Following the main road from Pre Rup, we took a long road to one of the contemporaries of Angkor Wat. Banteay Samre was probably built by Suryavarman II according to scholars, and like Angkor Wat, it is horizontal in its orientation.
Banteay Samre was built on a relatively elevated part of the land so it might take a little more effort to climb up towards the temple. Your efforts will be rewarded since there is hardly a soul here. You would probably have the temple all to yourself.
The temple is relatively well preserved. In fact you can consider it a compact version of Angkor Wat since the design of the two temples are very similar. Quite noticeable is the liberal use of reddish sandstone, which gives it a nice color. One thing I noticed about this place is that since the structures are so close to each other, it would be difficult for photographers to light the subject they way they want them to.
There is a small market right outside the temple, so anyone wishing to refresh themselves with cold drinks will be relieved. However, other than Banteay Samre, there isn’t really anything much to see in thie area. After a few refreshments we were on our way again.
[xmlgm {http://www.worldwanderings.net/kml/BanteaySamre.kmz}]