Kulen National Park near Siem Reap

Kulen National Park near Siem Reap

Contents:
1. Poeng Ta Kho (Amazing Cliff) ពើងតាខុ (ពើងជ្រួញ)
2. Preah Ang Thom Pagoda វត្តព្រះអង្គធំ
3. 1000 Lingas Temple ប្រាសាទលិង្គមួយពាន់
4. Waterfall (no English name on google maps) ទឹក​ធ្លាក់​ភ្នំគូលេន
The Khmer names are from google maps.

Pictures and a few comments of a trip to Kulen National Park near Siem Reap on 24feb2021. Kulen NP is not under the management of APSARA (Authority for the Protection of the Site and Management of the Region of Angkor, a backronym to match the name of apsara carvings of female mythological dancers); an Angkor pass does not grant entry to the National Park, you have to buy a ticket at a cost of 20 USD for foreigners (free for locals).

From roundabout in Siem Reap to entrance gate at 13.6142,104.0333 about 46 km by road, mostly going North. The road inside the NP is one way, entry and going up allowed up to 11 am. The road is mostly dust track. Most of the road, two cars could pass, but there are some narrow parts and curves (manned with rangers to indicate to cars that they can pass) that do not allow two cars to pass.

1. Poeng Ta Kho (Amazing Cliff) ពើងតាខុ (ពើងជ្រួញ)
ChristianPFC standing on Amazing Cliff:



The sign on the road to the cliff shows an aerial picture:



A particularly narrow and deep crack in the rock:



Interesting erosion patterns:
 


A round hole leading to a round cave with sand on the bottom and a tree growing out of the hole.



2. Preah Ang Thom Pagoda វត្តព្រះអង្គធំ
Gate and stairway leading from the village (souvenir shops) to the temple:



I was expecting a reclining Buddha lying on the ground or carved in a vertical rock surface, but this is carved on the top of a rock. You have to walk up stairs to reach it. It's housed in this building:







Various other shrines and small caves and rocks nearby.

3. 1000 Lingas ប្រាសាទលិង្គមួយពាន់
I was confused about the location of the rock carvings on the riverbed, and now I know that there are two locations far apart, the other is Kbal Spean ក្បាលស្ពាន (but confusingly often called 1000 Lingas as well), reached by 1.5 km hike from highway 66. I went on purpose during dry season, so part of the carvings are dry. These carvings stretch about 100 m along the riverbed.



Here small carvings, the dots represent lingas (penis), the squares yoni (vulva). The purpose was to fertilize the water flowing over them. Some larger (1 m diameter) linga and yoni and Buddha carvings as well can be seen elsewhere.



Cambodian gay boys joke that that's the reason why there are so many gay boys, because the water flows over 1000 cocks carved in the rock.

4. Waterfall (no English name on google maps) ទឹក​ធ្លាក់​ភ្នំគូលេន
The upper level of the waterfall is close to car parking (and souvenir stalls and restaurants - expensive!), the lower level accessible by a steel stairway.



There are more places of interest (Angkorian ruins, bat cave) in the national park, but these are not accessible by car and would require changing to a motorbike or hiking. Enough to justify another visit, but needs some planning, based on data collected on this trip. I prefer a nice hike to a rough ride on a motorbike.

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