Banteay Chhmar
A Huge Jayavarman VII Temple Complex Of The Late 12th Century In The North West, With Bayon Style Faces, Long Bas Relief Galleries Partly Looted In The 1990s And A Community Homestay Scheme Run By Local Villagers. Far Less Visited Than Angkor, A Long Drive. Sometimes Proposed For World Heritage Listing · Banteay Chhmar, Banteay Meanchey
Banteay Chhmar is a huge temple complex of the late 12th century in the north-west, built under King Jayavarman VII, the same ruler who raised Angkor Thom and the Bayon. Its towers carry the smiling stone faces of the Bayon style, and long galleries are carved with battle scenes and a Churning of the Ocean of Milk. Parts of the galleries were looted in 1998, and some carvings were later recovered and returned, but gaps and fallen stone remain. Much of the temple is a tumble of trees and blocks, which gives a feel of Angkor before the crowds. Local villagers run a community homestay and guiding scheme. It is a long drive from Siem Reap via Sisophon, in a Thai border region where you should check the security situation first. It suits keen temple lovers, photographers and walkers who want real solitude and do not mind rough ground. It is worth the detour if you already know Angkor. If you have time for only one temple, it is not.
Banteay Chhmar village, about 60 km north of Sisophon and 160 km from Siem Reap, near the Thai border, Banteay Chhmar, Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia
The temple is open in daylight, usually from early morning to late afternoon, and there is a ticket or community fee, so confirm the hours and the price locally. Some galleries and towers are CLOSED, roped off or unsafe because of loose stone, and rangers can close paths after rain. The area near the Thai border can be CLOSED to visitors if tensions rise, so check before you travel. Walking in the village and looking at the outer moat and the road views is FREE, but entering the temple and joining a guide costs money. The community office is usually CLOSED outside daytime hours and in the heat of midday.