Do you feel like Indiana Jones ? Yes, so Beng Melea is a must see if you go to Angkor. Far from mass-tourism circuit, this temple was one of the highlight of our trip.

Nomadcom's Gallery : Beng Melea

From Cambodia Online
With the decline was she slowly abandoned until it was forgotten by all.  A canopy of green closed over and only villagers existed.  Hundreds of years silently passed with the outside world finally returning in the late 1800s.  During the 20th century Beng Mealea was once again a stop-off point for travelers on their way to the Great Preah Khan.  By 1958 the diligent French had cleared away the undergrowth, too late, for the years of conflict were coming.  Few dared to venture afar and again did Beng Mealea sink back to the forest.

Reports of Beng Melea began circulating in the late 1990s.  A few intrepid souls brought back tales of being escorted by villagers to a lost temple buried under the vegetation.  Credible tales, but photos brought back as evidence were murky and difficult to verify.  Little light passed through the canopy and vegetation covered it all.  Still, more visitors made the effort and once what was a journey out of David Livingston became a day-trip from he town.

Today itself Beng Mealea itself has been demined although the surrounding area is clearly marked off-limits.  The local villagers are very kind and friendly however.  Beng Mealea lies 2 hours from Siem Reap by a rutted road and most difficult to get to in the monsoon season.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 29th, 2006 at 16:13 and is filed under New pictures, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.