Lesser Explored Phimeanakas and The Royal Palace, Angkor
If you have strolled along the Terraces of Elephants and Leper King you need to venture in a little more in to the Royal enclosure to see the Phimeanakas. Not much is left of the Royal Palace and whatever stands today is out of bounds for tourists.
Exploring Phimeanakas and The Royal Palace
Phimeanakas, the Celestial Palace, belongs to the group of Temple Mountains. Jayavarman V and Udayadityavarman I built Phimeanakas in second half of 10th century. It has the status of Royal Chapel with a special story. Archaeological finds here date back to 910AD. Wooden remains found here clearly indicate the palace and chapel were made of perishable material. The symbolic belief associated with this palace is that – each night the King had to sleep with a woman who was a representation of nine headed serpent. It was unbelievable even as I read this in the info displayed there!
Suryavarman I went on to build other parts of this complex and it was in continuous use for 6 long centuries. That is from 11th to 16th century, this place was full of grandeur and splendor! Some historians have also stated that Phimeanakas had a golden spire on top of it. The sight of ruinous condition of the palace today makes it hard to gulp down this fact.
There is a 5m high laterite wall around this complex. Sandstone gopuras at the entrances have crumbled beyond recognition. Staircase leading to top are in precarious condition. We couldn’t muster up enough courage to go up those stairs. Moreover the top layer is out of bounds for tourists.
The Ponds of The Royal Palace
The 2 ponds, one after another, named Large Pond and East Pond. It was here the kings enjoyed aquatic sports. May be the king watched them sitting in the paved terrace, I imagined.
For those of you who are interested in photographing the sculptures – you will find the forms of several marine creatures. These are engraved on the walls of the terrace. The place is covered with thick growth of wild plants, so exercise some caution as you cut across them.
Royal Palace Gopura
There are 5 gopuras for this Royal Palace, Angkor Thom. We entered through the eastern gopura. There are steps leading to it from the Terrace of Elephants. Of the other 4, two of them are at northern end and two at the southern end. You can walk on to Baphuon Temple through one of the southern gopura.
Royal Palace Angkor Thom as seen from Terrace of Leper King
Southern Gopura Angkor Thom
Door Details on East Gopura
Tips for visiting Phimeanakas
- Phimeanakas and The Royal Palace are in utter ruins. Visit them only if you have taken the 7 day ticket.
- Tour time can easily extend from half an hour to couple of hours.
- The tour order can be Baphuon –> Terrace of Elephants and Leper King –> Phimeanakas and The Royal Palace
- A must for photograph enthusiasts is a visit to the terrace of the ponds. They have some beautiful carvings of marine creatures.
- Entire area is in forest like surroundings, so strolling through is enjoyable.
The architectural works are amazing, any such post becomes more interesting with the history behind it.
Captures are mesmerizing.
An wonderful read.
I love these pictures Indrani. I learned that if you just do a little bit of exploring beyond common tourist spots you find some genuine gems. Sure you need to leave your comfort zone, and a sense of certainty, but you are always rewarded for these leaps of faith.
What a wonderful place! Seems out of a book or someting. I really loved the ponds, you’re right, looks like the best place for the king to sit and watch the acquatic sports haha but, in any case, they’re beautiful!
wow, lovely place. Every temple has a story to say. most importantly the photographs are breathtaking.
What magnificent ruins! So much history and of course culture here, and I imagine it would be an incredible feeling just standing there looking at these incredible ruins. I’m not sure I would make it up those steps either! Great post here and great tips.
Phimeanakas is really a beautiful and interesting place with ancient historical remains. The ponds of Royal Palace looks beautiful. It is good to know, that till 11th century, it was grand and prosperous place.
I’m planning a trip to Cambodia next year. This is a perfect read to get me started. I loved your tips on where to get good pictures.
Looks like a calm and quiet place in the middle of a lot of greenery.
There’s a lot of charm in these ruins.
Cambodia looks so pretty, and I’d like to see these places one day. You’re right about it being in ruins (!) but it’s great they still preserved it. The ponds are so serene and tranquil; it’s nice you got some photos without any people in it.
