Banteay Chhmar

Banteay Chhmar tickets and tours: which one to book

Banteay Chhmar is not covered by the Angkor pass: a separate small fee is paid at the site, and there is nothing to book in advance for entry. The real question is how to get there, because the temple lies in the far northwest of Cambodia, close to the Thai border, roughly three hours by road from Siem Reap and a little less from Battambang. The bookable options are almost all private day trips with a car or minivan and a driver, sometimes with an English-speaking guide. From Siem Reap they leave early and usually add a second stop to break the long drive: the small jungle temple of Banteay Toap, a silk farm, or a war museum.

From Battambang some itineraries return in time for the bat cave at Phnom Sampov at dusk. Transport, the guide and water are normally included, while lunch and the site fee are often extra, so check before booking. For a slower visit, the local community tourism group arranges village homestays, meals cooked by local families and guided walks or bicycle rides to the outlying temples, and staying a night lets you see the main temple at both ends of the day. A guide on site helps a great deal, since the ruins are tumbled and the paths through them are not obvious.

Visiting Banteay Chhmar: what to see and how to behave

Banteay Chhmar was raised by Jayavarman VII, the Buddhist king who also built Angkor Thom and the Bayon, in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. It was a whole walled town rather than a single sanctuary, with a moat, a great reservoir to the east with an island temple, and a ring of smaller shrines in the surrounding countryside. Its purpose is still debated: fortress, provincial capital and memorial have all been proposed, and an inscription links it to a royal prince and generals who died in battle. The central temple is enclosed by galleries, and much of it has collapsed into great piles of carved sandstone through which you scramble on wooden walkways and ladders.

Several face towers in the style of the Bayon still stand, their serene smiles looking out over the jungle. The highlight is the long outer wall of bas-reliefs: battles on land and water, scenes of daily life, and, on the western side, rare carvings of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara with dozens of arms fanned out like a halo. Some of these panels were cut out by looters in 1998 and later recovered; others are now being reassembled by conservation teams working with the local community. The site is on Cambodia's tentative list for UNESCO status. Stay on the marked paths, do not climb on fallen blocks or carvings, and take water. The temple is about 60 km north of Sisophon on a paved road.

Banteay Chhmar: opening hours, ceremonies and the best time to go

The site is open in daylight, roughly from early morning until late afternoon. Arrive early or stay late: the morning hours are cooler, the light catches the face towers, and there is a good chance you will have the ruins almost to yourself, which is the great pleasure of Banteay Chhmar compared with Angkor. The dry season, from November to March, is the most comfortable time, with passable dirt roads to the satellite temples and green surroundings early on. April and May are very hot.

From June to October the rains turn the paths muddy and the moat fills, which is beautiful but slows exploration; mosquitoes are also worse. There are no major festivals here, but Khmer New Year in mid-April brings local families out to visit. Allow at least two hours at the main temple, plus an hour or more for the outlying shrines and the reservoir. A day trip from Siem Reap needs ten to eleven hours in total. Combine it with Banteay Toap, the provincial town of Sisophon, or an overnight homestay before continuing to Battambang.