Preah Ko Temple (Prasat Preah Ko) Tours

One of the Roluos Group, a cluster of temples surrounding an early capital of the Khmer empire, Preah Ko is a small brick-built temple with six sanctuaries. Indravarman I built it in the late ninth century and originally dedicated it to Shiva. Its name means “sacred ox,” and you can still see statues of Nandi, the bull that Shiva rides.

The Basics
Preah Ko and the Roluos Group are located some way outside the Angkor Archaeological Park—east, rather than north, of Siem Reap—but you still need a 1-day, 3-day, or 7-day Angkor Pass to visit. While old, the Roluos Group is not as dramatic as later Angkor attractions, such as Bayon, Ta Prohm, and Angkor Wat, so most travelers visit as part of a multi-day exploration of the Angkor temples. Be it by bicycle, tuk-tuk, or minivan, a trip to Preah Ko almost always takes in the Roluos Group’s star attraction, the pyramid temple of Bakong, and sometimes Lolei as well.

Things to Know Before You Go

• Preah Ko will be of interest to history buffs.
• Consider visiting the Roluos Group before the major Angkor temples, so you get a sense of how Khmer architecture developed over time.
• Preah Ko stands on a raised platform accessed by multiple steps. Grassy ground around it may challenge travelers who use wheelchairs, particularly during the rainy season.

How to Get There
Preah Ko is located about 9 miles (14 kilometers) east of downtown Siem Reap, about half a mile (800 meters) north of Bakong temple and close to the small town of Roluos. With no public transport in the area, your options are: cycle, scooter, hire a driver, or join an organized tour. Cycling on the back roads can be scenic.

When to Get There
Like most Angkorian monuments, Preah Ko is open from early morning until late afternoon, seven days a week. The Roluos Group temples are generally uncrowded compared to Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, but consider visiting during the afternoon to catch a sunset from Bakong.

Brick Temples of the Angkor Era
While it’s sandstone structures like Angkor Wat that define Khmer architecture, many of the earliest Khmer temples were made of clay bricks. Khmer brick architecture was unusually sophisticated, because it connected bricks with a glue that took up much less space than cement. Besides Preah Ko, other brick temples from early Angkor times include Lolei (also in the Roluos Group), Prasat Bei, and Prasat Kravan, while Pre Rup is built partly in brick.