Advice about Angkor Wat at Dawn

The great thing about meeting other backpackers during your travels is that you get advice and recommendations for places you’re about to visit.

The feedback we got from other backpackers about the Siem Reap temple tours was that Angkor Wat as dawn was a disappointment, and that it had turned into an overhyped crush of selfie taking day trippers. Each time I heard this I went off the idea of getting up in the dark just to watch the sunrise and see the reflection of Angkor Wat on the water.

But, we had a three-day temple pass and it seemed irresponsible to come all this way to view Cambodian temples and not allocate time to see the most iconic structure (so iconic that it made it’s way onto the national flag!)

Should you heed travel advice from others?

One main consideration when choosing your own itinerary is that everyone has different travel expectations and experiences, and just because some travelers recommend or don’t recommend a place or location doesn’t mean you’ll have the same kind of experience.

Sometimes you just have to try things for yourself, even when your inner voice is screaming “don’t do it!”

Angkor Wat at Dawn

We got up at 3:30am to get a tuk-tuk at 4am to get to Angkor Wat at Dawn. The tuk-tuk dropped us off at the entrance and you end up just following everyone else fumbling around in the dark to get to the water’s edge to wait for the sunset. There’s no signs or direction to get to the water’s edge, it’s a “walk and trust” approach, and as you approach you’ll see souvenir vendors setting up their stalls on the floor.

There’s also a few restaurants that are open for breakfast and coffee, but most people just jostled for position, Go-Pros and selfie-stick mounted cameras, and mobile phones grasped in their hands waiting for dawn to arrive.

The crowd swelled to about ten deep and we were about 3 rows in, and I hopped from foot to foot trying to get into a good position for dawn. Which, when it arrived, was extremely underwhelming and I wished I’d listened to that inner voice that told me not to do it.

I’ve seen some amazing photos of Angkor Wat at dawn, so there are times when getting up at 3:30am are worth it, but unfortunately the weather conditions for our trip didn’t deliver a gorgeous sunrise.

So I wandered off around the lake to find other photo opportunities to make the most of our early rise.

As you walk around the lake you get to see Angkor Wat and the crowds from a different perspective.

This is our best photo from Angkor Wat at dawn, but I had to heavily saturate the image to get it to look beautiful. I can imagine that if you viewed a dawn like this first hand it would be etched on my memory for the foreseeable future.

Walking around Angkor Wat

After viewing Angkor Wat from afar at dawn the next stop is to wander over to the Temple itself for a closer look around. The weather was a little drizzly during our visit so our photos are a little dreary because of the lack of sunshine, but that didn’t diminish the austerity of this temple.

Because of the religious significance of this temple you won’t have any trouble spotting visiting monks, and there’s also a few monks on hand to offer blessings and to tie an orange thread around your wrist. (My thread lasted three months before disintegrating).

The most memorable aspect of Angkor Wat for me wasn’t the sunset, it was the intricate and well preserved wall reliefs.

I’m really pleased that I toured Angkor Wat, but I really didn’t need to do it at dawn. And in hindsight, it wasn’t the most memorable temple we toured during our three day temple pass. There were many others that evoked an emotional response in me, and this really wasn’t one of them.

Last Word

Don’t let me put you off getting up at 3:30am to see Angkor Wat at dawn. But if you’re expecting some type of spiritual experience while watching the sun peep over the temple you’ll be disappointed. There’s just too many people and selfies sticks to make that experience possible.

Additional Temple Resources on other blogs

Read: How to visit all the key temples with a one day pass – over at perpetual journey’s blog

Read: Top 10 Meaningful Things to do in Siem Reap as recommended by Always A Gringa

Read: Facts about Angkor Wat you would know before you go 

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Flashpacking through Cambodia

Flashpacking through Cambodia: For Baby Boomers on a Budget is my latest Roving Jay travel guide full of travel tips, advice, and sample itineraries for flash packers who want the back packing experience without foregoing some of life’s creature comforts – like a comfortable bed, a hot shower, free wi-fi, and somewhere to plug your electric toothbrush in.

I spent almost three months backpacking around Cambodia in 2017/2018 to research this travel guide, and I share insights and first hand knowledge of tourist traps and off-the-beaten-path discoveries. We ate street food, drank 50c beers, and travelled by train, bus, minivan and tuktuk to identify the best ways to get from A to B.

If you’d like to receive a free Review Copy ahead of the general public release, please click here.

Here’s my Cambodia posts on this blog:

• Cambodia Visa and Arrival at Siem Reap Airport
• Cambodia: How to Avoid the Crowds at Angkor Wat
• Filling up your scooter in Cambodia
• The Best Tasting Street Food in Siem Reap
• Angkor Wat at Dawn: Is it worth it?
• Come face to face with Angkor Thom’s Bayon
• Good vs. Evil at Angkor Thom’s Impressive Southern Gate
• The Baphuon Temple and the Terrace of the Elephants at Angkor Thom
• Visiting Siem Reap’s War Museum
• Where to Stay in Siem Reap
• Visiting Siem Reap’s Markets
• Give your taste buds a disco at Siem Reap Night Market
• Responsible Tourism at Joe to Go in Siem Reap
• What to See and Do in Siem Reap
• Which Siem Reap Floating Village should you visit?
• Memorable Boat Trip from Siem Reap to Battambang
• Libations and Bric-a-Brac tempt our purse strings in Battambang
• Vegetable Amok at About the World Restaurant in Battambang
• Cooking Classes at Nary’s Kitchen Battambang
• Pomme Bar, Restaurant and Hostel, at the Core of the new Battambang
• An educational trip around Battambang’s Central Market
• Sightseeing and things to do in Battambang Cambodia
• Bayon VIP Bus from Battambang to Phnom Penh Cambodia
• Exploring Phnom Penh’s 172nd Street in the dark
• The challenge of wandering Phnom Penh’s streets
• A visit to Phnom Penh’s Central Market
• Exploring Phnom Penh’s Markets
• Phnom Penh Photo Diary
• Tops sights to see in Phnom Penh
• Touring S-21 Security Prison (Tuol Sleng Museum Phnom Penh)
• A reflective visit to The Killing Fields
• Taking a train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville
• The majesty of Otres Beach sunsets
• Our Workaway Gig at Otres Beach Market Cambodia
• Working Away to make Cambodian Bagels
• Cambodia Pastry Wars: The Battle of the Quiche
• Our Cambodia workaway gig renovating a market stall
• Unwind on Cambodia’s Koh Ta Kiev Island
• Cambodian Beach Massage and Grilled Seafood
• Building Community during our Cambodian Workaway
• Gecko Village in Kampot Cambodia – a Photo Essay
• Christmas Eve in Kampot
• more coming