By: Kathryn Rose
When Narla told me that I could go with guests on their helicopter ride, I realized once again that my job is awesome. I actually enjoy flying; I have gone skydiving, I have been in a small 3 person (experimental design) plane, but never a helicopter. Let alone a helicopter above some of the most amazing temples in the world. So this was an opportunity that I could not pass up.
HeliStar Cambodia's helicopter
We got to the airport at about 8:15am, and after signing away our lives, it was into the helicopter. The helicopter looks brand new, and the pilot is an incredibly well informed guy from New Zealand. He gave us a quick briefing on safety and how to use the headphones, and then we were off. The guests that I was going with had booked the 20-minute flight, which goes over Angkor Wat, many smaller temples, and then out to the Tonle Sap to see a floating village. We were lucky to have great weather, so we could see even more temples in the distance. The pilot was doubling as our guide, and he had a wealth of information to share with us. He was also able to answer all of our questions. He was even making sure everyone was getting all of the best photos possible. Since I was just along for the ride, I had the middle seat, which means the worst seat for picture taking, but I was still able to see everything. Seeing the temples from above is an amazing introduction to the Angkor complex. When you are walking through the ruins in the heat, you are well aware that Angkor Wat is huge. But seeing it from the sky just gives you a whole new perspective. All of the temple complexes are surrounded by huge walls and are built in perfect squares. Seeing the remains of roads that were used to bring in supplies over a thousand years ago is something you cannot really appreciate from the ground. At one time there were almost 300 temples in Siem Reap province, and with this flight you can see a few of these sites. Many of the temples are quite small, but even from a helicopter you can see the remains of the walls and temples.
Angkor Wat from the sky
One of the smaller temples
I highly recommend using HeliStar Cambodia. The pilot was excellent, and the helicopter felt brand new and very safe. All of us had such a good time, and the 20-minute flight was a good amount of time to see Siem Reap city, the Tonle Sap and some of the major temples.
A floating village on the Tonle Sap
If you are interested in taking a helicopter ride, contact Journeys Within to make a booking! Email cambodia@journeys-within.com
