Last year, a friend and I flew to Asia to visit Vietnam and Cambodia.  Our main reason to visit Siem Reap was to visit the world’s largest temple: Angkor Wat.  I was really puzzled on how to make this work because it seemed to be very difficult to do in a wheelchair.  My friend was really determined to help me do this as it is on my bucket list and I was ready to give it a chance.

Before we actually visited Angkor Wat, my friend suggested we visit the museum first to get a better understanding of the temple.  We get to know a bit about the history of it to appreciate the visit a bit more.

Getting to the Museum

We were staying at Cheathata CTS Hotel Siem Reap which was about a 30 minute walk/stroll to Angkor National Museum.  We had a late start in the day and had lunch at a restaurant not too far from our hotel.  We decided 30 minutes was doable by strolling and didn’t need our driver Borey or a taxi to get to the museum.

The weather was pretty hot so we did take a short break at an air conditioned mall.  By the time we finally made it to the museum, it was already past 3 PM.  There was no special pricing for wheelchair guests and their companions, so we each had to pay regular adult admission of $12 USD each.

About the Angkor National Museum

Angkor National Museum is an archaeological museum that is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and presentation of Angkorian artifacts, but also to provide information and education about art and culture of Khmer civilization.  Opened in November 2007, there is over 6000 pieces and artifacts that covers the golden era of the Khmer empire.

Upon entering the Briefing Hall, there is 8 galleries to explore: Gallery of 1000 Buddha, Khmer Civilization, Religion and Beliefs, Great Khmer Kings, Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Story From Stone, and Ancient Costume.

Our Visit

Since it was so hot outside, we were so glad to be inside a modern and air conditioned museum.  We thought visiting the museum does add context to the temples.  Understanding the stone carvings in addition to seeing them makes us appreciate it more.

The Gallery of 1000 Buddha was stunning as there are hundreds of Buddha statues from different time periods carefully laid out in a dim lit room.  The exhibits are bilingual as everything was described in English and Khmer.  When we went, it wasn’t really busy at all.  We got to move around the museum very easily.

Before heading out, we checked out some of the cool souvenirs in the gift shop.  We stayed just over 2 hours and thought that although visiting the museum was not essential, it was enriching.  If there was time in your schedule, it was definitely worth visiting.  This got us really excited to see Angkor Wat the next day.

Getting to the Temple

We woke up really early in the morning so we could be at Angkor Wat to watch the sunrise and not be there in the hot afternoon.  Our driver Borey picked us up from our hotel around 5:30 AM and we headed to Angkor Enterprise so we could buy a ticket.  It was $37 USD each for the one day pass and it includes admission to many temples including the main one Angkor Wat.

About Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is the largest temple complex in the world.  It covers an area of over 400 square kilometers and contains dozens of temples including the most main and iconic one: Angkor Wat.  The name Angkor means “city” and Wat means “temple”.  The Angkor area was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Angkor Wat is a major tourist attraction and attracts more than 2.5 million people per year.

The “Big 3” which everyone must-see temples are of course Angkor Wat: which is the largest, central and biggest temple dedicated to Vishnu.  Bayon Temple: known for it’s massive enigmatic stone faces, located at the center of Angkor Thom.  Ta Prohm: famous for being left overgrown by jungle trees, and filmed in the movie “Tomb Raider”.

Other key temples include: Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Terrace of the Elephants, and Terrace of the Leper King.  There are many more temples that are in the Angkor area too.

Our Visit: Angkor Wat

We arrived around 6:30 AM to the main temple: Angkor Wat.  We missed the sun rise already which a lot of tourists do go to watch the reflection of Angkor Wat and the sun rising in the pond.  Borey parked his accessible van on the side and took turns helping push my wheelchair around the grassy areas of Angkor Wat.

We took a bunch of pictures of one of the temples and the complex near where we parked and went around the perimeter of it to find an easier way to get in with my wheelchair.  Of course we were taking pictures of everything along the way.  There was an opening at one part of the complex and that was exactly where my friend wheeled me into.

We saw one of side entrances of the main temple that has wooden stairs that might be easier for me to be lifted on my wheelchair.  Wooden stairs are installed over the original steep stone steps to preserve the stone and to make it easier for tourists to get to the upper level.  We saw a couple strong tourists and asked for help to get my wheelchair up the wooden stairs.

Once I was up, we got to see the grass area inside the complex.  This is a popular place for visitors to walk, take photos, and take in the sights of the temple.  I was really surprised and shocked that I actually made it into this area, my eyes were having a sensory overload.  I was enjoying every minute of it.  There were also a bunch of monkeys hanging around the temple.

Wheeling around the grassy wasn’t too bad, as my friend and Borey made sure I saw the whole area inside the complex.  There were several locations with a bunch of steep stairs that my friend went up to take pictures.  Some of them lead to sculptures and artifacts while some lead to different views of the temple.  Even though I couldn’t get up those stairs to see it for myself, I was just grateful for where I was able to get to.

By 8:30 AM, we were already out of the main complex of Angkor Wat and were in the front grounds.  We took more pictures before getting back in the van.  We got some fresh coconuts and continued our day checking out the surrounding temples.  We drove to the Tonle Om Gate, also known as the South Gate of Angkor Thom and my friend got pictures of that.

Bayon Temple

We then went to the next most popular spot: Bayon Temple.  The surface area here was really rough with a bunch of stairs so I mainly just hung around the entrance area with Borey while my friend went inside to take a few pictures for me.

It was getting hot outside so we were trying to move at a faster pace to finish.  I still saw the outer area of Bayon Temple and was satisfied looking at the pictures my friend took.  Some of the parts would have been impossible for me to get to in my wheelchair.

We could have Borey drive us to see more temples but we thought it be mostly repetitive and the sun was getting really hot.  We got to see as much as we could for 4 hours.  It would have been great to see the Ta Prohm Temple as I did watch the Tomb Raider movie but it was time to head to a market to get some air conditioning.

Final Thoughts

The whole experience of visiting the Angkor National Museum and the Angkor Wat area was unbelievable.  I couldn’t believe I made it to another place that I didn’t think was possible.  I was so grateful that my friend and Borey was able to make this happen for me.

I highly recommend hiring a driver for your Siem Reap stay and especially Borey who was very kind and helpful and with a large van that can drive us around everywhere we needed to go.  If I was to return, I would either spend a full day with a 1 day pass or even a 3 day pass and go at a slower pace.