While nothing remained of the Royal Palace itself (which was constructed of wood), some remarkable stone terraces, the Royal Temple (Phimeanakas) and some smaller temples, as well as, of course, King Jayavarman VIIth state temple, the Bayon, have survived and give an impression of the beauty and opulence that Angkor Thom possessed during its best days. You must imagine that the outer walls of the important temples were probably covered with sheets of copper or bronze, and that the towers were crowned with golden spires. Zhou Daguan, the Chinese 13th century envoy who spent one year in Angkor and left the only written account of someone who actually saw Angkor  Thom in its prime, reports that the Baphuon had a bronze tower and the Bayon and the Phimeanakas golden ones, that there  were golden bridges guarded by gold lions and decorated with golden (or at least gilded) Buddhas. He also wrote that the roofs of the temples and other buildings were covered with yellow glazed clay tiles that shimmered in the sun and added to the overall "gold effect".

Enter Angkor Thom through the South Gate. A large, dramatic causeway crosses the moat; ask your driver to drop you off at the beginning and pick you up beyond the gate.(The light for photographing is best in the morning, by the way). The causeway is flanked by 108 impressive statues, 54 on each side - the ones on the right  side (with the grimacing faces and military headdresses) represent demons, the ones on the left (with beautiful, serene face expressions and conical headdresses) represent gods. They hold on their knees the body of a large Naga (mythical serpent) that at the beginning of the causeway raises nine heads on the shape of a fan (this arrangement is thought to represent a scene from "The Churning of the Ocean of Milk", a a famous Hindu epic). Walk towards the high entry tower (Gopura) with its characteristic large stone faces. As you proceed along the causeway you will notice that the bases of the gates are decorated with finely modeled three headed elephants, in Hindu mythology the mount of the god Indra. He is also depicted, sitting at the centre of the elephant. Walk through the gate and there you are, in Angkor Thom. You can see a picture of the causeway here. 

It is probably best to visit first the Bayon, described in a separate section. After leaving this temple via the east entrance turn left and follow the road. You will reach the Baphuon, described by Zhou Daguan as "The Tower of Bronze", the state temple of king Udayadityavarman, built in the 11th century. The Baphuon was a Hindu temple, dedicated to the creator god Shiva. Unfortunately, it is in a very bad state. The EFEO (École Francaise d'Extreme Orient) was about to restore it by anastylosis (consists in dismantling a monument, recording its structure, and then rebuilding it with original materials and methods) when it was forced to leave Angkor because of the civil war. Most of the temple is either collapsed or is still dismantled and cannot be accessed.

Located next to the ruins of the Baphuon is the  Terrace of the Elephants, that extends over 300 meters to the Terrace of the Leper King. The Terrace of the elephants has three main platforms, especially interesting is the facade that shows elephants with their riders, tigers, and other animals in profile. You will notice that there are holes in the stones - they probably were used for the attachment of stucco. Immediately north (right) of the Terrace of the Elephants is the famous Terrace of the Leper King. Its laterite walls are faced with sandstone and adorned with reliefs that depict mythical serpents, garudas, and goddesses. The name of the terrace refers to a statue of a baked seated man with his right knee raised that stood on the platform (the one you can see today is a copy, the original is in the National Museum in Phnom Penh). Today it is thought to represent Yama, the god of death (and the terrace is believed to have been the royal crematorium), but formerly historians believed that it depicted the Leper King from an old Khmer legend (A king fights against a serpent that spits venom in him. The king falls ill with leprosy.) 

Across the lawn, facing the terraces, you can see two buildings - they are called the Kleangs. Nobody knows what they were used for - explanations range from storehouses for goods used in the royal household to reception halls for foreign dignitaries. Whatever, they look quite grand and elegant. If you want to examine them more closely: the north Kleang is in better condition.

Behind the terraces a laterite wall separates the area of the former Royal Palace (the wooden buildings have long ago decayed) from the rest of Angkor Thom. All that remained here is the Phimeanakas - it was the temple where the king himself worshipped. It is relatively small but embedded in idyllic forest surroundings and therefore quite charming. It is a single tower (that was crowned with a golden spire) on a tiered platform, accessible via Gopuras. You can climb to the central sanctuary but the stairways are quite steep; the one on the west side is in relatively good condition. To the north of it are two ponds paved in laterite. These are the Royal Baths. If you walk past the ponds to the to palace walls, walk through the gopura and follow the jungle path you will discover a lovely surprise: Preah Palilay, a Buddhist temple. It is a single sandstone tower standing on a base with three tiers.

A cruciform terrace with serpent balustrades precedes it (only part of it remains). The east Gopura is still intact; its frontons show Buddhist scenes: a seated Buddha, a reclining Buddha, and a Buddha stand with his hand on the head of an elephant. The temple is surrounded by high ficus trees - listen to the birds and the cicadas.  Few people come here; it is one of the most serene spots in Angkor.

Outside the east gate stands a temple that will look familiar if you have already visited Angkor Wat - it is called Thommanon and  was probably built by the same architect. Like Angkor Wat, it is a Hindu temple built in the 12th century during the reign of king Suryavarman II and is dedicated to Vishnu. It is not one of the grand monuments of Angkor but if you have time, visit it - it was restored by anastylosis in the 1960s and is in good condition. Especially nice is the central tower - its base and the three false doors are decorated with delicate carvings.

Inside the city lived the king, his family, and the royal household, including priests and military officials. The rest of the population lived outside the enclosure wall, presumably in houses on stilts that were built of wood, or other perishable materials and covered with thatch. Everybody was allowed to enter Angkor Thom, though, as Zhou Daguan, our witness from the 13th century reports. "The large gates .... are shut at night and opened again in the morning, and each gateway has its guardian. Anyone can go through these gates which are barred only to dogs ... Criminals who have had their toes cut off are also forbidden to pass through the gates."