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Cambodia Tours: The Jungle Ruins of Ta Prohm

The next stop on the Cambodia tour that Best Cruises provided took me to the jungle ruins of Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm was built in the 12th century, the ruins followed the Bayon style in architecture. The temple was built by King Jayavarnaman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist university and monastery.

Ta Prohm
Ta Prohm's most distinctive feature is the roots and branches that have pierced through the ruins. The trees that have sunk their roots into the temples are the strangler figs and silk-cotton trees.

Ta Prohm
I've noticed that there are few bas reliefs on this temple compared to the other temples on the mini tour. But there are also bas reliefs that depict Buddha and other Hindu gods during the time of the former Khmer empire. 

Ta Prohm
Ta Prohm was deliberately left in a state of neglect because it provided visitors with a sense of nostalgia and a picturesque sight to behold. The temple blended well with the jungle and seems as if the two complemented each other to create an unmistakable experience of the past and present. 

Ta Prohm
Ta Prohm was also one of the temples where Tomb raider was shot. That's my impression of a tomb raider exploring the ruins of Ta Prohm. This leg of the Cambodia tour I was on was different from the rest because of the romantic scene of the jungle slowly devouring what was once a thriving empire.

Ta Prohm made me realize how fast things could change. A thriving empire could suddenly lose its power and be forgotten in an instant. Cambodia was left in shambles during the turn of the 20th century till today. You'd never really think that a poverty-stricken nation like Cambodia had such a powerful imperial past. Cambodia had several wars with its neighboring countries but the Khmer regime was one of the most powerful empires during that time. 

I'm glad that My Way Travel provided me with a knowledgeable guide that spoke good English during this leg of my Cambodia tour, without a guide I wouldn't have had the background information I needed to put things in proper context.

12 comments:

  1. I hear you on Cambodia's history. I just hope that the people (and of course the tourists) there will continuously preserve the heritage that is left for them, particularly the historical structures that surrounds the country. I'm hoping to visit Siem Reap real soon, as to experience all these scenic spots firsthand.

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  2. ohhh i wanna visit cambodia and take an adventure as well!

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  3. Cambodia has many ruins and I guess I really have to visit it soon. :)

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  4. Ta Prohm is one of my favorite temples in Angkor Wat. It just amazes me how nature has grown within the confides of the ancient temple plus of course, the Tomb Raider connection.

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  5. Oh my, those tree roots were really huge! Cambodia is really an interesting place to visit and there are so many historical spots to explore. I wish I could visit there in the future.

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  6. one of my dream destination... i hope someday, i could also have some pics with those ruins. Yahweh bless.

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  7. oh yeah.. i remember that one from Tomb Raider. the place is beautiful but it was forgotten by time already.

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  8. it would be such an experience of a lifetime to see all these breath-taking ruins in Cambodia. hopefully i will be able to go there in the future.

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  9. I really envy those countries who have respect and appreciation for mother nature. Some may say it's just roots but I think it's beautiful how it is embedded in the old temples. Is there a possibility that Tomb Raider was shot in one of these ruins?

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  10. @WanderingGene: yes this was the place where Tomb raider was shot

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  11. what a nice place! will start to save so i could be there too. ;)

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  12. awesome!! very tomb raider... haha

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