‑day US$62; 7‑day US$72 (foreign adult rates).

Ta Prohm Kel is inside the Angkor Archaeological Park near Siem Reap. From Siem Reap town most visitors take a tuk‑tuk or bicycle along the main road to the Angkor Park entrance (the park is served from Siem Reap by the main access roads into the archaeological zone); once inside the park follow the internal paved roads to the Ta Prohm area. There is vehicle parking near the temple and the final approach is a short walk of a few hundred metres from the parking area.

• Get to the Angkor Park gates at or before sunrise-Ta Prohm Kel's root-and-wall textures look best in early light and the site is far quieter than mid-morning.
• Once inside, move away from the main approach and explore the side galleries and back doorways where the famous tree roots and carved lintels are less photographed and less crowded.
• Plan Ta Prohm Kel as part of a morning/late-afternoon Angkor circuit (buy your Angkor Park pass in advance) so you can avoid the midday peak when the site is busiest and harshly lit.

Ta Prohm Kel is a small, gently crumbling sandstone chapel standing opposite the mighty temple of Angkor Wat - a monument most visitors overlook in their haste to reach one of the great wonders of the world. It is believed to have belonged to one of the more than 100 hospitals founded by Jayavarman VII, and its northern pediment still carries well-preserved Buddhist engravings that have survived both time and temple looters.

Passing between sculpted stones, visitors reach the prasat by crossing the remains of a miniature sandstone gopura, the lowest of three lavishly carved tiers. Much of the decoration echoes the style of the famous Bayon, yet because so few can tear themselves from Angkor Wat just three hundred metres away, those who do stop can explore this unassuming tower at their leisure.