20 Interesting Facts about Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat – built by Suryavarman II (r 1112–52) – is the earthly representation of Mount Meru, the Mount Olympus of the Hindu faith, and the abode of ancient gods. The Cambodian god-kings of old each strove to better their ancestors’ structures in size, scale, and symmetry, culminating in what is believed to be the world’s largest religious building.

The temple is the heart and soul of Cambodia and a source of fierce national pride. Unlike the other Angkor monuments, it was never abandoned to the elements and has been in virtually continuous use since it was built.

Its Etymology

The modern name, Angkor Wat (alternate name: Nokor Wat), means "Temple City" or "City of Temples" in Khmer; Angkor meaning "city" or "capital city", is a vernacular form of the word nokor, which comes from the Sanskrit word nagara. Wat is the Khmer word for "temple grounds", also derived from Sanskrit vāṭa, meaning "enclosure".

The original name of the temple was Vrah Viṣṇuloka or Parama Viṣṇuloka (Sanskrit), which means the sacred dwelling of Vishnu.

Below are our 20 interesting facts about Angkor Wat grouped into 3 main subjects: General Information, History, and Tourism & Profit

1. Angkor Wat translates to "City of Temples" or simply "City Temple." New temples and ruins are being discovered nearly every year.
2. Angkor Wat is the primary reason that more than 50% of international tourists visit Cambodia each year. Cambodians are proud of their ancient monument, so proud that they put it on the Cambodian flag in 1850. The only other country flag in the world that features a national monument is the current flag of Afghanistan. Images from Angkor Wat also appear on many denominations of the riel (Cambodia's currency).
3. The Angkor ruins stretch over more than 154 square miles (400 square kilometers). Many visitors underestimate the size of Angkor and visit only a few of the most famous temples.
4. Angkor Wat is unusually oriented to the west, a direction typically associated with death in Hindu culture. Archaeologists and scholars disagree as to why the ancient builders chose to deviate from the norm (pointing structures east) at the time.
5. Bas-reliefs at Angkor Wat read counterclockwise, another indication that the temple is associated with funeral rituals.
6. Also unusual for the time of construction, Angkor Wat was dedicated to Vishnu, a Hindu deity, rather than the current king.
7. The original outer wall at Angkor Wat once enclosed the temple proper, city, and royal palace, occupying a space of 203 acres (820,000 square meters). Nothing remains of the wall today.

8. Khmer bricks were bonded together almost invisibly by using a vegetable compound rather than mortar.
9. Many visitors do not realize that many surfaces of the Angkor temples were once painted. Today, only small traces of the paint remains on just a few temples.

10. Constructed in the early 12th century (between 1113 and 1150), Angkor Wat is considered to be the largest religious monument in the world. But in this instance, size didn't matter: Cambodia still didn't make the cut as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World elected by a vote on July 7, 2007.
11. The sandstone used to construct Cambodia's national monument, at least 5 million tons worth, had to be carried from a quarry 25 miles away.
12. Angkor Wat was shifted from Hindu to Buddhist use sometime around the late 13th century. The temple is still used by Buddhists as a place of worship today.
13. One of the first Westerners to see Angkor Wat was Antonio da Madalena, a Portuguese monk, who visited in 1586. Long before Europeans arrived, a Chinese emissary named Zhou Daguan lived in Angkor for one year between 1296 and 1297; he created a written account of his experience there sometime before 1312. Zhou Daguan's book, the only account of 13th-century Angkor, was translated into English by Peter Harris in the book A Record of Cambodia.
14. Henri Mouhot, a French explorer, helped bring Angkor Wat to fame in the West by publishing an account of his visit in the mid-19th century. His book is Travels in Siam, Cambodia, Laos, and Annam.

