Banteay Srei is also one of the smallest temples (we visited). Which means that with its reputation as a 'must see' it is quickly overrun by tourists. And Asean tourists (Koreans!) occupy their spot for ages as they all want to have their individual picture taken!
But I managed to take some photos excluding the crowds.

And indeed the fine carvings are immediately visible.

One giant jigsaw puzzle...

If you cannot avoid the crowds, make the most of it.

Take your time to look at the image closely, you will discover more and more detail.

Banteay Srei is built largely of a hard red sandstone that can be carved like wood.
Brick and laterite were used only for the enclosure walls and some structural elements.

Banteay Srei (or Banteay Srey) is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
It is located near the hill of Phnom Dei, 25 km (16 mi) north-east of the main group of temples that once belonged to the medieval capitals of Yasodharapura and Angkor Thom.
Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today.

The two libraries are of brick, laterite and sandstone. Each library has two pediments, one on the eastern side and one on the western.

The buildings themselves are miniature in scale, esspecially so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction.

The combat between Vāli and Sugrīva is depicted on the western Gopura.

Returning to our transport we passed through a rice field before entering the 'commercial area'.

The surrounding area has beauty in its simplicity (or 'poverty'?).

I never cease to be amazed of what they can haul on their motorcycles!

School's out.

We returned to the central location of the Angkor temples; Pre Rup (a.k.a. Prae Roup) is located near the Eastern Báráy (artificial body of water), just east of the walled city Angkor Thom- see map bottom page.
This temple still has a high degree of dereliction: the curtain wall has fallen down in places and the towers show their crude design and poor condition.

This entrance has some fine carvings and decirations, but most have a weathered appearance.

Although there is evidence to the contrary, many scholars believe the great city and temples remained largely cloaked by the forest until the late 19th century, when French archaeologists began a long restoration process.
From 1907 to 1970, work was under the direction of the École française d'Extrême-Orient, which cleared away the forest, repaired foundations, and installed drains to protect the buildings from water damage.

Work resumed after the end of the Cambodian Civil War and, since 1993, has been jointly co-ordinated by the Indian, German, Japanese and UNESCO through the International Co-ordinating Committee on the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC), while Cambodian work is carried out by the Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (APSARA), created in 1995.

Pre Rup was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, and it is probably located on a former shivaite ashram, built by Yasovarman I in the previous century.

The temple has a square lay-out and two perimeter walls.
The outer enclosure is a platform bounded by a laterite wall, 117 meters N-S by 127 meters E-W.
A laterite causeway gives entry from the east; unfortunately, a modern road cuts across it.
The four external gopuras are cross-shaped, having a central brick section (consisting of three rooms flanked
by two independent passageways) and a sandstone vestibule on both sides.
PRE RUP on Wikipedia

There were fewer tourists here and one could study and observe at leisure.

It was quite high up and this isn't even the highest level of the temple.

The way down was again quite steep and without much to hold on to.

Then it was time for lunch!
At a nearby location (think it was on the road between Ta Prohm and Pre Rup temples, along a body of water:
Srah Srang) was a strip of restaurants all the guides and tuk-tuk drivers seem to take the guests; probably because the quality of food and hygiene was without question and the availability of airconditioning! Both times the lunch was good and pleasant; the bill was around usd 20,- for two (including sodas, water & beer).