The last solar eclipse making the headlines in Angkor was the one on the 24th October 1995. It was a total eclipse reaching its maximum just before noon. As the sun was already high in the sky, no picture could be taken with the silhouette of Angkor Wat.
The recent solar eclipse that took place on March 9th 2016 received almost the same attention from the media. In a narrow corridor stretching from Sumatra to Sulawesi in Indonesia, the eclipse was total but only partial in other parts of Southeast Asia: Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, and Cambodia.
As the date of this eclipse was close to the Spring Equinox celebration where the central tower of Angkor Wat is perfectly aligned with the rising sun, it was such a perfect timing for watching the sun rising behind the main towers of the temple. Sunrise on that day was at 6.16 am and the eclipse started at 6.39 am, reaching its maximum at 7:34 am and ended at 8.37 am.
As expected, the moon started passing in front of the sun just after sunrise. As the eclipse continued the sun was close enough to the main tower to capture a half-sun sitting right above the pinnacle of the main tower. It was also a good time to catch some reflection on the pond.
Another eclipse leaving only a crescent of sun above Angkor Wat will take place on April 20th 2042. Save the date, it should be another spectacular event, though with a maximum point at 8.06 am, the sun will already be quite high on the sky but the changing of light might be interesting.
(These pictures were taken with a Canon 5DMKII and a 24-105 mm f:4 lens fitted with a 10-stops neutral density filter)
Angkor Wat temple before sunrise – 6.08 am.
Beginning of the solar eclipse behind Angkor Wat – 6.41 am
Sun eclipse above Angkor Wat main tower – 6.54 am
Sun eclipse beside Angkor Wat main tower – 6.58 am.
Sun eclipse above Angkor Wat main tower – 7.04 am.
Angkor Wat temple reflecting on water pond – 7.08 am.
Partial solar eclipse at the maximum – 7.35 am.
Angkor Wat temple and its moat view from the from West entrance – 8.06 am.
Cambodia sits just about the equatorial zone where the weather is mostly warm to hot all year round. Just like all countries with tropical climates, there are only two seasons – the wet and the dry.
One of the recurring question among visitors and photographers is what is the best time to visit Siem Reap and Cambodia in general?
The dry season starts in October and ends in April and it usually lasts longer than the wet season. This is the time when scorching heat brought about by the northeast monsoon dries up the land turning the Cambodian countryside into spectacles of golden paddy fields and creating fine powdery white to tawny colored dusty dirt roads. There are cool months though, from November to January, which is also considered high season by many tour operators particularly in Siem Reap. Tourists flock the temples of Angkor at this time of the year as they make the most out of the cool weather without having to worry of being soaked in the rain. Around the months of January and March, hazy skies can be observed giving the sun a fiery red ball effect, perfect for capturing stunning sunset at the Angkor Thom moat as shown in the picture below.
Red ball sun over Angkor Thom moat in March
On the other hand, wet season runs from May to September caused by the southwest monsoon. It tends to rain most days of the week, generally heavy downpours that usually last for a few hours. There are days when the rain is quite light but it continues all day long. Wet season in Cambodia means low season for tourism in Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. For tourists and photography enthusiasts, visiting during the wet season has its lovely perks. Aside from being less crowded, spectacular cloud formations and charming colors can be seen in the morning. The countryside looks more alive with lush foliage. The green scenery is quite striking amidst the drenched surroundings. The dusty dirt roads are now soggy mud pits and the meadows are flourishing with vegetation. The moats surrounding the temples are filled with water and there are pools of water everywhere ideal for taking reflection photos.
Angkor Wat temple seen from the west causeway in September
Banteay Kdei with green pond in October
Bayon temple at dusk with water reflection
Some temples are putting up their green moss robe during the monsoon season as in Preah Khan and Ta Prohm temples. You can see more pictures of the temples of Angkor during the green season on our blog Cambodia Green Season.
