SIEM REAP
West Baray (បារាយណ៍ខាងលិច): Visiting Angkor’s Ancient Reservoir
The West Baray is the largest baray at Angkor and one of the largest hand-built water reservoirs in the world. Not a temple, but an important part of the Angkor complex. That also means it is not part of the Angkor Ticket price, so you can head out to see this one for free. Most Cambodians now head here for swimming, enjoying lunch or relaxing by the water.
West Baray is around 12km from Siem Reap, on the road towards Sisophon and Battambang. It’s an easy trip by tuk tuk or hired moto, with a right turn off National Road 6. We’ve been out here a few times now and like to bring friends visiting Cambodia as one of the ‘off the tourist trail’ places.
You can cycle there too, but be aware you’ll spend a fair bit of time riding along a busy highway. It’s certainly doable, but if you’re not confident cycling in Cambodian traffic, it can feel a little daunting. You can go via Angkor Wat but depending on which way you go you might need an Angkor Pass as some roads through the Angkor complex are ticket controlled for foreign visitors.
The West Baray Spillway
We always head to the Baray Spillway. It has good facilities, with toilets and parking. From the parking area you can head straight up to the spillway where you really start to get a sense of just how enormous the baray is. The reservoir is approximately 8 km long and 2 km wide.
In the middle you might be able to see the small temple, West Mebon. It has been under restoration for a number of years and due to be completed in October 2026 so there is currently no access. Normally you need to hire a boat to get out there, which you can do from the spillway. We haven’t actually made it out there yet, but it’s definitely on our list for when it is open to the public again, so stay tuned. You will need an Angkor Pass to visit West Mebon when it is open.
Swimming and Eating at West Baray
Most Cambodian tourists come to West Baray to relax, spend time with family, eat and swim. You’ll see the road lined with food places and if you follow the steps along the side of the spillway you will come to the edge of the water lined with huts. Walk through the first few huts and down the stairs to reach the water.
The huts are for hire, usually around 10,000៛ ($2.50) or you can often negotiate a free hut if you order food. Most huts will have a menu and, although they’re usually not in English, there are often plenty of photos. The portion sizes are usually quite large, for sharing, and the prices are higher than what you might expect in town.
The last few times we have been there, we went for lunch and stayed for the afternoon swimming and relaxing in the hammocks. There is a small sandy beach area with tyre tubes and life jackets for hire and the water is usually quite shallow at the edge, but check before getting in.
Some people hire a boat to take them around the reservoir. You can usually find boats waiting at the spillway.
West Baray is definitely more of a Cambodian day-out spot than somewhere aimed at foreign tourists, but that’s also one of the reasons we enjoy coming here. You can visit at lunch after seeing the temples and spend the afternoon swimming and relaxing. Or ask your tuk tuk driver to stop on the way to the temples even if it is just to see the expanse of water and how big the baray is.
We last visited the West Baray in April 2023