Tourists looking to get off the beaten track in Cambodia may want to explore West Mebon — an 11th Century temple located on an island in the West Baray Reservior.
West Mebon is Falling Down!
I visited this temple in today (January 2020) and sadly as the temple fell down, it is currently under reconstruction. If you visit West Mebon at the moment all you will see is cranes rebuilding it and the main part of the temple sectioned off as a building site. No-one told us before going — not the hotel or the driver, so maybe they didn’t know that this was going on!
About West Mebon
West Mebon was a square pond temple built in 11th Century on an island in the middle of the West Baray reservoir. There used to be twelve pavilions (three on each side) but only three are still standing today. You cannot see these close up as it is currently a construction site cornered off with cranes and diggers!
You can see a Buddha statue on the island and a small hut overlooking the water with information about the temple.