Buddha carving covered in moss in Preah Khan temple in October
Numbered sandstone block covered with moss in Ta Prohm temple in September
Sunrise and sunset intervals also change during the seasons. In January, sun rises the latest at around 6:30am while in June, sun rises the earliest at around 5:30am. While the sun sets earliest in January normally around 5:30pm and not later than 6:00pm, it sets relatively late in June at around 6:30pm. Sun path also varies with the seasons. Angkor Wat in particular is exposed to a very different light in the months of June and December: standing on the central causeway you will see the sun rising on the right side or left side of the temple respectively. You can see below the dramatic change in light at the northern corridor.
Devata carvings in Angkor Wat corridor in December
Devata carvings in Angkor Wat corridor lit up by the sun in June
Angkor Wat sunrise with temple reflection on the pond in October
Apart from the temples, the Cambodian countryside is changing drastically between the dry and the wet season with lotus and paddy fields appearing and disappearing from the landscape.
Farmer working on a paddy field in the Cambodian countryside in November
Lotus flowers pond in August
Each season has its advantages and disadvantages, nevertheless, if you are a photography aficionado, any season is a good season to visit Siem Reap and capture the beauty of Angkor.
Countryside landscape near Siem Reap Cambodia in September
To conclude, especially if you are a photographer, all year around is good to take pictures in Cambodia.
If you are heading to Cambodia soon and you are wondering about the weather in Siem Reap, you can have look at the live siem reap weather map below.
Equinox, an astronomical event that marks a change in season, is the time in which the sun passes over the celestial equator causing the length of night and day to be roughly equal. In the northern hemisphere vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring while autumnal equinox marks the beginning of autumn. Vernal equinox is usually celebrated in March while autumnal equinox in September. In the southern hemisphere, it is the other way around.
Spring equinox is not just any ordinary season celebration. In most cultures, it is a religious observance embracing a symbolic sense of spirituality. It has been celebrated for thousands of years in many countries with different traditions with almost similar themes, the start of new beginnings. For Christians, spring equinox plays a vital role in determining the Christian Easter and the same goes for the Jewish celebration of the Passover. While a tradition from ancient Chinese calls for balancing of eggs to bring good fortune and abundance. For Iranians, spring equinox marks their New Year or Nowruz established from the Zoroastrianism beliefs. St. Patrick’s day in Ireland is also an observance related to the spring equinox.
In Pagan traditions, spring equinox is a celebration in honor of the gods and goddesses. Ancient Romans celebrate in honor of the mother goddess of Rome, Cybele, who with some divine intervention and help from Zeus, resurrected her lover, Attis after he castrated and killed himself. Germanic tribes celebrate Ostara, originally from the word Eostre, the Germanic goddess of spring; while Ancient Egypt celebrate the Festival of Isis, the goddess of spring and rebirth.
The native Mayan people in Central America celebrates spring equinox for ten centuries in the Mayan sacrificial ritual pyramid, El Castillo or the Kukulcan Pyramid, in Chichen Itza, Mexico. The pyramid has four staircases and at the base of the stairs stands the carved head of a snake deity, Kukulkan. The pyramid is designed with quite an impressive precision that during the equinox, as the sun sets, shadows and sunlight plays an illusion of a snake sliding down the staircase. They call this occurrence as “The Return of the Sun Serpent”. At present, El Castillo is also one of the famous venue for equinox observance.
Stonehenge, a celebrated tourist attraction in England is another well-known venue for the equinox. One function of the Stonehenge’s blueprint is to serve as an astronomical observatory to forecast and calculate celestial occurrences. During the equinox, Druids and Pagans gather early in the morning to witness the sun rising above the stones. This structure has become a very prominent venue for those seeking some kind of an extraordinary spiritual encounter during the equinox.
Another remarkable site to experience the equinox is the Grianan of Aileach, a group of ancient structures on top of a hill in Count Donegal, Ireland, with structures believed to have been built in the 6th or 7th century AD. During the equinox, the beam of the rising sun is dividing the inside of the stone ring-fort which is the main structure, into a northern and southern part.
Mnajdra, a temple complex in the the island of Malta, is considered as one of the most ancient religious sites on earth. The structure is believed to have been built during the 4th Millenium B.C. During the equinox, a ray of sun pass thru the temple and lights up its main axis.
