The brick towers
Red among the trees.
PsamatheM — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ms Sarah Welch — CC0 · PsamatheM — CC BY-SA 4.0 · PsamatheM — CC BY-SA 4.0 · PsamatheM — CC BY-SA 4.0
Sambor Prei Kuk is an archaeological site in forest in Kampong Thom Province, the ruins of the capital of the Chenla kingdom that came centuries before Angkor. UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage List in 2017. Its brick towers remain relatively quiet, with far fewer visitors than the temples of Siem Reap. The complex dates from the late 6th to the 9th century. King Isanavarman I made it a royal centre and capital, known as Isanapura. Its central part divides into three main groups, each with a square layout and a brick wall, and the structures across the site were built at different times. You walk on sandy paths among tall trees as the red towers appear one after another, some gripped by roots. On the walls are carved reliefs decorating the facades, along with narrow doorways framed in stone and stone lions near some entrances. The light filtering through the trees in the morning brings out the colour of the brick. It is about 24 km in a straight line from Kampong Thom, Wikipedia gives about 30 km by road, and it is about 206 km from Phnom Penh. The trip from Siem Reap takes around two and a half hours according to one guide. The Angkor pass does not cover the fee. Bring water and a hat, cover your shoulders and knees and do not climb the towers, as the old brick is fragile.
Red among the trees.
Decoration on the walls.
Guards near the entrances.
North of Kampong Thom city, Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia
No. You pay on site, 10 US dollars for foreigners according to a recent guide.
By car from Kampong Thom, or on a day trip from Siem Reap of about two and a half hours.