Beng Mealea  is a temple in the Angkor Wat style located 40 km east of the main group of temples at Angkor, Cambodia, and 77 km from Siem Reap by road. It is largely unrestored, with trees and thick brush thriving amidst its towers and courtyards and many of its stones lying in great heaps. For years it was difficult to reach, but a road recently built to the temple complex of Koh Ker passes Beng Mealea and more visitors are coming to the site.

The temple was built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century. Smaller in size than Angkor Wat, the king's main monument, Beng Mealea nonetheless ranks among the Khmer empire's larger temples. Its primary material is sandstone. Surrounded by moats, it is oriented toward the east but has entranceways from the other three cardinal directions. The basic layout is three enclosing galleries around a central sanctuary. Structures known as libraries lie to the right and left of the avenue that leads in from the east. There is extensive carving of scenes from Hindu mythology, including the Churning of the Sea of Milk and Vishnu being borne by the bird god Garuda. Causeways have long balustrades formed by bodies of the seven-headed Naga serpent.

Beng Mealea is a sprawling temple covering over one sq km and until recently was a slumbering giant lost for centuries in the jungles of Cambodia. The temple has been consumed by the voracious appetite of nature and is largely overrun by vegetation. Lying 75km east of Siem Reap it is lightly touristed, giving it an adventurous 'lost in the jungle' feel. With trees growing from broken towers and galleries Beng Mealea offers photographers some of the best 'tree in temple' shots aside from Ta Prohm. Constructed in a distinctly Angkor Wat style by the same king, Suryavarman II, that built Angkor Wat, Beng Mealea preceded and may have served as a prototype of sorts for Angkor Wat. Though there are some lintel and doorway carvings, there are no bas-reliefs and the carvings are comparatively sparse. When the temple was active the walls may have been covered with paintings and frescos. In its time Beng Mealea was at the crossroads of several major highways that ran to Angkor Wat, Koh Ker, Preah Vihear (in northern Cambodia) and to northern Vietnam. Beng Mealea is a half day trip in its own right - but well worth the experience.