Angkor National Museum is a must-visit attraction in Siem Reap if you’re looking to learn about the ancient Khmer civilisation and Angkorian temples. Located along Charles de Gaulle Boulevard, this 2-storey museum houses 8 galleries with over 1,000 artefacts that are categorised according to era, religion and royalty.

On a typical visit, you're led to an amphitheatre to watch a short video about the museum’s history, amenities and services before exploring the galleries. Available in Khmer, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, English, French and Thai, this orientation is scheduled at 15-minute intervals.

Angkor National Museum - one of the highlights of 31 Best Things to Do in Siem Reap and 11 Things to Do in Siem Reap When it Rains (Read all about Siem Reap here)

foto door e_chaya (CC BY 2.0) bewerkt

Connected via a spiral corridor, displays include recovered relics from the pre-Angkorian periods of Funan and Chenla, great Khmer kings, Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, stone pallets with ancient Khmer and Sanskrit inscriptions, as well as traditional costumes of the royal family, warriors, and Apsara dancers.

Angkor National Museum’s most impressive section is the Gallery of 1,000 Buddhas, where hundreds of wooden, jade, and metal sculptures are carefully arranged in floor-to-ceiling display cases. Each is fitted with a short description of its material and original locale, though most were recovered from the temple ruins of Banteay Kdei, Bayon, Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear.

foto door I G (CC BY 2.0) bewerkt

You should visit the Angkor National Museum before Angkor Archaeological Park as there are numerous touch-screen videos and informative commentary about each temple. 

Angkor National Museum

Locatie: 968 Charles de Gaulle Boulevard, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Openingstijden: Daily from 8.30am to 6.30pm

Telefoonnummer: +855 63 63 966 601

Penny Wong | Reisfanaat