A simple homestay bedroom near the temple

My homestay, just across the road from the temple, was a stilted wooden house, with hammocks in its underbelly and an open stove in the corner. Upstairs, cambodia vacation packages  along a wide-open mezzanine lined with heavy wood furniture, I found a simple but comfortable bedroom, draped in mosquito nets and with a rumbling electric fan in the corner.

As incense wafted through the air, it was hard to believe the turbulent history of this serene temple

My hosts, Som and Saveoun, live there with their two-year-old, and have two children at university in the capital, Phnom Penh.

The next morning, after a giant plate of breakfast noodles, Bunt and I set off for another little-visited temple, Preah Vihear, the highest of the Khmer empire, crowning the Dangrek mountains.

It was more than three hours’ drive away, but for years it has been largely out of bounds because of a border dispute with Thailand. That dispute came to a head in 2011, when troops from the two countries clashed and dozens of soldiers were killed.

 Close up detail of the Preah Vihear Temple, Cambodia

 Temple view … Preah Vihear in detail. Photograph: Liam M Koehler
In 2013, the International trips to Cambodia  Court of Justice ruled in Cambodia’s favour, the Thai army withdrew, and two years later the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office deemed it safe to visit. There are still troops on the ground, but a peace deal has been struck and the area is slowly trying to build up its tourist industry. There is even a fancy hotel nearby, the Preah Vihear Boutique, with an inviting pool and a spectacular mahogany staircase (doubles from £65 a night B&B).

We passed through the dramatic winged gopura (entrance pavilion) to explore the causeways and carved galleries

The temple itself is in an incredible setting. I craned my neck as we drove to the foot of the mountains, which jut out suddenly from the plains, with the shrine’s silhouette perched imposingly on the top.

Until three years ago, there was no road here; you’d have to trek through the undergrowth. Now, you can hitch a ride in an open-top truck or on a motorbike, and complete the steep climb in 15 minutes.

Whereas Banteay Chhmar was encased in jungle, like a secret hideaway, Preah Vihear stands stoically exposed, offering sweeping panoramic views. It also has different origins: it dates from the early 9th century, when it was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Centuries later it became a hideout for the Khmer Rouge, the brutal regime that claimed the lives of up to two million Cambodians.

 Preah Vihear Temple, Cambodia.

As incense wafted through the air, it was tour to cambodia from thailand  hard to believe the turbulent history of this serene temple. We passed through the dramatic winged gopura (entrance pavilion) to explore the causeways and carved galleries. Many were in decent condition, though some of the statues had been beheaded (looters again) and there were bullet holes in the sandstone.

If walls could talk, I don’t know where these timeworn witnesses would start. I am not even sure how Bunt managed to condense so much into his immersive crash-course. Cambodia is one of those places where you certainly leave with more than a suntan. And what I appreciated most about visiting its more secluded temples is the extra space and solitude that helps you begin to take it all in.

Way to go
The trip was provided by InsideAsia Tours, which has a six-night Rural Khmer Temples tour, which includes Preah Vihear and Siem Reap, from £1,549pp, including private guide and transport, but excluding flights
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