Tonle Bati

Ta Prohm at Tonle Bati, not to be confused with the temple of the same name at Angkor, was built by Jayavarman VII in the late twelfth century, a compact laterite and sandstone temple with five chambers and carved lintels, standing in a grove beside a lake. A smaller temple, Yeay Peau, stands nearby with a story attached about a king and the son he did not recognise. What makes the place distinctive is the use around it: bamboo picnic platforms built out over the lake where Phnom Penh families spend Sundays eating, swimming and hiring inner tubes, so the temple sits in the middle of a busy local leisure spot rather than a quiet archaeological zone.

What you actually see

• The laterite temple - Jayavarman VII's compact five-chambered shrine.
• Carved lintels - narrative scenes over the doorways.
• Yeay Peau - the smaller temple and its legend nearby.
• Lake picnic platforms - bamboo decks over the water full at weekends.

When to go

November to March. Weekdays are quiet at the temple; Sundays are when the lakeside comes alive, which is either the attraction or the problem depending on what you want.

Honest expectations

The temple is small and takes half an hour. At weekends the lakeside is crowded and loud, with vendors pressing hard. Litter around the picnic area is a problem. It is a half-day trip from Phnom Penh, usually combined with Phnom Chisor.

Nearby

Phnom Chisor lies south; Phnom Penh is north.