Angkor Thom is a 3km sq walled and moated Royal city, was the last capital of the Angkorian Empire, and home to Angkor's greatest king, Jayavarman VII. After Jayavarman VII re-captured the Angkorian capital from the Cham invaders in 1181, he began a massive building campaign across the Empire, constructing Angkor Thom as his new capital city. He began with existing structures such as Baphuon and Phimeanakas and built a grand enclosed city around them, adding the outer wall and moat, and some of Angkor's greatest temples, including his state temple, Bayon, set at the centre of the city. There are 5 entrances (gates) to the city; one for each cardinal point, and the Victory Gate leading to the Royal Palace area. Each gate is crowned with 4 giant smiling faces. The South Gate is often the first stop on a tour of the temples.

Angkor Wat , the world's largest religious building, is unmistakable with its five magnificent towers and vast complex of galleries �" it is not only an artistic feat but an emotional experience; no amount of background research quite prepares you for the real thing… Angkor Wat was built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his capital city, and today it still epitomizes classical Khmer architecture and culture and is even featured on Cambodia's national flag, the world's only flag which features a building. After being initially impressed by its overall size and the grandeur and harmony of its architecture which will have set your heart a-flutter with anticipation, you walk across the 200m causeway, crossing the 4km encompassing moat, to the main entrance with excitement building, and as you enter, you discover you have only passed an outer wall. Going further, distracted and awed by the bas-reliefs on every surface, is the first of three concentric chambers with hallways 400 meters long, and covered with thousands of bas-relief sculptures, each of these three galleries rising above the next. Once you have entered the inner sanctum and climbed the final precipitous set of stone stairs, almost vertically pitched, you turn around and are treated to a true spectacle of the Khmer Empire laid out beneath you - the lower towers, the courtyards, the pools, the causeway, the outer walls of the complex; the magnificent moat; and Phnom Bakheng in the distance. Discovering Angkor Wat is truly a memorable experience and one that will stay with you for a lifetime.

The Bayon sits at the centre of Angkor Thom and is famed for the many giant stone faces which have become one of the most recognisable images connected to classic Khmer art and architecture. Originally there were 54 towers each featuring four carved faces oriented toward the cardinal points (only 37 towers remain standing). Who the faces represent is a matter of debate but they may be Loksvara, Mahayana Buddhism's compassionate Bodhisattva, or perhaps a combination of Buddha and Jayavarman VII. The Bayon was Jayavarman VII's state-temple and in many ways represents the pinnacle of his massive building campaign. As well as the faces smiling down at you the Bayon features fascinating bas-reliefs on its exterior walls. Some of these bas-reliefs contain real-life scenes from the historical sea battle between the Khmers and the Cham, and others give a unique insight into Angkorian daily life depicting market scenes, cockfighting, chess games and childbirth.

The Terrace of the Elephants is part of the walled city of Angkor Thom and was built by Jayavarman VII. The 350m long, 3.5m high terrace was used as a giant viewing platform for public ceremonies, greeting victorious returning armies, and also serving as a base for the King's grand audience hall. There are five staircases leading to the top of the terrace each one flanked by large elephant heads and furnished with naga balustrades. The walls are carved with various court scenes, including lions, garudas, and of course the famous parade of elephants complete with their Khmer mahouts.

Close to the Terrace of the Elephants is another Jayavarman VII commissioned terrace, the unattractively named Terrace of the Leper King . The terrace was named after the statue of the Leper King that sits on top. However, why the statue is known as the 'Leper King' is less clear, some argue that when the statue was found its lichen-eaten condition gave it the appearance of leprosy, others have argued that it is a statue of an Angkorian king who in Khmer legend suffered from the disease. It is difficult to see for yourself as the Leper King statue sitting proudly on the Terrace today is a replica, the original resides in the National Museum in Phnom Penh. The Terrace is deeply carved with nagas, demons, and other mythological beings, and it is believed to have been used for royal cremations.