Phnom Kulen is a mountain range and a part of Phnom Kulen National Park in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia.
The Phnom Kulen mountain range is located 30 km northwards from Angkor Wat. Its name means "mountain of the lychees". There is a sacred hilltop site on top of the range. Attractions include a giant reclining Buddha, hundreds of lingas carved in the riverbed, an impressive waterfall and some remote temples.
From the entrance a sealed road winds its way through some spectacular jungle scenery, emerging on the plateau after a 12km ascent. The road eventually splits: the left fork leads to the picnic spot, waterfall and ruins of a 9th-century temple; the right fork continues over a bridge (you'll find the riverbed carvings around here) to the base of Wat Preah Ang Thom, which sits at the summit of the mountain and houses the large reclining Buddha carved into the sandstone boulder upon which it is built.
The waterfall is an attractive spot and was featured in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Near the top of the waterfall is a jungle-clad temple known as Prasat Krau Romeas, dating from the 9th century.
Preah Ang Thom - This is the main temple site at Kulen Mountain, it’s important to take off your shoes before entering the temple. Once inside you can make your way up to the giant reclining Buddha statue, reported as the largest in Cambodia.
Only accessible by foot, Srah Damrei, or Elephant Pond, is an area filled with stone-carved animals. This ancient Khmer sculpture is also accompanied by a couple of lions and remnants of some other animals.