Cambodia Temple #13: Beng Mealea Temple - An Amazing Brick Temple

Siem Reap has become one of the world's tourism sweethearts over the previous years, ranked first place to visit in the list of Top 25 Landmarks of the world in 2017 according to Trip Advisor, outmuscling luminaries like Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center of United Arab Emirates, Mezquita Cathedral de Cordoba of Spain, Basilica di San Pietro of Italy, Taj Mahal of India, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood of Russia, and Mutianyu Great Wall of China.  

Visitors run here to see the historical Khmer jungle temples of Angkor Wat and the infrastructure has been improved to cope with the busloads of foreigners arriving each day, traffic jams and damage to temples.  

Luckily, Beng Mealea, a hidden-away jungle temple that invokes the earlier, less-discovered days of Angkor, gives a lot of hope to the Indiana Jones in all of us.  

Off the typical traveler track, Beng Mealea also called the jungle temple, gives a phenomenal chance to encounter an Angkor temple as it would have been for a long time; overtaken by jungle, visited by just by birds, and local youngsters playing games in the ruins.  

The jungle temple of Beng Mealea, meaning “Lotus Pond", is to a great extent unrestored, its walls and towers burst separated with trees and creepers. While a wooden walkway guides visitors round the tumble-down structure, more capable explorers can climb through rubble-filled corridors and make their own disclosures in the ruins.  

Location of Beng Mealea 

The temple is around 70km from Siem Reap. For quite a long time the temple was hard to access because of the state of the roads, yet now it is a relatively easy journey. A private taxi takes around 1 hour 30 minutes from Siem Reap, and, with a 3 hour wait at the temple should cost between 40-50USD for a return journey. Asking for the driver to take the small roads, far from National Road 6 additionally gives an exquisite quiet drive through Cambodian countryside. It is likewise conceivable to take a Tuk Tuk for a Beng Mealea visit however this can take an additional 30 minutes/hour without specific saving money on cost and a definite difference in comfort! 

Tourism spots near Beng Mealea 

If you have the whole day to investigate a portion of the more remote Angkorian sites, then you might need to consolidate a visit to Beng Mealea with a drive up to Koh Ker temple, or to Kulen Mountain to see a beautiful waterfall. Another option is to come back from Beng Mealea through National Road 6 and stop off at the Roluos group of temples in way back to Siem Reap.  

Best time to visit Beng Mealea 

You can visit the temple any time of day, particularly between November and February, so those searching for a more quiet experience might need to avoid busiest times between 9am and 11am. A Beng Mealea visit is best coordinated at sunrise and the two hours after, when the light is magical, the birds are stirring, and the site virtually deserted.

History of Beng Mealea  

Constructed in the same architectural style from Angkor, Beng Mealea is believed to have also been built amid the reign of King Suryavaraman in the twelfth century, which makes it over 900 years of age. But although historians assume it to be related with the well-known temples, little is thought about the history of the eerie, crumbling site. Hindu and a couple of Buddhist motif carvings have been revealed, yet couple of different signs of religion – or any engravings that may give away who manufactured it – have been found.

Some beautiful pictures of Beng Mealea temple:

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