The Jungle Temple Beng Mealea
Beng Mealea means lotus pond and you can see why from this lotus pond by the temple’s entrance
Here’s a nice recent travelogue article – “Visiting the 900-year-old temple Beng Mealea in Cambodia” – about one traveler’s day visiting this mysterious jungle temple. Its referred to the jungle temple because it lies largely unrestored in the jungle. Once hardly visited it is now a bit unfortunately more and more often on the bus tour group route and the now paved road is more inviting to individual tourists as well. It is still well worth the time and cost to visit. Late afternoon is one of the best times to visit since by then the tour groups have left. And if you are traveling with children or teens, Beng Mealea is the best place for them to feel Indiana Jones, while Ta Prohm is the best temple to feel like Lara Croft from Tomb Raider.
Inside Beng Mealea one can really feel like Indiana Jones
A trip out here with Savuth and his tuk tuk costs $35 and can be combined with a visit to the temples of the Rolous Group which are on the way. For $40 you can also have a great day combining Beng Mealea and Rolous with one of the stilted villages on the great lake Tonle Sap, either Kompong Phluk or Kompong Khleang.
(Thinking of visiting the temples of Angkor Wat? Don’t forget to check out my friend Savuth’s tuk tuk services and all the handy information available on Angkortuktuk.)
