Day 2 was spent watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat. Afterwards, we drove out of the town to a very unique temple, Beng Melea. Located about 1.5 hours by car from Siem Reap, Beng Melea is completely engulfed in the jungle with no restoration done. This is the courtyard and you can see the rubble from bombing done during the wars.

SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - Siem Reap is a small town, nestled among rice paddy fields 4 hours drive on rocky roads north of the capital of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It is home to the ancient Khmer Empire's great temple ruins. UNESCO has designated Angkor Wat as a World Heritage Site, but there are many other smaller complexes in the surrounding countryside that are just as significant, if not more beautiful to explore. In terms of archaeological significance, it rivals sites like the Pyramids of the Nile, Machu Pichu and the Mayan Ruins of Mexico. But unlike these other places, rampant development has not taken place and visitors are allowed to take in the unspoiled atmosphere up close. This will probably not be the case in a few more years.

Come with me and see Siem Reap through my eyes ...

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Zero Chance > An easy way to get around the vast temple complexes is by bicycles. These women were just finished cleaning up the moat outside the temple walls and were riding to another location.

Zero Chance > The mid-afternoon light is still very harsh but quite directional in the winter so very good for photographing details. The surrounding jungle gives dull, flat lighting, making photography in the early morning and later afternoon quite dull.

Zero Chance > This is the south gate of Angkor Thom. Fifty four statues each representing a state is holding a giant snake on either side of the road leading to the gate. This is usually the first stop on a tour of the temples, hence we made it our last stop for the day. The trick is to find out which route the tours take, and then go the opposite way. The result is no tour buses and very few people to get in the shot.

Zero Chance > Day 2 was spent watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat. Afterwards, we drove out of the town to a very unique temple, Beng Melea. Located about 1.5 hours by car from Siem Reap, Beng Melea is completely engulfed in the jungle with no restoration done. This is the courtyard and you can see the rubble from bombing done during the wars.

Day 2 was spent watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat. Afterwards, we drove out of the town to a very unique temple, Beng Melea. Located about 1.5 hours by car from Siem Reap, Beng Melea is completely engulfed in the jungle with no restoration done. This is the courtyard and you can see the rubble from bombing done during the wars.