Henri Mouhot

author

Henri Mouhot

1826–1861

Best known for bringing Angkor to the attention of many readers in Europe, this French naturalist and explorer traveled widely in Southeast Asia and left behind vivid journals. His journeys mixed scientific curiosity, hardship, and a lasting sense of wonder.

2 Audiobooks

Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos (Vol. 2 of 2) During the Years 1858, 1859, and 1860

Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos (Vol. 2 of 2) During the Years 1858, 1859, and 1860

by Henri Mouhot

Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos (Vol. 1 of 2) During the Years 1858, 1859, and 1860

Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos (Vol. 1 of 2) During the Years 1858, 1859, and 1860

by Henri Mouhot

About the author

Born in Montbéliard, France, in 1826, Henri Mouhot was a 19th-century naturalist and explorer whose travels took him through Siam, Cambodia, and Laos. He became widely associated with Angkor after describing the temple ruins in journals and notes that captivated readers back in Europe.

Mouhot was interested in both nature and travel, and his writings combined close observation with a strong feeling for dramatic landscapes and ancient monuments. Although he is often linked with the "discovery" of Angkor in Western accounts, the site was of course already known locally; his importance lies in how powerfully he introduced it to a broader European audience.

He died in Laos in 1861 at just 35 years old, before he could fully shape the legacy of his work himself. Even so, his posthumously published travel journals helped secure his place in the history of exploration and in the popular story of Angkor.