Bakheng Mountain

Located around 400m south of Angkor Thom,

the main attraction at Phnom Bakheng is

the photo op of a sunset view of Angkor Wat.

Unfortunately,The whole affair has turned into something of a circus, with crowds of Tourists

ascending the slopes of the hill and jockeying for space once on Top. Coming down can be even worse as there is nothing at in the way of lighting. Still, the sunset over the Western Baray is very impressive from the hill. To get a decent picture of Angkor Wat in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun you will need at least a 300mm lens, as the temple is 1.3km away.Phnom Bakheng also lays claim to being home to the first of the temple-Mountains built in the vicinity of Angkor. Yasovarman I (r 889-910) chose Phnom Bakheng over the Roluos area, where the earlier capital (and temple-Mountains) had been located.The temple-mountain has five tiers, with seven levels (including the base

and the summit). At the base are - or were – 44 towers. Each of the five tiers

had 12 towers. The summit of the temple has four towers at the cardinal

points of the compass as well as a central sanctuary. All of these numbers are

of symbolic significance. The seven levels, for example, represent the seven

Hindu heavens, while the total number of towers, excluding the central

Sanctuary, is 108, a particularly auspicious number and that correlates to the lunar calendar.

It is now possible to arrange an elephants ride up the hill (one way US$25;

with tour groups. It is advisable to book in advance, as the rides are very popular with tour groups.