Avoid The Crowds Of Angkor Wat At A Beautiful Alternative With Cambodia's Largest Pyramid

To the untrained eye, the ruins of Koh Ker look a lot like Angkor Wat: weathered masonry, vine-tangled walls, and inscriptions carved into stone. You may feel like the hero of an adventure film, stumbling into a lost city in the jungle, where vegetation obscures the monuments of a long-ago kingdom. If you've seen pictures of Angkor Wat, or even been there yourself, the decorative style may look familiar — until you turn a corner and see the pyramid. If there's one thing you know, Cambodia's most cherished monument doesn't have a pyramid, yet here's one in Koh Ker, looming imperiously above you.

Prasat Prang is a "step pyramid," which means this 115-foot-tall structure is built like a layer cake, with horizontal walkways that circumscribe each level. Crumbling steps lead up the middle, but for safety's sake, visitors can climb a modern stairway to the top of the pyramid, which overlooks the lush forest canopy. This is the only real pyramid in Southeast Asia, distinguishing it from both Angkor Wat and the 4,000 classical temples scattered across the country. What's more, you won't have to fight through the relentless mobs at Angkor, a bucket-list favorite that typically draws at least a million visitors each year. You could easily add Koh Ker to a list of the best places to visit in Southeast Asia.

Back in the 10th century, Koh Ker served as capital of the Khmer Empire for about 13 years. While the city's reign wasn't very long, King Jayavarman IV commissioned a wide range of sacred buildings, including this unique pyramid, along with terraced farming and a sophisticated canal system. Koh Ker doesn't have the same cachet as Angkor Wat — and certainly doesn't grace as many calendars and screensavers — yet this ancient city predates its more famous sibling by nearly 200 years.

The site is lucky to have survived, not only because of its millennium of neglect, but because of the Cambodian Civil War, which lasted from the late 1960s to the late 1970s and led to horrifying acts of violence. Among the Khmer Rouge militants' many war crimes was the looting of historic sites, such as Koh Ker. While this may all sound like grim stuff for a tourist on vacation, learning about this brutal era is important for understanding modern Cambodia, and the Koh Ker story ends happily: The park was added to a list of World Heritage sites in 2023, and 17 of Koh Ker's most weatherbeaten temples are undergoing restoration. Cambodia remains one of the world's most budget-friendly destinations for travelers, and Koh Ker provides a calmer alternative to Angkor Wat.

The one drawback to Koh Ker is that it isn't easy to get to: It's around two hours away by car from Siem Reap, whereas you can take a tuktuk or even bicycle to Angkor Wat in under 30 minutes. Fortunately, Siem Reap is a major city and home to an international airport. It's hard to imagine visiting this part of the world without seeing Angkor Wat, and the two sites pair well. If you don't like crowds, though, Koh Ker is the better choice, especially with a park entry fee equivalent to only $10. (Angkor Wat is $37 for the day.)

Over-tourism is a major problem in certain parts of Southeast Asia, where hot spots like Bali, Chiang Mai, Siem Reap, and Vang Vieng are simply overrun with fancy-free Westerners. This is astonishing, given the size and diversity of this region, but certain locales are magnets for foreign cash. If you've trekked through Cambodia and are seeking something a little quieter, consider a side-trip to Cambodia's eastern neighbor, Vietnam.