Wooden walkway
Across the water.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 3.0
A small temple on a round artificial island in the middle of the great Jayatataka reservoir, built by King Jayavarman VII in the 12th century. Its name means the entwined serpents, after the two carved naga serpents coiled around the temple's base. The shrine stands in a square pool ringed by four smaller pools, fed through spouts carved as the heads of an elephant, a lion, a horse and a man. Historians think the site was designed for healing, the ancients believing its waters cured illness, as a copy of a mythical lake in the Himalayas. Visitors reach the island along a long wooden walkway across the flooded reservoir and its standing dead trees, a calm and lovely scene, especially in the morning. The pools cannot be entered, so the temple is seen from their edge. Entry is with the Angkor Pass: USD 37 for one day, USD 62 for three days within ten, and USD 72 for seven days within a month; children under 12 go free with a passport. Temples are living places of worship: cover shoulders and knees, remove your hat where asked and keep off roped-off stones. The heat is fierce most of the year, so carry water and start early.
Across the water.
Around the base.
Carved heads.
Centre of the Jayatataka reservoir, east of Preah Khan
No, the temple is seen from the pools' edge, but the wooden walkway across the reservoir is a lovely part of the visit.