It’s too bad it’s in such disrepair. I wonder if there will be any restorations done in the future? You can tell it was very majestic at its high point. It must have been really impressing to see a golden spire! And those ponds look beautiful too.
These are great tips and suggestions! When we were at Angkor, we were sure to squeeze in as many of the smaller, lesser-known sites. I do agree that it makes a huge difference which sites you see depending on the number of days you have. Thanks for sharing these lesser-visited spots – even if they’re just ruins, they’re well-worth visiting!
How stunning are the remains of the Phimeanakas. I can just imagine how spectacular it would have been if there was a golden spire on top. It would have been a total sight to behold.
Thank you for your handy tips. They will come in very handy when I eventually visit.
Informative post with beautiful photos ? Indrani. Nice to know about the Phimeanakas and the Royal palace. Thanks for sharing ?
awesome historical religious place
Wonderful monuments & pics, Indrani.
Cambodia is in my list for long 🙂
Amazing place…So well planned these are !
It’s nice to learn about these less-visited corners of the Angkor complex — even if the structures are more in ruins. The 9-headed serpent woman seems fascinating for sure!
This looks so stunning! So when you said “Wooden remains found here clearly indicate the palace and chapel were made of perishable material”, could you still actually see remains? Or were they all weathered away.
What a fascinating place- it looks like you could spend days there and still not see it all, it’s so massive!
It’s the first time i heard of Phimeanakas. Nice to know the story and I loved your psot!
I love the story behind the place. The legend of the King having to sleep with the 9 headed serpent or rather women who represented him makes me think that he might have just been happy to follow the norm. he he. Loved the images that you have clicked.
These stone ruins seem to tell a fascinating story of their heyday. I was really amazed looking at the Gopuras, it could have been any temple in south India. The ponds are like the Kalyanis of the temples of the south. So much shared culture makes for a fascinating study of history.
It seems like a good thing that they don’t let the tourists explore the parts that are still intact. I would love to visit here still though. The ruins let you know that it is definitely an old site and you get to learn all the history of the place.
This sounds like a lovely place for a day trip! The story behind each and every temple in Cambodia is very interesting indeed and definitely worth the trip every time.. 🙂 Interesting to note that the complex has been in use for 6 centuries. Are there any plans to restore it?
Wow! Those look gorgeous. Glad to know abut these.
You know I really loved Cambodian temples! Most people just go to the main temples (famous for movies!)
I have been to this place in November 2016. It is indeed a very interesting and beautiful place. Spent the whole day seeing amongst these classic ruins but still felt that I have not seen enough. It gives away a great impression about the rich history of Cambodian architecture.
So beautiful even in this state. I would’ve loved to see the golden dome and would happily avoid the crowds by visiting this palace.
What a pleasure to explore off-the-beaten-path in Angkor Wat. I’ve never been to this area of the world, and your photos are so intriguing. It’s on our list.
I have to say the history of the whole Angkor complex is amazing and this one about the king just adds to it, Imagine that the king having to sleep with all those women. During my visit, I think we had a brief visit here but I have to admit I didn’t look into the story behind it so much but glad to be educated on it from you
Oh come on, those stairs look secure! Just kidding, I may have made it up 5 or 6. Gorgeous images of a beautiful spot
I was sure to explore beyond Angkor Wat when I visited the area and I loved the Royal Palace too. It’s a nice way to escape the crowds! I got nervous about climbing some of those temple stairs as well.
I would love to visit, I love that these are less visited, and hence you have them more to yourself and can enjoy and photograph in peace. Thanks for the tips on tickets and timings and routes as well.
wonderful place. Thanks for sharing amazing pics.
Phimeanakas seems like an interesting place to visit. The fact that it was made of perishable materials does explain why so much has been lost. The Royal Palace looks like it once was a massive and beautiful building. I will remember your tip about visiting the terrace of the ponds for pics of marine creatures.
It looks like what happened to the royal palace is something that happens to many ancient sites – they become ruins. There are many ruins here at the Royall Palace Angkot Thom that give a good feel for what it once looked like. Interesting, and something to check out if we get to that part of the world.
This place looks fascinating. I too would be walking around thinking of the king sleeping with the 9 headed serpent woman! Phimeanakas is definitely on my list to visit now