Flooding spares the temples Angkor spared from floods

Friday, 09 October 2009 15:01 Dave Perkes

Photo by: Dave Perkes

Flooded reflecting pool at Angkor Wat.

I abandoned the waterlogged tourist Mecca of Siem Reap this weekend to visit the temples and see how flooding had affected Angkor Park. Surprisingly, the water had little effect on the temples. All the main routes were, and are, open and with the reduction in water levels, the situation should ease further in a few more days.

There were some areas of localised flooding, most notably around Ta Prohm. The level of the Angkor Wat moat was the highest I’d ever seen, and was flowing over the road at the south-west corner. Both reflecting pools at Angkor Wat were high and reflecting well, as you can see from the photo. The northern pool has almost doubled in size.

But visitors wanting to take a close look at the Elephants’ Terrace and many other sights are going to get damp feet.

As usual at this time of year, the paths can get muddy and waterlogged. Planks help, but I do see visitors with inappropriate footwear. I prefer to use trekking sandals with grippy soles in wet weather, as leather shoes and trainers become soggy immediately.