5 / 5 - 4 reviews
How to get there
1 and a half hours from Siam Reap by tuk-tuk
When to go
From November to May
Minimum stay
Half a day
Phum Beng Meatea (Cambodia)
©
Virginie Bigeni
Practical information on Phum Beng Meatea
Reviews of Phum Beng Meatea
Beng Melea is a Cambodian temple which is part of the enormous empire of temples at Angkor, and not far from Siam Reap. It's one of the wildest temples and one of the most isolated from the usual tourist circuit...magnificent!
My suggestion:
Once again, such beauty has a price. So if you're feeling lazy, don't go! To enjoy it at its best you have to get up at dawn. The site is 1 and a half hours by tuk-tuk. You can sleep later on.
My review
Beng Melea is still my favourite temple. It was discovered not long ago and still has a very wild side to it. Nature has taken back what was hers. It was built towards 1100 and no one knows exactly who lived there or what its main function was. It is full of mystery. And it's great, your imagination leaps for joy when you see the first stone, or rather, the first landslide. Because, when you visit Beng Melea don't expect the same perfection that you have at Angkor Wat. Don't expect the usual quiet tourist visit. Take some good strong shoes and take off on an adventure. In order to visit the temple you have to climb over and around, duck under branches, clamber... In brief, it's quite a sporty activity! Great for nature (and wild jungle) lovers.
The temple is quite far from Siam Reap and so off the usual tourist circuit. As a result you will be almost alone. Your photos will be magnificent - no need to struggle and strain to get one without tourists in it. Beng Melea is very enchanting. I didn't want to leave. It's a definite must-see during a trip to Cambodia.
©
Virginie Bigeni
Beng Melea is a Cambodian temple which is part of the enormous empire of temples at Angkor, and not far from Siam Reap. It's one of the wildest temples and one of the most isolated from the usual tourist circuit...magnificent!
My suggestion:
Once again, such beauty has a price. So if you're feeling lazy, don't go! To enjoy it at its best you have to get up at dawn. The site is 1 and a half hours by tuk-tuk. You can sleep later on.
My review
Beng Melea is still my favourite temple. It was discovered not long ago and still has a very wild side to it. Nature has taken back what was hers. It was built towards 1100 and no one knows exactly who lived there or what its main function was. It is full of mystery. And it's great, your imagination leaps for joy when you see the first stone, or rather, the first landslide. Because, when you visit Beng Melea don't expect the same perfection that you have at Angkor Wat. Don't expect the usual quiet tourist visit. Take some good strong shoes and take off on an adventure. In order to visit the temple you have to climb over and around, duck under branches, clamber... In brief, it's quite a sporty activity! Great for nature (and wild jungle) lovers.
The temple is quite far from Siam Reap and so off the usual tourist circuit. As a result you will be almost alone. Your photos will be magnificent - no need to struggle and strain to get one without tourists in it. Beng Melea is very enchanting. I didn't want to leave. It's a definite must-see during a trip to Cambodia.
©
Virginie Bigeni
Far away from the famous Angkor Wat, Le Bayon and Ta Phrom, Beng Melea is the temple that was used as background in a film by Jean-Jaques Annaud called the Deux frères.
My suggestion:
If you want to explore Beng Mealea I advise you to arrive before 8 o'clock in the morning. If you arrive before the tourist coach you will have the temple to yourself (more or less). Guaranteed magic!
My review
Beng Mealea is in ruins and covered by the jungle but reminds you of Ta Phrom, the temple which is famous for its part in the film Tomb Raider. Nature has taken back what was hers! You feel like you are in a secret garden, full of passages that need to be discovered. The temple walls are covered with moss and hidden by trees. The creepers have taken the columns prisoner. Piles of stone lie on the ground.
If, during your trip to Cambodia, you dream of getting off the beaten path and feeling like an explorer from the 15th century, take a tuk-tuk and head in the direction of Beng Mealea. Few tourists go so far from Siem Reap. So you will be able to enjoy the place in peace and quiet. I'm sure you've understood, Beng Mealea was the Angkor site that I fell in love with.
©
Aurélie Chartier
©
Aurélie Chartier
Far away from the famous Angkor Wat, Le Bayon and Ta Phrom, Beng Melea is the temple that was used as background in a film by Jean-Jaques Annaud called the Deux frères.
My suggestion:
If you want to explore Beng Mealea I advise you to arrive before 8 o'clock in the morning. If you arrive before the tourist coach you will have the temple to yourself (more or less). Guaranteed magic!
My review
Beng Mealea is in ruins and covered by the jungle but reminds you of Ta Phrom, the temple which is famous for its part in the film Tomb Raider. Nature has taken back what was hers! You feel like you are in a secret garden, full of passages that need to be discovered. The temple walls are covered with moss and hidden by trees. The creepers have taken the columns prisoner. Piles of stone lie on the ground.
If, during your trip to Cambodia, you dream of getting off the beaten path and feeling like an explorer from the 15th century, take a tuk-tuk and head in the direction of Beng Mealea. Few tourists go so far from Siem Reap. So you will be able to enjoy the place in peace and quiet. I'm sure you've understood, Beng Mealea was the Angkor site that I fell in love with.
©
Aurélie Chartier
©
Aurélie Chartier
108 travelers' photos
