Angkor, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire, where wondrous monumental buildings dot the area telling a tale of an ancient empire that flourished during the ninth century to the fifteenth century A.D. before falling into the hands of invading armies from Thailand. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit word for "city" which is "nagara".

Angkor spans an area of about 3000 km during the medieval ages and stands as the largest pre-industrial city complex approximately equaling the size of modern day Los Angeles. With this Angkor easily beats its closest rival in terms of land area the Mayan city of Tikal. Tours through the ruined temples of Angkor are available. Angkor was not only a religious center but was a fully fledged city with inhabitants. Yet most of the buildings that remain are the temples since all of the other buildings were made of unperceivable materials such as wood.

Houses of the people, even the houses of Kings were made of wood since the people said that only a god reserves the right to have his house made of stone. Any temple tour must include the famous Angkor Wat and the giant faces of Bayon. Angkor Wat is a temple devoted to the Hindu god Vishnu and means Angkor- the city, Wat - pagoda.

The primary tower at the central temple represents Mount Meru, held to be the center of the universe by Hindus and Buddhists alike. The Bayon temple is a three storied temple and stands at a height of 43 m. The temple has more than 200 giant faces. Frescos line the walls telling the stories of naval battles and daily life of the Khmers. Angkor is situated 7 km south of the modern town of Siem Reap. Siem Reap accommodation is available at many a luxury hotel in Siem Reap for visitors who prefer to stay a few days to explore, as there are many ruined temples to visit and a day would not be enough to see them all.