The West Baray and the West Mebon

Join Cambodian families in hammocks on the banks of a thousand-year-old reservoir, then take a boat out to the island temple where a giant bronze Vishnu was found.

Area

Grand circuit & Roluos

Start from

Siem Reap town

Distance

about 12 km north-west of town

Time needed

half a day

Best season

All year; Sundays to see local life, weekdays for quiet

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Tuk-tuk, bicycle or e-bike

Tickets & rules

Angkor Pass may be checked for the West Mebon; small fee for the boat to the island

Why go

After days of temples, I wanted a lazy afternoon, and a friend in town sent me to the West Baray. It is an enormous rectangular reservoir, eight kilometres long, still full of water a thousand years after it was dug. On its southern bank, wooden platforms on stilts stand in the shallows, each with a row of hammocks and a family stall selling grilled fish, fresh crab, green mango with chilli salt and cold drinks.

On a Sunday the banks fill with families from town, children splash about in rubber rings, teenagers take selfies on the dike, and the smell of charcoal smoke hangs over everything. On a weekday you may have a whole platform to yourself, swinging in a hammock as the wind ripples the water.

For a little history, hire a boat out to the West Mebon, a small island temple in the middle of the reservoir. The ride is breezy and the views back to the shore and the mountains are lovely.

The story

The West Baray was built in the eleventh century, probably begun under Suryavarman I and finished under Udayadityavarman II. It measures roughly eight by two kilometres, and its earthen dikes were raised by hand, a staggering feat of labour. It is the largest of Angkor’s reservoirs and the only one that still holds water all year round.

For a long time, historians argued about what the barays were for. One view held that they supplied irrigation for the rice fields, the basis of Angkor’s wealth. Others saw them mainly as symbols of the cosmic oceans, intended for ritual. Recent research suggests they were both, and part of a vast water-management system that eventually became too complex to maintain.

In 1936, villagers led by a dream dug at the West Mebon and found the upper half of a colossal bronze statue of Vishnu reclining. Around six metres long when complete, it is one of the largest bronzes of the ancient world. The fragments are now kept in the National Museum in Phnom Penh, where conservators have been studying and restoring them.

Getting there

Ride north-west from town past the airport road, then follow signs to the West Baray. The southern bank is the busy side, with platforms and stalls. Boats to the West Mebon leave from a small jetty near the middle of the southern dike.

By bicycle it is a flat ride of about forty-five minutes each way; a tuk-tuk takes around twenty-five minutes.

A suggested plan

1. 14:00Leave town and ride out to the southern dike of the West Baray.
2. 14:45Choose a hammock platform and order grilled fish, crab or green mango.
3. 15:30Take a boat out to the West Mebon and walk around the island.
4. 16:30Back on shore, swim or simply swing in a hammock.
5. 17:30Watch the sunset over the water before heading home.

Where to stay

Stay in town. The ride back after sunset is short, but bring lights if cycling.

Good to know

• Agree on prices for hammocks and food before you sit down; most stalls charge for the platform if you order little.
• Weekdays are much quieter than weekends and public holidays.
• The water level and the condition of the West Mebon vary with the season.
• Bring a swimsuit if you want to join the locals in the water.