Finally, being considered as one of the shrines of the ancient world, Angkor Wat near Siem Reap Cambodia is the most popular venue in Southeast Asia to celebrate the spring equinox. The structure, aside from its magnificent design is also drafted to forecast celestial phenomenons. Angkor Wat temple features a very distinctive and spectacular sunrise during the equinox; the sun rises exactly behind the pinnacle of the central tower, the most sacred point of the temple rising 65 meters above the ground.
For this upcoming Spring Equinox we are doing a special photography tour, please visit this page for more details. Here are few pictures below of sunrise at the equinox in Angkor Wat temple.
Angkor Wat spring equinox sunrise
Angkor Wat sunrise during the equinox
Sunlight behind the central tower of Angkor Wat temple
Sunrise over Angkor Wat temple during Equinox
Crowd waiting for sunrise during the equinox at Angkor Wat temple
Visiting the temples of Angkor can be overwhelming. The structures are quite massive that most tourists focus their attention solely in watching the breathtaking grandeur of the fortresses against the picturesque landscapes. More often than not, the elaborate details of the temples are inevitably missed or neglected, for some reason.
But the beauty of Angkor is revealed on its exquisite elements: intricate carvings of Apsara dancers, Devatas, Buddhas, guardians and demons, bas-reliefs of battles or everyday life scenes. The minute details are actually the ones telling us fascinating stories of the bygone era.
Uncovering interesting details can be a challenge for most as quite a lot are hidden in the dark corners of the temples where only the curious dare go while others are covered with moss.
People who have visited Angkor temples for first time could not seem to get enough so they tend to come back for more. Even if they have been to the temples several times, each visit is just as stimulating as the first time. Every visit is an opportunity to find something new and unique.
If you want to see the awe-inspiring intricacies of Angkor temples with your very own eyes, please check our website at www.angkorphotographytours.com to know more about our photography tours. You might just spot an angel, on your lucky day.
Sanskrit writing on a pillar in Angkor
Sanskrit writing in Prasat Kravan temple
Intricate details of a pillar in Angkor Wat temple
Detail of a lintel in Koh Ker temple
Detail of a demon carving in Koh Ker temple
Demon carving in Banteay Thom temple
Beautiful Apsara dancers carving at Bayon temple
Bas relief detail in Bayon temple
Apsara dancer carvings in Preah Khan temple
Detail of an aspara’s hand in Banteay Thom temple
Apsara feet close up in Ta Prohm temple
Buddha carving covered in moss in Preah Khan temple
Your flight ticket and hotel are booked and you are a now a few days away from your trip to Siem Reap. Like many you probably did not have the time to read about the temples of Angkor. Do not worry!
To help you out, we compiled a list of the best Angkor Wat documentary videos available online. Most of them are in English, some others in French only. If you have other movies to suggest or want to report broken links, please feel free to let us know.
THE KHMER EMPIRE: FALL OF THE GOD KINGS (2020, Fall of Civilizations MMXX, in English)
Combining footage from various sources: video stock agencies, digital work from Monash University, work from Chandara Ung of SensiLab, this documentary gives a very good overview about the rise and the fall of the Khmer Empire.
LOST WORLDS: CITY OF THE GOD KINGS (2002, Channel 4, in English)
This documentary gives a good overview about the history of the temples of Angkor. In this film, you will learn about the first images of the 1994’s Spaceborne Imaging Radar survey from NASA, the accounts of Zhou Daguan’s visit in Angkor in the 13th century, the first impressions of Henri Mouhot from 1860. Several leading archaeologists are interviewed and gave any interesting insights about their research on Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Phnom Kulen.
Jungle Atlantis by the BBC is about the latest findings from the LIDAR, a groundbreaking laser technology which gave archaeologists new insights about the temples, the sacred mountain of Phnom Kulen and revealed new archaeological sites hidden beneath the dense jungle.
In this documentary are also presented some new research evidences about the sophisticated Angkorian water irrigation system believed to be at the origin of the rise and fall of the Khmer Empire.
AUX SOURCES D’ANGKOR ARTE
(2015, Science Grand Format, in French)
A documentary about the first capital of the Khmer Empire, Mahendraparvata, and its discovery in 2000 by Jean-Baptiste Chevance on the top of Kulen mountain. The map of the ancient city is confirmed by the LIDAR survey of 2012.
