Ascending the 500 or so steps to the summit, you immediately realise what a special place Phnom Chisor truly is. It is no wonder that ancient societies worshipped places such as this, and it is hardly a surprise that the temple is still home to a school for monks today. 

How To Get There

Travelling down highway 2 and across to Phnom Chi So from Phnom Penh takes around 1h 45mins, and the speed by which you travel is limited by the condition of the roads on the ongoing repairs that pepper the highway. 

There are a couple of options for getting there, any local driver or Tuk Tuk driver will be able to take you there. Apparently there is even a bus service that will drop you off in a nearby village, where you can then hire a moto taxi to the base of the mountain. 

We opted to hire a Tuk Tuk driver that we use regularly for the day, which set us back $35. A car for the same trip is likely to cost $50-60. If you decide to use a ride hailing app such as Grab or Pass App, make sure to hire a driver for 6-8 hours. It is possible to get a one way trip to Phnom Chisor using Grab, however, there is no grab available from the mountain back to Phnom Penh and you may find yourself stranded. 

Parking at the base of the mountain is relatively simple, both the southern and western stairways have car parking and rest areas at the bottom. Here you will also find a number of small Khymer style restaurants.  

Alternate Entrance

If you’re feeling adventurous, hike around the base of the mountain to the Eastern Stairway. By taking a slight detour at 11.193679, 104.819951 (orange dot on the map), you can take the dirt track through the fields and around the base to Thmoul Temple, another 11th century ruin at the base of the original Eastern Stairway. We discovered this route entirely by accident as our Tuk Tuk took a wrong turn and got stuck. The road is not much more than an uneven dirt track, more suited to walking than driving, so get your driver to drop you off and wait for you at one of the picnic areas. 

The walk around the base of Phnom Chisor is stunning, with enough of a path for children to enjoy the walk.  

Phnom Chisor Temple

Eastern Stairway

Approaching the foot of the Eastern Stairway you are greeted with the imposing sight of the original 11th century stairway and Thmoul temple, both are constructed from large laterite blocks. One can only imagine the hardships endured by those that built it without the help of modern machinery, all those years ago. 

Mountain Summit and Temple

At the summit, the temple sits atop an 80 x 100m metre plateau and is constructed of the same laterite blocks as the stairway, with lintels and sculptures carved from softer, more workable sandstone. Surrounding the temple are the remnants of a defensive wall form which visitors can take in the breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. 

The temple complex consists of a surrounding wall and gallery with windows that face inwards towards a collection of smaller temple buildings. Some of the buildings are still in use today, however, there is extensive scaffolding propping up some of the buildings to prevent them from falling over. As with other temples of this era, Phnom Chisor was initially dedicated to Hindu gods but as the Khmer kings converted to Buddhism, so did the temples. As such, many of the carved stone lintels contain imagery significant to both religions. 

Surrounding the original temple complex are several modern buildings that are used as a place of worship and training centre for young monks. Visitors are welcome to wander around most of them, providing that they are dressed respectfully.

Amenities 

The temple has basic amenities including toilets and several open air restaurants serving Khmer food at reasonable prices. 

Phnom Chisor Entry Fees 

I have read elsewhere that the temple charges a small entry fee for visitors. Maybe they weren’t expecting any visitors due to the effects of COVID-19 on visiting tourists, or maybe it’s due to the fact that we reached the temple via the Eastern Stairway, we were never challenged to pay a fee to enter. We did, however, make a donation on the way out as we descended the mountain via the Western Stairway.