Bayon

Let me start by admitting that the temple I expected to be the creepiest turned out to be my favourite of all the Angkor temples. The Bayon stands in the centre of the city of Angkor Thom and is smaller than the majestic Angkor Wat.

I had imagined 216 giant stone faces of a dead king smiling down on me to be quite scary. But the Bayon temple is far from that - it was a lot of fun to explore.

• The stone faces of King Jayavarman VII have an air of amused benevolence about them
• The carvings of apsaras (dancing nymphs), figurines and bas-reliefs are plentiful and really exquisite
• There are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore including some very steep stairwells
  
• Every corner and framed window holds a surprising view of facial profiles or carvings
• Although the Lonely Planet says the Bayon "looks like a glorified pile of rubble from a distance", I caught a lovely view of it from a pool in the western corner - thanks to my alert guide Thuy
  

There were plenty of opportunities for a great photos, even for a less-skilled "snap & run" tourist like me. All in all, I took 108 shots of the Bayon and here's a modest sample that I'd like to share with you. More photos are available on Facebook.