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Intricately carved red sandstone doorway and devata figures at Banteay Srei

Angkor temple guide

Banteay Srei

A small 10th-century temple to Shiva, carved from rose-pink sandstone with the most delicate decoration in Khmer art. It is often called the "Citadel of Women".

The jewel of Khmer art

Banteay Srei was consecrated in 967 AD. Unusually, it was built not by a king but by Yajnavaraha, a Brahmin scholar and royal adviser. It is much smaller than the temples of Angkor, but its carving is so fine that it looks almost like wood carving rather than stone.

The temple is made from a hard, pinkish-red sandstone that has kept its sharp detail for over a thousand years.

The drive

Banteay Srei lies about 35 km north-east of Siem Reap. The drive in San’s air-conditioned car takes around 45 minutes through rice fields, sugar palms and villages where families sell palm sugar by the roadside. It’s a nice way to see rural Cambodia.

What to look for

  • Devatas: female guardian figures in niches, with detailed jewellery and hairstyles, behind the protective ropes.
  • Pediments: Shiva and Parvati on Mount Kailash being shaken by the demon Ravana, and Krishna killing Kamsa.
  • The famous theft: in 1923 the French writer André Malraux was arrested for trying to steal four devatas from this temple.

San’s tip

“After lunch most people go back to Siem Reap to rest, so Banteay Srei in the afternoon is calm, and the light makes the stone glow pink.”

More Angkor temples

Silhouette of Angkor Wat and palm trees at sunrise with the sky reflected in the pond

Day 1 of the tour

Angkor Wat

The largest religious monument on earth and the symbol on Cambodia's flag. Built as a Hindu temple to Vishnu and later used by Buddhists, it is still an active place of worship.

Best time: Sunrise (around 5:30–6:15 AM), then explore before the midday heat

Giant smiling stone face on a tower of Bayon Temple

Day 1 of the tour

Bayon Temple

The state temple of King Jayavarman VII at the exact centre of the walled city of Angkor Thom, famous for the serene giant faces carved on its towers.

Best time: Morning, before about 10 AM, when the faces are side-lit

Giant strangler fig roots growing over a stone gallery at Ta Prohm temple

Day 1 of the tour

Ta Prohm

A Buddhist monastery built by Jayavarman VII and left largely as it was found, with giant silk-cotton and strangler fig trees growing out of the stones.

Best time: Early morning or around midday, when big groups are at lunch

Ready to explore Angkor with San?

Message San with your dates and hotel. He usually replies within an hour, and same-day tours are often possible.

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