Today our destination is Phnom Bayong:

Quate: “Some 40 km away from the central city of Takeo province, are two groups of ruins dating back to the Pre-Angkorian period. At these sites, there is the bigger group, belonging to the Bayong Koa and a smaller at the Ta Nhean temple.

Surrounding the temples is green a lush forest exuding a heavy scent of a dense jungle, obviously left undisturbed for a very long while.  It requires a good pair of shoes to explore these areas since the 390 steps that rise more than 300 meters to the foot of the Bayong Koa temple is no easy climb for some.

The serenity and natural beauty of the Bayong Koa erected in the early 7th century by King Bhavaman I to pay homage to the Hindu god Shiva are captivating and enchanting.”

It’s a beautiful and inviting description, isn’t it?

The problem is to get to the foot of the mountain, where you can only ride up in the back seat of a motorcycle recklessly driven by local youths.

We decide on the adventure and 10 motorcycles with a big engine noise eventually  enter the top.

Beauty can be seen in the pictures. Offerings for the nuns and monks who live in solitudes are  the only things they possess.

At the bottom, waiting for drivers, we visited a local primary school. Such undisguised enthusiasm of the children during our encounter was worth the effort!