From Thailand to Cambodia

Last week we flew from Bangkok to Siem Reap in Cambodia with the excellent budget airline Bangkok Airways to tour round Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and many of the other ancient Khmer Empire ruins that are in the surrounding area. It is a very beautiful and interesting place, full of over 1000 years of history, and I really enjoyed seeing it all. Here are some photos we took during the trip (click on the pictures to see the original large size versions):

























Here in Thailand there are also some wonderful ancient Khmer Empire ruins, in Phimai Historical Park near the north-eastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima (also called Korat). The ruins are very similar to those at Angkor in Cambodia, and were built around the same time. The temple ruins at the Phimai complex were actually built a little before Angkor Wat. At the height of the Khmer Empire a now long-lost road linked Phimai directly with Angkor. The two sites are only about 250km apart in a straight line, much closer than many people realise.