Prasat Preah Vihear Temple is a Hindu temple built during the reign of the Khmer Empire. It is situated on top of a cliff in Dangrek Mountains in the Preah Vihear Province of Cambodia. In as recent as 2010, there have been disputes between the bordering nation, Thailand regarding to whom the temples belong. With much opposition from Thailand, UNESCO listed the temple as a World Heritage Site recognizing Cambodian ownership.
It's not easy to get to Preah Vihear Temple. The province is remote and takes a total of 4 hours via private taxi only. Drivers can be arranged through local tour companies or your hotel. The country side of Cambodia is exactly as you would imagine a South East Asian country side; rice fields, houses along the roadside on four posts, water buffaloes chillaxing in ponds & locals getting around mainly by foot or bicycle. Once at the bottom of the mountain which holds the temples, you have to provide your passport to enter the site. A fee is not required but you do have to pay $5 per person to ride a motodup up a very very steep mountain side for approximately 10 minutes or $25 to ride on the back of a pick up (which can be split amongst other travellers if there are any) since private vehicles are not allowed up the mountain.
Prasat Preah Vihear has the most magnificent view. It is a good 2 hour hike around the whole site since there is a total of 5 temples with each one that follows being bigger and more grandeur than the one before. Each temple has its own characteristic and the surrounding mountainous areas adds to its beauty.
One thing to note:
Prasat Preah Vihear has a very turbulent recent history due to ownership disputes between bordering nations, Cambodia and Thailand. There are still soldiers who live surrounding the temples... It may seem daunting and intimidating, but it is the opposite. The soldiers, more like veterans, are no longer technically defending the temple but they are still standing guard of what I think is the best temples in Cambodia. It is customary to buy 'gifts' from the local vendors, which include cartons of cigarettes and snacks as gifts to the soldiers as you are making your way through the temples. The soldiers are friendly and more than willing to share their experiences during the times they were under attack, what they know about the temple, things that they think are cool or interesting and things that you should definitely photograph. These soldiers who spent years protecting this wonderful site does not get substantial support from their government for their military duty, most of them are out of work and they definitely do not get paid for the continuous protection and upkeep of the temple.
We also visited in the Preah Vihear province was Koh Ker which is about 30 minute drive from Prasat Preah Vihear. It is an Angkorian Temple, inhabited briefly and was considered the capital of the Khmer Empire between 928 and 944 AJB (after jesus' birth). It is really cool... see pictures below.