Angkor redécouvert is an Angkor documentary about the latest findings of the LIDAR project and some archaeological research led by French and German teams in the temples of Koh Ker. Also presented, the groundbreaking documentary work of the French explorer and artist Louis Delaporte, at the end of the 19th century.
A documentary about the LIDAR technology which helped scientists to get a better understanding of the layout of the city of Angkor Wat. A large part of the documentary is about the restoration and conservation efforts that took place in the temples over the years.
The first part of this documentary focuses on the rise of the Khmer empire and the legacy of Suryavarman II: Angkor Wat temple. Is explained also the connection between the temples and the quarries in the Kulen mountain. The second part is about Jayavarman VII well known for his extensive temple building program. Also presented, the last findings about Angkor Thom and the Bayon temple. Both part feature beautifully designed 3D and movie sequences.
ANGKOR: LA CIVILISATION ENGLOUTIE
(2012, ARTE, in French)
A documentary which highlights the works of the EFEO about the history of the consecutive capitals of the Khmer empire. New research is been presented about the temples of Beng Melea, Phnom Kulen, Preah Khan and the West Baray water reservoir. Presented also, the new archaeological evidences uncovered by the LIDAR technology.
A documentary about the controversial topic of antiquities trafficking and in particular about the looting of the statues of the statues of Koh Ker in Cambodia. Tess David a lawyer successfully executed a lawsuit against Sotheby’s for the sale of the unique statue of Duryodhana bondissant which was stolen in 1972 at Prasat Chen temple and which was part of a unique 3 dimensional Hindu fighting scene composed of 9 statues.
If you are a passionate photographer who wants to get the best pictures of Angkor and wants to improve your photo skills you can join our Angkor Wat sunrise tour or our countryside tour. We run also photography tours in the capital city of Phnom Penh.
Monks, with their vivid-colored saffron robes, are interesting subjects for photographers as they provide a striking contrast against the sandstone of Angkor temples.
According to history, Buddhism in Cambodia dates back to the 5th century from a king in the Funan Dynasty. However, it was then that during the reign of King Jayavarman VII of the Angkor Empire when a certain type of Buddhism, called Mahayana Buddhism, was established. Then there was another form called the Theravada Buddhism that took over the former one after the death of King Jayavarman VII.
In the present days, about 95% of people in Cambodia practice Buddhism. Buddhist monks are also referred to as “bonzes”. There are two types of monks, the Novice and the Bhikkhu. Novices can be as young as 7 years old while Bhikku should be at least 20 years of age. Converting into a monk is a matter of personal choice but theoretically speaking based on religious rites and beliefs, Cambodian male above 16 years old should at least serve some terms as a monk. Though they are not compelled to serve as a monk for their entire life, others opt to take the vow and serve otherwise. They live in a simple lifestyle and they are normally prohibited from participating in activities outside their religious practices. However, there is a bit of gradual change in their traditional observance due to the fast-changing contemporary lifestyle influences.
At present, there are about 4000 monks in Cambodia, however it is not an exact figure as there are many Cambodian monks living in Thailand. This number was much higher not so long ago as most of Buddhist monks were murdered between 1975 and 1979 by the Pol Pot regime. In 1969, it was estimated that 53,000 monks and 49,000 novice monks were serving in more than 3,000 temples.
Monks can be spotted in temples and pagodas by the altars praying, some are walking thru the gates and corridors of Angkor Wat or in the maze of Bayon temple either alone or in groups, while others are interacting with ordinary people and tourists. Taking good pictures of monks in these conditions could however be challenging as good lighting and composition is often proved to be difficult.
We had an unexpected opportunity on the 19th and 20th of December 2015, to witness a ceremony with 4100 monks in the temples of Angkor. After the offering ceremony which took place at the Terrace of the Elephants, we met and chatted with some monks and were able to learn about their religious beliefs and observances.
Taking photos of monks from afar in their saffron robes is already enchanting. Being closer made it more a delightful encounter as one can see more intricate details like the position of their hands inside the robe, the elements of the robe, and the silver alms bowl inside the monk bag.
