This is the first of several posts about Cambodia. The three photographs above were taken at Ta Phrom Temple which is part of the Angkor complex and a short distance from Angkor Wat itself. It is the temple where parts of the Tomb Raider movies were filmed. As a consequence the temple is a bit over commercialised, however, even that doesn’t detract from the amazing sight of the trees growing over and through the temple walls. Of course, Ta Phrom is not the only temple that has trees growing through it, but it is one of the most dramatic.

The Cambodian government with the help of international organisations has been discovering and subsequently reclaiming some of the lesser known temples in the Angkor region. When possible the jungle overgrowth is removed and the temple is restored or at least stabilised. However, Ta Phrom has been intentionally left somewhat wild to shown visitors what happens when the jungle starts reclaiming the temples and to capitalise on it’s fame. The government has spent considerable money maintaining this temple though, as there are numerous places where the trees are destroying the temple and additional supports were required.

I highly recommend having a tour guide with whom to visit this and the other temples in order to get a fuller experience, and possibly even get suggestions for some good shooting angles.