The Grand Circuit: Preah Khan to Pre Rup

A long, lazy loop through the outer temples: a labyrinthine royal city, an island shrine in a lake, a gate swallowed by a fig tree and a sunset pyramid.

Area

Grand circuit & Roluos

Start from

Angkor Thom North Gate

Distance

a loop of about 26 km from town

Time needed

1 day

Best season

November – March; late afternoon for the Pre Rup sunset

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Tuk-tuk for the day, or bicycle for fit riders

Tickets & rules

Angkor Pass; covered shoulders and knees

Why go

The Grand Circuit is the route that made me fall in love with Angkor rather than simply admire it. The famous temples are behind you, the traffic thins, and the road runs through forest and past villages where people dry rice on mats and sell palm sugar from roadside stalls. The temples on this loop are big, varied and noticeably quieter.

Preah Khan, the first stop, is my favourite single temple at Angkor after Angkor Wat itself: a maze of long corridors and doorways, one opening after another, so that a single line of sight runs through dozens of frames. Neak Pean is a small shrine on an island in a pond, reached by a long boardwalk across a flooded forest. Ta Som has a gate so thoroughly taken over by a fig tree that the roots seem to hold up the stones.

The day ends at Pre Rup, a brick and laterite pyramid that turns red and orange in the evening sun, with a view over the palms to the distant towers of Angkor Wat.

The story

Preah Khan was built by Jayavarman VII in 1191 and dedicated to his father. Its name means sacred sword, and according to legend it stands on the site of his victory over the Cham. It was more than a temple: an inscription describes it as a city in its own right, with around a thousand teachers and almost a hundred thousand people dependent on it. One building, with round columns, looks strangely Greek and its purpose remains a mystery; some think it was a library or a granary.

Neak Pean, the coiled serpents, was built in the middle of an artificial lake called Jayatataka. It represents Lake Anavatapta in the Himalayas, whose waters were believed to cure all illness. Pilgrims bathed in four smaller pools around the central one, each fed through a spout in the shape of a human, horse, lion or elephant head.

East Mebon, built in 953 under Rajendravarman II, once stood on an island in the middle of the vast East Baray reservoir, now dry rice fields. Its corners are guarded by large stone elephants. Pre Rup, consecrated in 961 by the same king, may have been used for royal cremations; its name means turning the body, after a ritual of rotating the ashes.

Getting there

Most tuk-tuk drivers know the Grand Circuit by heart. The usual order is Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon and Pre Rup, finishing at sunset. A full day by tuk-tuk typically costs a little more than the small circuit; agree the price and the stops in advance.

By bicycle, the whole loop from town is roughly forty kilometres. The roads are flat, but the midday heat is intense, so start early and rest at Neak Pean or one of the food stalls.

A suggested plan

1. 7:30Enter Preah Khan from the west, walk its long axis to the east gate and back along the northern side.
2. 9:30Walk the boardwalk to Neak Pean across the drowned forest of the old reservoir.
3. 10:30Ta Som, especially the eastern gate wrapped in fig roots.
4. MiddayLunch at a roadside stall near Ta Som, then a long rest in a hammock.
5. 15:00Climb East Mebon and visit the stone elephants.
6. 16:45Pre Rup for sunset over the forest and fields.

Where to stay

Stay in town. If you are cycling, a base on the east side of the river shortens the ride back after sunset.

Good to know

• Preah Khan’s west entrance has a causeway with giant headless naga-pulling figures, which most people miss.
• Ask your driver to wait at Ta Som’s east side so you can walk through the temple.
• At Pre Rup, the top platform fills up after 17:00; arrive half an hour early.
• A cold coconut at a roadside stall costs very little and is perfect in the afternoon.