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| Seeing Angkor’s temples from the air offers a unique viewpoint. (Credit: Tang Chhin Sothy/Getty) |
April-2-2011
By:Jade Bilowol/AAP with AG staff
Take in the splendours of the ancient and sprawling city of Angkor from a totally different perspective.
IT’S ONE THING SEEING Cambodia’s ancient Angkor temples up close and personal. It’s something else capturing a bird’s-eye view of this once-thriving kingdom from the height of a helicopter. We’ve strapped ourselves in and put on our headphones, which fail to completely suppress the ‘whump, whump, whump’ of the chopper’s blades, which are slicing the air and whirling us into the clear, blue sky.
The voice of our Aussie pilot, Phil Butterworth, crackles through our earpieces: “You’ve chosen a great day to fly. The weather conditions are pretty much perfect”. He outlines the itinerary of our brief flight. We’ll eyeball seven temples amid this UNESCO World Heritage Area, including the jewel in the crown, Angkor Wat.
No sooner have we taken off from the international airport at Siem Reap, the charming, French-influenced town at the doorstep of the temples, when Angkor Wat – reportedly the world’s largest religious building – looms into our sights.
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