Angkor National Museum — Attraction in Siem Reap

The Angkor National Museum is located along Charles de Gaulle Road a couple hundred metres north of the Royal Independence Gardens and is a welcomed learning opportunity for those who plan to spend a few days exploring the temples in the Angkor Archeological Park near Siem Reap.

Opening hours are 8.30am to 6pm daily. Entry is a rather steep US$12 per person and audio guide comes at an additional US$5 per person. This is a high price to pay for museum entry pretty much anywhere and definitely something to think about before committing to visit. Depending on your travel budget, you may want to invest in a good book with detailed information about the various temples instead. You can use this to study in advance and while touring the temples to help you understand what you are seeing.

Within the museum, you will find eight different galleries spaced out over two floors. The 2nd floor galleries, where you start your visit focus on (Gallery A) the origin and history of the Khmer Empire, (Gallery B) how religion (Hinduism and Buddhism) impacted the construction, architecture of the temples as well as life in Kingdom of Cambodia, (Gallery C) a historical account of the Great Khmer Kings and (Gallery of 1,000 Buddhas) where you see a large collection of buddha statues from the Pre-Angkorian, Angkorian and Post Angkorian periods. There is an Exhibition Hall with a short film related to what you will see on this floor as well.

Visitors then proceed back down to the first floor galleries. They cover (Gallery D) the architecture and general aspects of Angkor Wat and (Gallery E) the architecture and artworks of the city of Angkor Thom and its temples as well as the story of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, an important bas-relief series at Angkor Wat. Next, (Gallery F) introduces visitors to stones with recorded histories and stories some dating back up to a thousand years. Lastly, (Gallery G) offers up statues in various conditions, which showcase ancient and decorative costumes of past Khmer civilisations.

Note: There are quite a few statues from the various temples that are nicely spaced throughout the museum. Unfortunately, not much specific information is know about most. Otherwise, most galleries have detailed text accounts relating to the theme of the gallery room. There are 4-5 video programmes found within the eight rooms as well. This provides opportunity to sit, rest your feet. The videos aren't long and are a good change of pace to the heavy reading experience found in most of the museum.

Note: There is a deposit room for your bags that is free to use. They ask that all bags be put there and will not let you enter the museum galleries until you've done so. There are clean toilets on the first floor as well as a museum gift shop and small cafe.

All in all, we spent nearly two hours going through the eight gallery rooms and are glad to have done so prior to visiting the various temples of the Angkor Archeological Park. There is a lot of information here. Sadly, there is very little available at the temples themselves. As such, learning as much as you can prior to visiting is essential towards understanding what to look for and what you are actually seeing when you are there. A visit to the Angkor National Museum is quite helpful in this regard. However, I would still recommend purchasing a book with information about specific temples. A proper book can help remind and provide you with the correct relevant details for each temple, of which there are many, you may visit...

As someone who has visited Angkor Vat many times, I have to say I am a bit disappointed in this museum. Firstly because 15 dollars to see national treasures - not just from the Angkor period, but pre- hindu goddesses; tapestry from villages in Northern India; Nepal, China; Bangladesh- humanity's treasures- should include an audio guide. This exceedengly important historical knowledge should be available to everyone, included and at choice. Regrettably, a few of the videos are at present outdated. The video room about Naga for example, a principal in Bhuddism- We couldn't make out a single word of what they were saying, the audio quality was unpleasant at best, inaudible in truth. You see that serpent? On all bills, guarding all temples, all parks, all bridges? But you're destined to google it instead: if you bother, that is. What is the point of having a giant pool on the first floor? Did I miss out since I didn't have enough for the audio guide? Just splendour? You could put up a plackard. For sure it's connected to the water pool of Ankor Vat. And the exhibit supposed to be dedicated to "life in the The Angkor period", missed- just that! It is the diety room, the bhuddas. What of the people who flourished there, the engineering of this civilisation-by means of water- all absent: what they wore, what they wrote, how they ate, how many they were- reconstructions of life around Siem Reap at the time, not to mention the wars fought over these temple grounds? From dynasty to dynasty, religion to religion.

More relevant now than ever - missing reconstructions. Why? And now I stop my criticisms. The lovely, lively and exquisitely curated representations of bhuddas (must be one of the largest in the 🌎?.) From all over Asia and even Africa - is a SIGHT, the dim lighting, firebrick and crimson walls, highlighting faces and bodies: A room that calls you to the present. Stepping in there it came to me how Bhuddism could reach so many, because these bhuddas undeniably look like like women or girls, they look like a neighbour, like someone familiar; a stranger at peace. The same way Siddharta never became a god, nor did he want to- but "a scent, a heartbeat, the thread in everyone". This room is to bow for. Aaaand there should be a restaurant here that serves small portions of food, not...

When I had my temple tour in Angkor Wat, our tour guide, Mr. Sary (he's a very amazing and knowledgeable guide 👍🏼 thumbs up to him), suggested to visit the Angkor National Museum if we still have time. Though going to the temple ruins itself is already rewarding.. and if you listen carefully to the guide, you will really learn a lot；there's just this different vibe when you also visit the Angkor National Museum. Some suggested to go here before the temple tours (probably to not pre-empt some information) but I visited after my temple tours and that didn't matter. There was still this different vibe of seeing up-close the relics that once hold great importance to the temples of Angkor and its people. Some of these relics were stolen and was just recovered. These relics and currently protected and preserved inside the museum to avoid further damages (these were made 800-1000 years ago) and to let us people living at the modern times see history. Ticket is not so expensive 12USD this 2023. There's also an audio guide which you could rent for an additional 5USD. Some audio-visual presentations are also available inside some galleries (giving some insightful information) and labels are also available to read (in English and Khmer language). Overall, it can take you roughly an hour (the least) to two hours to visit all the galleries. Pictures are not allowed inside the galleries and please DO NOT TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF each time you go from one gallery to another - unless it's your thing. There's a souvenir shop and a cafe inside the museum just in case you'd like to chill or rest before moving to the next gallery or after you finished your museum tour. Though it is not a must to visit, I highly recommend it because there's so much to learn (aside from what the guides will share) and very...