This ethereal temple in the heart of Angkor Thom is one that you would be hard-pressed to not miss. With 54 Gothic towers embellished with a whopping 216 gigantic faces (the identity of which is yet to be ascertained) and boasting 1.2km of incredible bas-reliefs with more than 11,000 figures, this temple of faces is certainly a one-of-a-kind wonder that represents the colossal power and control of the extensive Khmer empire. Built initially as a Buddhist temple, you’ll also find shrines to the Hindu deities Shiva and Vishnu resting in the Bayon, a tribute the Khmer empire’s adoption of multiple religions over the years.

The visages are always in sight as you walk through the temple - at any given time, a dozen or more of these enormous faces will be visible to you, glowering in stern majesty. This was exactly the intention of Jayarvarman VII, with the borderline threatening and Herculean faces a silent show of power and the necessity to bow to his exact will. Bayon is a magical place, depicting the reign of the Khmer empire, its wealth, its majesty and its humanity, all in one place. With the all-seeing faces ever keeping watch, and carvings of old telling the tale of the empire’s reign, the three levels of Bayon is a mystical world of its own, calling out to explorers to discover the secrets and magic that lie within.