Srah Srang is the most attractive of Angkor's large water reservoirs. A broad rectangular pool measuring roughly 700 by 300 metres, it sits just east of Banteay Kdei and has a beautifully ornate landing terrace on its western bank decorated with nagas, garudas, and lions. The terrace faces east, which means the view across the pool at sunrise — when the surface is still and the sky turns orange and pink — is one of the best at Angkor. It is much less crowded than Angkor Wat's famous dawn pilgrimage.
The pool is still used by local families and the surrounding area has a relaxed, village-life quality that is largely absent from the main temple circuits. Children swim here in the dry season. Sit on the terrace steps for half an hour at dawn and you will see the light change on the water while monks walk the far bank in saffron. It is the quietest good moment in Angkor.