New iPad guide opens Angkor's temples

A new interactive Angkor guidebook for iPad developed by an ANU lecturer brings the temples of Angkor to life using multisensory technology.

Featuring zoom-able maps and pop-up information panels, the one-of-a-kind An Interactive Guide to Angkor is authored by archaeologist and pre-eminent Angkor scholar Dr Dougald O’Reilly from the School of Archaeology and Anthropology, with narration by noted Southeast Asia scholar Professor Charles Higham of the University of Otago.

“Even after having worked excavating around Angkor for more than a decade, I am still left in awe of the architecture of the Khmer who built Angkor,” O’Reilly says.

“There was a gap in the market for this kind of inter-active iBook, written by someone who had lived in Cambodia for a long time and knew the temples intimately.

“I anticipate that the iBook will prove useful and enjoyable for anyone visiting Angkor or for those wishing to learn about Angkor from home. Each temple covered includes a map with audio and text descriptions of that particular location.”

Dr O’Reilly has been conducting research in Cambodia since the late 1990s and has worked extensively in Southeast Asia. He is also Director of Heritage Watch, a non-profit organisation that was founded to combat the destruction of cultural heritage in Cambodia.

Professor Higham donated his time to narrate large portions of the guide, which is filled with interesting detail and anecdotes on Khmer mythology, Hindu religion and the significance of the temples.

The 88-page guide is available through iTunes for download on iPad.

An audio-only version is also available on the Tour Caster website.