West Baray

West Baray is the largest of Angkor's ancient reservoirs, an enormous hand-dug irrigation tank measuring approximately 8 kilometers long and 2.1 kilometers wide, constructed during the reign of King Udayadityavarman I in the early 11th century. Unlike the East Baray, which has been dry since medieval times, West Baray still retains water year-round and has evolved into a popular recreational destination for Cambodian families from Siem Reap. Locals swim from a sandy beach on its eastern bank, and boat trips carry visitors out to the small island of West Mebon near the center, where the ruins of an 11th-century Angkorian temple and its famous bronze Vishnu statue reclining on a serpent once stood amid the waters.