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Takeo is a small province that is more or less Phnom Penh's suburb to the south, though it's mostly rural. A number of old temples are situated here and make for worthwhile daytrips. The province is bordered by, clockwise from the north, Kandal, Vietnam, Kampot, and Kompong Speu. The main access is by National Highway 2 from Phnom Penh, and the railway.the eponymous provincial capital, is best used as a base to visit the old temples in the Angkor Borei area. It has less of a French legacy than elsewhere around the country. |
Takeo is widely thought to be the birthplace of the Cambodian civilization
As far back as the third century AD, Chinese traders described a kingdom located in modern Takeo they called Funan.
They said this was a kingdom of walled cities peopled by farmers and artisans, as skillful in the craft of irrigation as they were in music and sculpture. Archeological evidence from the Angkor Borei ruins, where this kingdom had its base, suggests the site may have been an important seat of civilization since as early as 400 BC. Sandwiched between Kandal, Kampot and Kampong Speu provinces, and sharing its south-east border with Vietnam, Takeo province is often overlooked by overseas tourists but still ranks among the most visited provinces due to the number of Khmer tourists who flock there each weekend to visit the temples, ruins and picnic spots dotted throughout it. |
Among 22 provinces in Cambodia, Takeo is the oldest province rich in historics relating to the periods of Anachak Phnom and Chenla. Takeo province has 34 ancient temples left from our ancestors that are the heritages and the soul of Cambodian people. Takeo province has six ancient temples in good form and they are relating to the history such as: |
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 | Phnom Da : This site is believed to be the birthplace of Khmer civilization. The Funanese, as the Chinese called the people who built it, controlled the entire south of modern Vietnam and Cambodia when construction of parts of this city began, perhaps as early as 400 BC. Built from bricks, laterite and sandstone, Phnom Da is situated on a 50 meter hill with stairs to the top. Phnom Borei Phnom Da is five kilometers from Angkor Borei town. |
Here the story why this temple come to be. Once upon a time a mighty king ruled the area of Champassac, or Bassac, in the upper reaches of the Mekong.
This king had a daughter, Princess Ak Or, who grew to be the most beautiful woman in the land. But when she fell in love, she fell for a man who was far below her station and their union dishonored the king and all her relatives. The king found out and fell into a rage. He had a raft built and stocked with unhusked rice, husked rice, corns, beans, sesames, salt and prahok (fish cheese) and banished his daughter Ak Or and her lover by setting them adrift on this raft in the river. The raft drifted for a very long time down the river and across a large sea before it ran aground against Phnom Borei, where no one lived.
Ak Or and her husband were still in love. They were just grateful to have been washed ashore somewhere which could support them.
They planted their crops and built a cottage. They decided they could find everything else they needed to survive by foraging in the forest.
But Ak Or was unhappy. She was homesick and began to regret ruining her reputation.
She began to burn incense sticks and candles every night before bed and praying for hours to the spirits, guardians of the mountains and it or forest ghosts, believed to take care of wild animals in the forest and look after the lakes and the hills.
She prayed to all these beings for happiness and to provide them with enough to live on.
Because prayer is powerful and Ak Or never missed a night, before long she fell asleep and dreamed and the image of an honest man came into her dreams. In her dream, he kept his face obscured, but she heard him clearly.
"Do not worry," he told her. "Don't be frightened. I am an honest man who always keeps his promises and I tell you that from today on I am watching over you and will help you. You will grow famous and wealthy in this place. But I will not reveal my face to you."
As soon as he left her dream, she woke up and told her husband straight away, who was worried for her and filled with pity that she was so upset.
From that day, she had her husband go into the forest to find wood for their fire. The husband happily cut wood from a sweet smelling tree which grew there in abundance. He put it in neat piles to be burned.
One day, Ak Or went to see how their wood supply was going, and was overjoyed, for she knew as soon as she saw it that all the wood was valuable sandalwood.
But she didn't let on to her husband about her discovery, only smilingly telling him to work harder as they must have more wood.
Ak Or's husband loved her very much, so he tried to please her. He went deeper into the forest, and one day there, he saw bright rocks lying on the ground which were different to any rocks he had ever seen before.
