Made of salmon-hued sandstone, Banteay Srei, 17 miles (27km) north of Angkor Wat, impresses less by its scale than the great artistry of its carvings. Delicately sculpted scenes from Hindu mythology embellish the ornate shrines of the temple, dedicated to the God of Destruction and Preservation, Shiva. The real show stealers here, though, are the voluptuous female deities standing in intricately framed niches around the base of the main sanctuary towers. Swathed in diaphanous silk, the figures are decked from head to toe in exquisite jewellery. Try to visit Banteay Srei in the late afternoon, when the warm light turns the sandstone a molten red colour.