Siem Reap - Cycling Around Angkor Wat (Part 1)

We decided to rent a bicyle and tour around Angkor Wat after having a short chat with a pair of couples from Germany we met at Phnom Bakheng the day before. They told us "it is manageable to cover certain temples of small circuit as well as grand circuit in a day by bike!". This really motivated us and thus, here we are on our bikes :P

We rented 2 city bike at 3 USD each from our hotel, you can get it cheaper out there but they might want to hold your passport until you returned the bike. For mountain bike, rental is around 5 USD.

We had 3-day pass and our leisure plan was:

i) Day 1 - cycling around temples in small circuit.

ii) Day 2 - Kbal Spean, Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre by tuk-tuk.

iii) Day 3 - cycling to Angkor Wat for sunrise

On day 1, we started our cycling tour around 7 in the morning. We would like to make it more leisure and less tiring, thus we skipped sunrise at Angkor Wat first. We straight away headed to South Gate and our first destination was Bayon :)

Bridge towards The South Gate. What a peaceful morning we had :)

The South Gate :)

There is elephant ride service which fetching tourists from The South Gate to Bayon.

Me, riding behind an elephant LOL :P

Reached The Bayon and parked our bikes :) 

Tips: We were told not to put our bags in the basket on the bike, since somebody might just grab our bags and run away. So it is better to pack light and carry everything on your body :)

Amazing cravings on the wall.

The smiling Buddha at The Bayon :) There are more than 200 gigantic Buddha faces here.

One of the famous spot for photography, 3 Smiling Buddha in a row :)

You may choose to take photo with these little kids in traditional costumes. Of course, charges applied.

We are so blessed with the good weather in the morning :)

Overlooking The Bayon from one of the higher tower. Amazing~

Restoration work at The Bayon.

After that, we headed to The Elephants Terrace which is just located near by.  From The Elephants Terrace, we walked to Baphuon, Phimeanakas and Leper King Terrace.

The Elephants Terrace.

The Elephants Terrace.

Walkway linked to Baphuon.

Baphuon Temple, one of the tallest temple in Angkor Park.

View from top of the temple.

One of the unique view at Baphuon, the rectangular door frame.

A Reclining Buddha was built at west side of the temple.

Phimeanakas. Too bad that this temple was closed and visitors are prohibited from entering during our visit.

Leper King Terrace, which is located next to Elephants Terrace.

There is a walkway behind the walls and you should not miss it.

Lots and lots of cravings and statues along the inner walls!

After Leper King Terrace, we had a short break, enjoying our lunch and a fresh coconut juice to beat the heat! Next, we are going to the infamous Tomb Raider temple!

Tips for cycling around Angkor Wat:
i) Sunblock is a MUST.
ii) Drink lots of water to keep your body hydrating.
iii) Bring along some snack like energy bar.
iv) Bring along rain coat especially during raining season.

Stay tune for Part 2 of our cycling tour around Angkor Wat :)