"These are pretty," he told himself, "I will take three of them for my wife in order to set up a fireplace."
The man took those rocks and put them in small shallow basket and carried them home. When his wife saw them, she knew immediately that they were gold, but she did not tell her husband, saying only: "These are so beautiful! If you see this kind of rock again, please bring them all home."
The husband always took her advice. He began bringing home chunks of gold along with bundles of sandalwood.
One day, the princess decided they were ready. The gold and precious wood was piled high.
"Now I think I can place a high flag as a sign. There may be ships sailing from other countries that will see it and come to buy from us."
The ships came, the couple grew rich and famous, and within a few years, other settlers came to join Ak Or and her husband.
They themselves lived long and happily, producing many children and grandchildren. Villages and districts developed, and all of these people loved Princess Ak Or and her husband, who took the throne to rule over the land with his wife under the name Preah Bat Songkh Chak.
The royal couple constructed a huge fort out of bricks and stones and called its ramparts Da. The word Da means Rock. Since then the mountain has been called Phnom da (Rock Mountain) until this day.
When they had finished their walled city, Preah Bat Songkh Chak and Queen Ak Or ordered their subjects to build a small but beautiful stone temple on the eastern top of the mountain to pay tribute to the honest man who had kept his promise and redeemed Ak Or's honor.
That temple is called Prasat Phnom Da and stands to this day.
And that is the legend of Phnom Borei Phnom Da . |
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 | Chiso Mountain : located in Rovieng Commune, this haunting temple atop the hill of Phnom Chiso boasts stunning views and is an impressive ruin in itself. Located just two kilometers from Neang Khmao Temple in Rovieng Commune, Samrong District, the oldest sections of this beautiful ruin date back to the 11th century. The temple stands on the eastern side on the top of Chi So hill (Chi is a term used to address a person who has recently left priesthood and So is a person's name). |
To reach it, you can cheat slightly and drive to the top, or walk the 412 steps on the eastern side.
Trapaing Tea Village
About forty kilometers north of Phnom Chiso at the foot of the Chambab Hill, tourists can buy silk products as souvenirs from almost every household in this weaving village of more than 100 families. The villagers themselves are not dependent on tourists alone.
Traders from Phnom Penh often come to buy from them to sell in the city and some silk is also exported. |
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 | Ta Mao Zoo (Phnom Ta Mao)
About 10 kilometers further along National Route 2, Ta Mao Zoo enjoys a picturesque location and is designed more in the style of a safari park. Foreign aid agency involvement has helped make this zoo one of the best in the region, and several enclosures (such as the tiger enclosure) are outstanding. There is a small entrance fee. Ta Mao is the site of Cambodia's leading wildlife sanctuary, a home for animals confiscated from traffickers or saved from poachers traps. It feels like a zoo crossed with safari park, and gradually some of this space being used to provide a better habitat for the larger animals.
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 | Tonle Bati : A famous picnic area just around the corner from Ta Prohm temple, set on a small peninsular jutting into the Bati River. On Sundays especially many locals come to sit in the small huts perched over the water and picnic on local delicacies such as chicken and frog provided by local vendors. Boats can be hired from here, and many people swim. Because it is a holiday spot for Phnom Penhois, it is often a little more expensive so before buying, remember to ask the price and always bargain. |
Ta Prohm and Yey Peuv temples
Down National Route 2, about 35 kilometers from Phnom Penh, a large sign with a picture of a ruined temple marks the turnoff to this site. Built by Jayavarman VII (of Angkor Wat fame) in the 13th century, Ta Prohm temple is a small but beautifully preserved laterite and sandstone structure in well-kept grounds. There are still several statues and bas-reliefs in good condition to be viewed inside.
About 150 meters north of Ta Prohm is the much smaller Yey Peuv temple, which is in poor repair. Legend has it that Yey Peuv was Ta Prohm's mother. There is an entrance fee to visit Ta Prohm. |
Ba Yang Temple : was built in the 7th century and is located on the top of Ba Yang mountain in Kiri Vong District.
Neang Khmao Temple : was built in the 10th century and is located at Sam Rong District |
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