Two hundred stone faces, all smiling, all watching you walk through. Built at the centre of Angkor Thom as Jayavarman VII's state temple, it is the strangest and most photogenic ruin in Cambodia. Late afternoon gives the faces their shadows.
Before you go
- Shoulders and knees covered. Wraps are usually available at the entrance.
- Check current opening hours before travelling: sections close for restoration and ceremonies.
- This is a working place of worship before it is a sight. Quiet voices, no flash during prayer.
Facts checked against the Wikipedia entry for Bayon and Wikidata. Practicalities are general good practice, not a substitute for the temple's own notices.