Forget tourist-heavy Angkor Wat. Some 40 kilometres east you’ll find Beng Mealea, a large unrestored temple that’s completely overrun by nature. Built in the twelfth century, the temple is surrounded by a 45-metre-wide moat (mostly dry) and once marked the centre of an Angkorian-era town.
Now in a state of disrepair, the maze-like ruins are best navigated with a guide. To access the most interesting parts you’ll need to climb over large stones, up walls and around dense foliage. It’s sweaty work but worth the effort.