On a dusty deserted road edged with landmine warning signs, the ruins of the Koh Ker temples hide amidst the jungle. Away from the tourist hub of Angkor Wat, a lonely wonder through these majestic architectural dinosaurs gives the visitor a taste of exploration that is rarely so accessible.

Archaeological preservation group Heritage Watch estimates the current number of annual visitors to be around 2200 people, 75% of which are Khmer. But the serenity of Koh Ker is scheduled for a renovation, and soon!

According to Seung Kong, deputy director of Apsara Authority who took over control of the Koh Ker temple area this year, a road was first built to access the temples in 2006. Currently this dirt track is being upgraded and preservation work on the areas 42 temples has already begun, he said. Vegetation has been cleared and stagnant water surrounding temple walls has been drained. Access to the temples has been improved and demining is underway.

“I cannot estimate the tourist increase,” Kong said, “but I am sure it will be dramatic once the area is properly renovated.”

He believes the location of Koh Ker, which lies midway between the temples of Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear temple located near the Thai border, will be the key to its coming tourism boost.

Apsara’s conservation boundary for the Koh Ker temple preservation area is 9km x 4km. The town of Koh Ker is also receiving a makeover with hotel construction, new restaurants and a large market area already underway.

Today few sculptures remain intact. Dougald O’Reilly, director of Heritage Watch said almost every temple in the area has been looted.
“Up until the 1960’s a fabulous Ganesha statue sat in situ at one of the temples,” he said. “This has now disappeared into a private collection.”

The temples also came under threat during Cambodia’s years of turmoil. Landmines still remain as a sad legacy of this conflict.

The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) began work clearing the area in 2002 but the scale of the work carried out continues to be subject to funding.
The total area designated for clearance is 81 hectares. CMAC manager for the area, Pring Pha Narith, said work has concentrated on local roads and the temple sights, the clearing of which is expected to reach completion by the end of the year.

56 mine fields have been located so far with 1,382 mines cleared. 42 of these mine fields where located within the temple grounds, nine along village roads, two within local school grounds and three others within the village.
In addition 1,447,212 pieces of exploded and unexploded ordnances (UXO's) have been removed.

Injury

CMAC reported only one injury in the area with an employee losing a leg while mine clearing.

Landmine risk has kept all but the most intrepid travelers away from Koh Ker over the years.
Lee Baer, ultra light pilot for Wings Over Cambodia, first visited the temples in 2003 by motorcycle after receiving vague directions from a local of the temples whereabouts. There was no road so Baer and his riding companion used a GPS to guide them through the waist high grass and dense bush. What they eventually found were temples swallowed up by the jungle.

“Somewhere under the vegetation there was a pile of rocks someone built over 1,000 years ago,” Baer said. “It was wild. You know you’re out there. You hear a rumor about this temple - after a day of riding you stumble upon it and there’s nobody there. It feels like you’re the first person out there. Only a handful of westerners knew about it.”

Baer’s last encounter with the site was in February 2006 when he flew over the area in his ultra light plane. He recalls at the time the area was still relatively isolated and the temples barely visible amidst the foliage.

Clearly saddened by the development plans Baer said, “Development ruins everything. It only takes a few years. It’s good for the Khmer’s - bad for the adventure travelers.”

O’Reilly says Heritage Watch is currently involved in a project to ensure the tourism boom will be good for the local community. People from the surrounding villages are being trained in small business management, craft production, tourism and foreign language skills. Future business plans initiated by Heritage Watch include ox cart rides and traditional craft sales.

Confident that a tourism increase will not spoil the appeal of the Koh Ker temples, Dougald said, “Undoubtedly people like to fantasize that they are discovering a spot first but the monuments themselves are such powerful architectural statements that they will continue to draw attention as Angkor does.”

He said the increased tourism does pose some risks to the site but these will be outweighed by increased security at temple sites and the increased value these sites will have due to the draw from tourism.
The first stage of Apsara authority’s Koh Ker temple makeover is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.