Phnom Chisor, a Temple in the Sky

An eleventh-century temple on a lonely hilltop, reached by a long stairway, with a view over palm-dotted plains that seems to go on forever.

Area

Day trips

Start from

Phnom Penh

Distance

about 55–60 km south

Time needed

1 day

Best season

November – February; climb early or late

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

Car or tuk-tuk (around 1.5–2 hours each way)

Tickets & rules

Small entry fee for foreign visitors; modest dress

Why go

Phnom Chisor is one of my favourite quiet places in Cambodia. A solitary hill rises from the flat plain of Takeo province, and on its summit stands an old brick and sandstone temple, facing east, with a newer pagoda beside it. You climb a long staircase of around four hundred steps, and at the top the wind and the views make up for the effort.

From the edge of the temple terrace you look out over rice fields, sugar palms and water reservoirs, laid out like a green and gold carpet to the horizon. Below you, aligned with the hill, are small temples on the plain; in the past, pilgrims processed from them up to the summit.

There are few visitors, and in the late afternoon, when the light softens, it is magical.

The story

The temple was built in the early eleventh century, in the reign of Suryavarman I, as a Hindu sanctuary. Its old Sanskrit name was Suryaparvata, the Mountain of the Sun. Inscriptions found here record gifts to the gods and the rules of the temple.

Like many Khmer temples, it was designed to align with other sacred structures. Below the hill to the east stand smaller shrines and a large reservoir, so that from the summit the eye travels down a long axis across the plain, a design that symbolised the path of pilgrims and gods.

Over the centuries the temple was taken over by Buddhist monks, and a modern pagoda now stands beside it. Parts of the old temple were damaged during the war years of the 1970s, but the main sanctuary, lintels and walls survive in a beautiful, weathered state.

The surrounding province of Takeo is one of the oldest settled areas of the Khmer world. In the early centuries of our era it was part of Funan, and the famous Vishnu in the National Museum came from Phnom Da, not far away.

Getting there

Phnom Chisor lies about fifty-five to sixty kilometres south of Phnom Penh, off National Road 2. A car takes around an hour and a half; a tuk-tuk is slower and dustier. There are two staircases: the main one on the eastern side is the longer and more atmospheric approach.

Combine it with Tonle Bati on the same road.

A suggested plan

1. 7 amLeave Phnom Penh south along Road 2, stopping at Tonle Bati on the way if you like.
2. 9 amBegin the climb before the heat; rest on the landings.
3. MorningExplore the temple, the pagoda and the terrace with its long views.
4. LunchEat at simple stalls at the foot of the hill.
5. AfternoonReturn to Phnom Penh, or, better, visit Tonle Bati in the morning and climb Phnom Chisor for sunset.

Where to stay

Visit from Phnom Penh.

Good to know

• Bring at least a litre of water per person.
• The eastern staircase is the most dramatic approach.
• Light is softest in the late afternoon.
• A drink seller at the top is usually there, but don’t count on it.