Seeing the Sunrise at Angkor Wat
Words by Dalene Heck / Photography by Pete Heck
This particular morning was a lesson in the value of patience (a trait in which I am often lacking).
At 4 am we rose to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat. We hurriedly dressed, stuffed unruly bedhead under hats, and made our way to the hotel lobby.
And then, a series of hurry-ups and waits. On the advice of our tuk-tuk driver and guide for the day, we had arrived at the ticket booth well before it was set to open and also were one of the first few in the park.
We grumbled about the extra half hour of sleep we could have had and stumbled clumsily on unlit paths until we finally found our way.
We set up. And soon, so did dozens and then hundreds of people, and they crowded around us.
Cameras snapped relentlessly with each slight change in lighting as the sun began to creep up. Elbows bumped elbows, feet kicked tripods. I stood with my legs spread and hands placed on my hips, assuming a wide and stable stance behind Pete to protect his position right at the moat’s edge. For over an hour, we stood still in anticipation.
At first, it was all pinks, purples, and silhouettes.
And we waited some more.
And we waited some more.
We waited patiently for that perfect second when the red rim of the sun peaks above the historic Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world, generously spilling veins of light onto the still water in front of us.
And eventually…. that moment didn’t come.
A thick wall of clouds robbed us of that perfect second, and we felt somewhat let down of our sunrise at Angkor Wat experience. We expected to savour it in our large crowd of strangers, to collectively withhold and release our breath with an appreciative chorus of oohs and aahs. Instead, confused chatter took over, some wondering aloud if this was indeed all there is to it.
A large part of the crowd soon left.
We had experienced this sort of universal rejection before with a sunrise trek to the Tikal ruins in Guatemala in which we saw nothing. But this time, we were determined. We plied ourselves with coffee and a plate of pancakes with more chocolate syrup than two people should ever need. We stayed at our position moat-side and gave the sun more time to make a fashionably late appearance.
And while she didn’t give us the expected dramatic effect of splitting rays between the intricate grooves in the pillars of the Wat, at least we persevered and saw her, however brief and veiled she was.
That would have to do.
How to See the Sunrise at Angkor Wat
The easiest and most recommended way to do it is to hire a private tuk-tuk driver to take you. Not only will you get to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat, but you will also get to tour the other amazing Temples of Angkor Wat (which should NOT be missed).
Where to Stay
The town nearest to Angkor Wat, which has hotels and accommodations, is Siem Reap. There are plenty of hotel options here, but we recommend the following:
High-end One guest described the Borei Angkor Resort & Spa as an “oasis of calm in a bustling town.” Sounds great to us.
Mid-range Walk off a busy street into the welcoming, calm foyer of the Golden Temple Hotel and enjoy the complimentary welcome drinks and snacks! Definitely a great deal for such a lovely hotel.
Budget The Cheathata CTS Hotel Siem Reap in Siem Reap is a great value for money, and comes with incredibly helpful staff and a pool!
I was there recently but not at dawn..
Maybe it didn’t look as you expected in that “perfect moment”, but I think these are really beautiful photos! 🙂
Thanks Zara! We couldn’t really be *too* disappointed.
Well, it may not have been what you were hoping for, but these photos are still gorgeous!! That one of just the reflection and the water flowers is stunning!
Thanks Amanda!
We have had the worst luck with sunrises on this trip and our time at Angkor was no exception. We got some dramatic photos, but no “perfect” moment for us either. Granted, we were there during the rainy season so I suppose we were just thankful that despite all the clouds, we didn’t have the indignity of rain to add into the mix as well.
One thing we did do, however, was get our tickets for the park the day before. I’m not sure if your guide told you, but even if you have a day pass, you can buy your ticket the day before and enter the park after 4 or 4:30 and get a free sunset as part of the deal. We didn’t have much more luck with that either, but it did mean a little more shuteye in the morning!
We learned about that AFTER the fact. We just arrived the night before so really didn’t have much of a chance anyways. Oh well, I was only cranky for a short while. 🙂
Oh we know that feeling all too well. We were robbed too by those infamous clouds last year! I was told better to come back for sunsets then bank of sunrise.. Next time. Beautiful pics nonetheless! 🙂
Next time is right Kieu, I could definitely make a few more visits there and not tire of it!
Still gorgeous! Those photos have me super jealous! I hope to get to Angkor Wat one day 😀
Still an amazing place to be and experience. The waterlilies are a beautiful colour!
That’s funny. I took that stance when old ladies tried to get in front of me at the Christmas Market in Vancouver this past weekend.
It’s a gorgeous image even if you don’t feel as thought it is that awe inspiring shot that is worth losing sleep over lol.
Haha! Hope you had good luck at the Christmas Market. 🙂
Great shot, bummer about the light though. Still, it must have been an amazing experience.
A great experience nonetheless! 4am?? This sounds like something I would do 🙂 I think sometimes the trophy isn’t the photo you create in your camera but the image you create in your mind. Now you have an image in your mind of what you want to make, remember it, think about it. When the time is right it will reveal itself again.
4am beat the 2am rise in Guatemala that resulted in seeing no sun at all!
We didn’t bother with sunrises and sunsets in Angkor Wat. Even back in 2009, I’m sure the crowds would have been there, eagerly waiting to capture that perfect moment. I love your photos though, and they are a gazillion times better than anything we took while there. But I still have too much of the wide-eyed child in me to ever feel letdown by the elements when surrounded by one of the most magnificent landscapes in our extraordinary world. I had been fascinated by the lost city of Angkor Wat since I was a kid trying to put exotic words together, so when I actually saw my hands touch those millennial walls it felt like I was reconnecting with a lost part of myself and with an immense world full of unbridled awe. As a side note, I like it that you address the sun as a “she”. My native language is a Romance one, so the sun is a “he”, whereas the moon is a “she”. Thank you for yet another lovely post. It’s been great to read your Cambodian adventures, and also remember our own. Good luck in Thailand!
I address all magnificent beings as “she”. 🙂 What a an amazing experience to have that sort of connection with Angkor – I did love every second of it, but not in the same way.
As you posted were discussing our trip to go here in January. Your photos are stunning and i am now inspired to get up at 4am amd join the throngs of people to enjoy a sunrise
I hope the sun shows up for you Michele! 🙂
The snaps are really very beautiful and well sequentially arranged. Thanks for such nice pictures.
I remember getting up at 4 to witness Sunrise in the lofty Himalayas at more than 10,000 ft. I had coldburns all over my face and I shivered like a dried twig but the whole experience was just surreal. That peak glowing in the first sunrays is still etched in my mind 🙂 Thanks for reviving my memories! By the way beautiful captures of Angkor Wat 🙂
Oh Arti, that sounds amazing! I would love to do that too!
Even though you didn’t get the shot you wanted, you still got some amazing photos.
I’ve always had bad luck with light/weather conditions when visiting Angkor Wat as well. Regardless, these are still great shots!
Beautiful! These may not have been what you were hoping for – but they are gorgeous none the less!
Definitely worth getting up early, even if the clouds didn’t quite cooperate with you. Gorgeous photos! I really enjoyed Angkor Wat a couple of years ago, and I’m looking forward to returning with Andy in January!
Loved your pics and story have added it to my holiday list
Love to visit Angkor Wat one day. Thanks for sharing the beautiful photos. Definitely worth waking up early for!
I actually prefer sunrise photos with clouds! Your photos are beautiful and convey so much drama.
We skipped the famous sunrise spot on our recent visit because we didn’t want to deal with the crowds. We explored the west side of Angkor Wat at dawn instead, which was almost empty and super atmospheric.