Phimeanakas
Angkor Thom, Angkor, Siem Reap
At the heart of the Royal Enclosure—the remains of the royal palace complex in the city of Angkor Thom—Phimeanakas was the king’s private temple. Carved mainly from rust-colored laterite rock, with sandstone elements, it ascends in three stepped tiers that represent the Hindu sacred mountain, Mt. Meru. It once had a golden spire.
Entrance to Angkor Thom is included in your Angkor Pass, which gets you access to the sights of the Angkor Archaeological Park. Choose between 1-day, 3-day, and 7-day passes (multi-day passes don’t have to be used on consecutive days). Most travelers visit Angkor Thom with a private guide or on an organized tour, taking in Phimeanakas before or after the city’s star attractions: the Bayon, Baphuon, the Terrace of the Elephants, and the Terrace of the Leper King. If you only have a day to see the Angkor sights, you’ll likely skip Phimeanakas.
- Phimeanakas is a good choice for travelers who’d like to go deeper into Angkor history, archaeology, and architecture.
- When restoration works allow, there are good views from the top of Phimeanakas over the Royal Enclosure and Baphuon.
- The stairs to the top are extremely steep and the ground can get waterlogged during the rainy season (roughly May to October). Wear practical shoes.
- Phimeanakas is not wheelchair accessible.
Phimeanakas sits close to the center of the Royal Enclosure, which once housed the royal palace of the Khmer kings, northwest of the center of Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom is about 7 miles (11 kilometers) north of Siem Reap and about a mile (1.6 kilometers) north of Angkor Wat, the temple complex that gives the area its name. There’s no public transport so a private guide, private driver, or organized tour is the way to go.
Phimeanakas is not one of Angkor Thom’s most popular attractions so slot it in before or after the city’s celebrated Bayon (the temple with the faces). Angkor Thom is open from early in the morning to late afternoon, seven days a week. It’s not a sunrise or sunset destination.
Phimeanakas’ name can be translated as flying temple, heavenly temple, or celestial temple. It was built about 200 years before Jayavarman VII created the Bayon and the city of Angkor Thom, as a private temple for Hindu kings. According to a 13th-century Chinese diplomat, people believed the king used Phimeanakas to sleep with a 9-headed snake spirit every night. Luckily for him, the snake spirit took the form of a woman.
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