Exploring Tomb Raider Film Locations at Cambodia’s Angkor Temples

Don’t laugh. I have an admission to make: we followed Angelina Jolie to Cambodia. She beat us to Angkor by a dozen years, filming scenes for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in 2000 among the picturesque ruins of the Khmer Empire. As travelers on a round-the-world trip with a stop in Siem Reap, it was too hard to resist the fun of a little star-stalking during our visit to the ancient ruins linked to the tomb raider film.

The Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie route includes a visit to the many-faced Bayon Temple within the bounds of the ancient city of Angkor Thom and a trip through the tree-entwined bones of the similarly aged 12th and 13th century Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university of Ta Prohm. Fans of adventure movies might recognize these stunning backdrops.

Stone faces carved into Bayon temple towers, a Tomb Raider film location in Angkor Thom

To our credit (I’d like to count it as credit, anyway) we didn’t actually watch the movie until after our trip to the temples, (let’s just forget about Ted’s and my 2003 theater visit for a comical viewing of Lara Croft: Cradle of Civilization with my brother Joel…), but we unashamedly included the main filming locations in our single-day circuit of Angkor Archaeological Park.

The truth, though? The temples’ beauty far exceeds the merits of the movie, and even if a little Hollywood trail following hadn’t been on the itinerary, we would’ve certainly included these stops on our route through Angkor because they’re genuinely impressive all on their own.

[Lara] tools up and scoots off in her Land Rover in front of the sacred Bayon temple, in Angkor Thom, its 54 towers, each bearing four enigmatic smiling faces. The most spectacular temple of all, entwined with enormous trees, where Croft encounters the mysterious girl, is Ta Prohm. -Movie-Locations.com

Journeying to Angkor Thom’s Cinematic Gate

Approaching the South Gate entrance to the city of Angkor Thom, we passed the flanking stone sculptures of 54 gods and 54 demons spanning the causeway. While Angelina Jolie may have sported a Land Rover in the tomb raider film, we entered on foot while tuk tuks and bicycles crissed and crossed in the cool of the morning, mirroring the blend of ancient and modern life around these famous movie sites.

Stone figures lining the causeway leading to the South Gate of Angkor Thom, featured in the Tomb Raider film

The Enigmatic Faces of Bayon Temple

At Bayon, the official state temple of Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, built around the 12th and 13th centuries, upwards of 200 stone faces of the Lokesvara look down from towers on the visitors below. These serene, yet powerful, faces were a memorable part of the tomb raider film, and seeing them in person is truly captivating.

Sunlight on ancient stone carvings at Bayon templeDetailed carvings of smiling faces at Bayon templeExploring the multi-faced towers of Bayon temple in CambodiaStone face looking down from a tower at Bayon temple

Honestly, I could’ve wandered here for hours. We probably spent at least an hour and a half here hunting for faces, taking photos, and sitting in the cool shade on the western side as the hot Cambodian sun rose higher and higher.

Intricate stone carvings on a wall at Bayon templeSmiling stone face at Bayon templeClose-up of a large stone face carving at BayonStacked stone carvings forming a tower at Bayon templeAnother angle of the multi-faced towers of BayonSunlight illuminating stone faces at Bayon templeCorridor within Bayon temple with carved detailsDifferent perspective of a stone face on a Bayon towerAncient stone wall with carvings at BayonPassageway leading through stone structures at Bayon temple

Ta Prohm: Where Nature Reclaims the Ancient

Our final stop of the day: Ta Prohm, where intentional conservation and restoration projects by the Archaeological Survey of India and APSARA (Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap) have sought to preserve the half-eaten-by-the-jungle state in which the ruins were rediscovered in 1860 by French botanist Henri Mahout. This temple is perhaps the most iconic location associated with the tomb raider film.

Trees growing over the ancient walls of Ta Prohm temple

The silk-cotton trees (Ceiba pentandra), thitpok (Tetrameles nudiflora), strangler fig (Ficus gibbosa) and gold apple (Diospyros decandra) eat away at once-strong structures.

Large tree roots intertwining with stone structures at Ta ProhmIconic tree merging with temple ruins at Ta Prohm, a key Tomb Raider film site

It’s just as surreal and strange as in the film… seeing these angelina jolie movies backdrops in real life is an incredible experience.

Tree roots engulfing a doorway at Ta Prohm templeSide view of large tree roots over stone ruins at Ta ProhmPassageway with tree roots growing over the entrance at Ta Prohm

These photos – and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – only give a narrow window into this fantastical and mysterious sliver of the ancient world. Yes, there’s a little extra candy-gloss in the final film edits (the shot of Angkor Wat, for example, bursting with waterlilies and boating villagers), but it’s not all Hollywood smoke and mirrors. The magic captured for the tomb raider film is based on a stunning reality.

Sunrise over Angkor Wat temple, a famous Cambodian landmark

This time, a little star-stalking paid off. Real life really is as beautiful as the movies. After all the hype and after 10 months on the road, visiting Angkor lived up to its reputation and made a mark on our psyches.