The jungle has encroached on Ta Prohm, creating a beauty all its own.
I arrived with my fellow Exodus Travels explorers midday, although inside the temple — because of the massive trees shadowing it — it seems much later, almost dusk. Used in the filming of both Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones, the temple is Disney-like in its reflection of what I always imagined the Cambodian temples would be like.
Tree roots snake along and into the Buddhist temple walls. Many artifacts were stolen, but a keen eye reveals the most intricate of carvings, doorways, and passageways. The temple is simply remarkable.
Weaving along narrow corridors and into nearly hidden courtyards, I found visitors less gregarious, more concentrated on the surrounding beauty of a temple slowly being overtaken by the jungle. This is a destination of contemplation and awe-inspiring beauty.
The 39 towers are connected by numerous galleries. Exploring the labyrinth is like entering another world, another dimension. Its intimacy is like no other Cambodian temple.
Read about other Cambodian temples; Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.
