North gate of Banteay Kdei temple.

© BTWImages/Getty Images/iStock

Banteay Kdei & Sra Srang

Temples of Angkor

LoginSave

Banteay Kdei, a massive Buddhist monastery from the latter part of the 12th century, is surrounded by four concentric walls. Each of its four entrances is decorated with garudas, which hold aloft one of Jayavarman VII’s favourite themes: the four faces of Avalokiteshvara. East of Banteay Kdei is a vast pool of water, Sra Srang, measuring 800m by 400m, reserved as a bathing pool for the king and his consorts.

The outer wall of Banteay Kdei measures 500m by 700m. The inside of the central tower was never finished and much of the temple is in a ruinous state due to hasty construction. It is considerably less busy than nearby Ta Prohm and this alone can justify a visit.

A tiny island in the middle of Sra Srang once bore a wooden temple, of which only the stone base remains. This is a beautiful body of water from which to take in a quiet sunrise.

Allow about one hour to visit Banteay Kdei and admire the view over nearby Sra Srang.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • 26408-37 Asia, Cambodia, Siem Reap, South-East Asia, aged, ancient, architecture, architecture and art, art, built structure, clear sky, culture, day, epoch, historic, history, horizontal, human representation, low angle view, no people, old, outdoors, past, sculpture, stone Stone heads, Bayon.

    Bayon

    2.75 MILES

    At the heart of Angkor Thom is the 12th-century Bayon, the mesmerising, if slightly mind-bending, state temple of Jayavarman VII. It epitomises the…

  • 26408-45 Asia, Cambodia, Siem Reap, South-East Asia, aged, architecture, architecture and art, art, built structure, carving, close-up, culture, day, female likeness, focus on foreground, history, horizontal, human representation, no people, old, outdoors, past, sculpture, statue, wall Bas-relief detail, Banteay Srei.

    Banteay Srei

    12.35 MILES

    Considered by many to be the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art, Banteay Srei is cut from stone of a pinkish hue and includes some of the finest stone…

  • A tree growing through the temple Beng Mealea in Angkor Wat. 500px Photo ID: 155059645 Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Beng Mealea, temple, ruins, rubble, decay, tree, Nikon, travel, travel photography, adventure, amazing, blocks, Siem Reap, SE Asia

    Beng Mealea

    22.4 MILES

    A spectacular sight to behold, Beng Mealea, located about 68km northeast of Siem Reap, is one of the most mysterious temples at Angkor, as nature has well…

  • Taken in Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

    Angkor Wat

    2.51 MILES

    The traveller's first glimpse of Angkor Wat, the ultimate expression of Khmer genius, is matched by only a few select spots on earth. Built by Suryavarman…

  • Flocks of nesting pelicans, comorants, and herons crowd the canopies of submered trees at Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary on Tongle Sap lake.

    Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary

    20.79 MILES

    Prek Toal is one of three biospheres on the Tonlé Sap lake, and this stunning bird sanctuary makes it the most worthwhile and straightforward of the three…

  • Overgrown temple of Ta Prohm.

    Ta Prohm

    0.75 MILES

    The so-called 'Tomb Raider Temple', Ta Prohm is cloaked in dappled shadow, its crumbling towers and walls locked in the slow muscular embrace of vast root…

  • Entrance to Angkor National Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia.

    Angkor National Museum

    5.14 MILES

    Looming large on the road to Angkor is the Angkor National Museum, a state-of-the-art showpiece on the Khmer civilisation and the majesty of Angkor…

View more attractions

Nearby Temples of Angkor attractions

1. Sra Srang

0.28 MILES

Just east of Banteay Kdei is a basin of earlier construction, Sra Srang, measuring 800m by 400m, which was reserved for the king and his wives. A tiny…

2. Prasat Kravan

0.74 MILES

Uninspiring from the outside, the interior brick carvings concealed within its towers are the hidden treasure of Prasat Kravan. The five brick towers,…

3. Ta Prohm

0.75 MILES

The so-called 'Tomb Raider Temple', Ta Prohm is cloaked in dappled shadow, its crumbling towers and walls locked in the slow muscular embrace of vast root…

4. Pre Rup

1.46 MILES

Pre Rup, built by Rajendravarman II, is about 1km south of the Eastern Mebon and is a popular spot for sunset. The temple consists of a pyramid-shaped…

5. Ta Keo

1.51 MILES

Ta Keo is a stark, undecorated temple that undoubtedly would have been one of the finest of Angkor’s structures, had it been finished. Built by Jayavarman…

6. Eastern Baray

1.66 MILES

The enormous one-time reservoir known as the Eastern Baray was excavated by Yasovarman I, who marked its four corners with stelae. This basin, now…

7. Spean Thmor

1.7 MILES

Spean Thmor, of which an arch and several piers remain, is 200m east of Thommanon. Jayavarman VII constructed many roads with these immense stone bridges…

8. Eastern Mebon

1.79 MILES

This Hindu temple, erected by Rajendravarman II, would once have been situated on an islet in the centre of the Eastern Baray, but it is now very much on…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "cambodia/temples-of-angkor/attractions/banteay-kdei-sra-srang/a/poi-sig/500522/1002179",
  "destination": "Temples-of-Angkor",
  "continent": "Asia",
  "country": "Cambodia",
  "region": "Temples-of-Angkor",
  "position": "superzone"
}