15. Angkor Wat was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The site suffered from decades of unregulated tourism and looting; many ancient statues have been decapitated and their heads sold to private collectors. An international collaborative effort has helped to slowly restore sites and prevent further collapse of unstable structures.
16. Sokimex, a private company founded by an ethnic Vietnamese-Cambodian businessman, rented Angkor Wat from Cambodia from 1990 through 2018. It previously managed tourism there for profit, but the Cambodian government took back control of this private entity in 2019. However, Sokimex still also has a petroleum division, manages hotels, and runs Sarika Air Services.
17. Most of the money to restore Angkor Wat comes from foreign aid.
18. A three-day pass to explore the Angkor temples costs US $62. A single-day pass is available for US $37, or a week-long pass can be purchased for US $72.
19. Jacqueline Kennedy risked a visit to Angkor Wat during the Vietnam War to fulfill a "lifelong dream" of seeing the monument.
20. The Angkor temple Ta Prohm—famous for the large vines that strangle the ruins—was used as the set for the hit movie Tomb Raider. Paramount was charged US $10,000 per day for seven days to film there. Unfortunately, some of the iconic trees growing through the ruins at Ta Prohm have had to be removed to preserve the temple from further collapse.

Below is all the information and tips for you to make the best of your Angkor Wat Tours

When is the best time to visit Angkor Wat?

It is possible to visit Angkor Wat at any time of year, but peak season is from November to February, when the weather is dry and cooler, although it is still hot for most. 

The best time of day to visit Angkor Wat is sunrise when it is cooler but crowded, or lunchtime when most of the tour groups are in town.

Here is more detail about Best time to visit Angkor Wat to have the best of your Angkor Wat tour

How to get to Angkor Wat?

The nearby town of Siem Reap can be reached via good roads from Phnom Penh and buses and taxis make the trip regularly. Those preferring to travel by boat can also make the trip from Phnom Penh in some five or six hours—about the same travel time as by road. The airport in Siem Reap has service to Phnom Penh and regular flights abroad to Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and Laos.

Here is the dedicated article about Where is Angkor Wat and How to Get there

Where to stay?

Siem Reap is just 7km from Angkor Wat and is the base for exploring the temples. Check out Siem Reap Travel Guide for more detail

Angkor Wat Dress code

As the temples of Angkor represent a sacred religious site to the Khmer people, visitors are asked to dress modestly.

Appropriate attire when visiting temples in Angkor Wat is long pants (covering the knee) and shirts that cover shoulders. Skirts, small shorts, tank tops, and other items of revealing clothing are not allowed within temple grounds. Visitors can and are frequently turned away from temples when wearing revealing clothing.

It is not possible to visit the highest level of Angkor Wat without upper arms covered and shorts to the knees. Local authorities have visitor 'code of conduct' guidelines and a video to encourage appropriate dress, as well as reminding tourists not to touch, sit or climb on the ancient structures, to pay attention to restricted areas, and to be respectful of monks.

Angkor Wat Map

Check the below map plan of Angkor Wat for your reference. You can either download the high-resolution map of Angkor Wat to have the better vision of what you will visit here.

How Long to Spend at Angkor Wat

To visit Angkor Wat, you’ll have to purchase either a one-day, three-day or week-long pass.

Although travelers with tight itineraries in Southeast Asia try to squeeze in as many sights as they can in a day, remember that the Angkor complex is actually the largest religious monument in the world! It's spread over 250 square miles of jungle. You’re going to need more time than you think to not end up rushing around.

The temples are scattered all over Cambodia. If you're serious about exploring ancient Khmer ruins, plan on purchasing at least the three-day pass. Doing so is less expensive and troublesome than buying two one-day passes; you will end up wanting more than one day there.

Angkor Wat Entrance Fee

Below are the following Entrance Fees to the Angkor Wat Complex

• Single day (1-day) pass – $37.00
• Three day (3-day) pass – $62.00
• Seven day (7-day) pass – $72.00

According to the rules, the 3-day pass is good for use within 10 days from the issue date. The 7-day pass, on the other hand, is good for use 1 month from the issue date. That way, both passes can be used at the Angkor Wat complex, even if is not used through consecutive days.

Angkor Wat Tours

People say that Angkor Wat is the most visited tourist site in the world. I am not sure if that’s true, but the good news is that whether it’s true or not, Angkor Wat is one of the most culturally and historically rich places in the world.

It also happens to be the world’s largest religious site. Its scale, architecture, and history have always conjured images of an exotic and faraway land in the minds of most foreigners, most of who will sadly never get to see this amazing place.

Full of ancient temples, wafting incense and smiling Buddhas, the Angkor Wat complex in all its splendor deserves one of the top spots on your dream itinerary.

If you are looking for a true experience, we have set out the full package of Angkor Discovery for your reference

Here is the list of Best Angkor Wat Tours that you can join for the best Angkor Wat Experience