I’ll admit that when we visited Wat Preah Prom Rath, we were experiencing a little bit of temple fatigue – we had just been seeing temples in Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and of course Angkor Wat. But even with that in mind, Wat Preah Prom Rath still shines as a serene and tranquil respite from the bustling activity of Siem Reap.

Wat Preah Prom Rath

Steeped in History

Wat Preah Prom Rath stands as the largest temple complex within Siem Reap. While most would assume that title should go to Angkor, it isn’t actually in Siem Reap – it is its own city. There are several temples in town, but this is by far the grandest.

Wat Preah Prom Rath is an active Buddhist temple with early construction dating to the early 1200s when it was originally a Hindu temple. The modern temple though was founded in 1915. So while you’re here, you are likely to come across active worshippers in the prayer hall or monks about the grounds.

If you do, then it is polite to remain quiet and let them be. While we would have liked to enter the prayer chambers, we felt that it would be intruding during their activities. So instead, we continued to wander the grounds.

The grounds are well kept and highly decorated with gold, marble, and black slate. Statues and gardens abound and can offer a slight reprieve from the punishing Cambodian sun. We found an interesting and confusing river boat display with a man appearing to be dead and being eaten.

The complex is divided into multiple parts:

Entry garden – the primary entrance, it is here that you will find a unique display featuring what appears to be a man being devoured on a boat.
Boat garden – adjacent to the entry garden, this boat garden features a more normal representation of Cambodian life on riverboats.
Prayer hall – past the entry garden is the main prayer hall. It is mostly open air, though still covered.
Grounds – the grounds link all the part of the temple together. Comprised mostly of marble and tropical plants, it is a serene place to walk around.
Monks’ quarters – off-limits to visitors, the monks’ quarters are in the back and where the temple’s residents live.

A Short But Easy Excursion

We filled about thirty minutes time exploring the grounds before proceeding on. It is free to visit and worth stopping in if you’re nearby. It’s located on Pokambor Ave directly across from the bridge of Street 25 in downtown Siem Reap. It’s basically located in the Central Market district, so you really can’t miss it.