DAY 1

SIEM REAP: Arrival & visit famous temples

Upon arrival at Siem Reap Airport, we welcome you and transfer you to hotel for check-in.

After a refreshment, visit some famous temples in Siem Reap including: East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Panan, Preah Khan, Pre Rup.

• The East Mebon is a 10th Century temple at Angkor, Cambodia. Built during the reign of King Rajendravarman, it stands on what was an artificial island at the center of the now dry East Baray reservoir.
• Ta Som is a small temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built at the end of the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII. It is located north east of Angkor Thom and just east of Neak Pean.
• Neak Pean at Angkor, Cambodia is an artificial island with a Buddhist temple on a circular island in Preah Khan Baray built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. It is the “Mebon” of the Preah Khan baray.
• Preah Khan is a temple at Angkor, built by the King Jayavarman VII. Preah Khan is, like Ta Prohm, a place of towered enclosures and shoulder hugging corridors. However, the temple of Preah Khan is in a reasonable state of preservation and ongoing restoration efforts should maintain and even improve this situation.
• Pre Rup is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built as the state temple of Khmer king Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961 or early 962. It is a temple mountain of combined brick, laterite and sandstone construction.

Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap. (L)

DAY 2

SIEM REAP: Explor The Angkor

The first part of the day will be spent exploring some of the most iconic temple complexes in Angkor, Cambodia. The morning begins with a visit to Angkor Thom, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire. Here, you can explore some of the most significant structures, including the Bayon Temple, the Baphuon, the Phimeanakas, the Royal Enclosure, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.

Afterward, you will continue your visit to Ta Prohm, a temple complex that is famous for its unique architecture and the way that trees and vegetation have grown around and through its structures. This temple complex provides a stunning visual experience and is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to Angkor.

Lunch will be served at a local restaurant, where you can enjoy some of the local cuisine.

In the afternoon, you will visit Angkor Wat, the most famous of all the temples in Angkor. This massive temple complex is one of the largest religious monuments in the world and is famous for its intricate architecture and stunning beauty. Here, you can explore the central temple, the outer walls, and the surrounding moat.

In the evening, you will enjoy a buffet dinner and watch a Khmer Traditional Dance Show at a local restaurant. This is an excellent opportunity to experience some of the local culture and enjoy some traditional entertainment while dining on local cuisine.

Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

(B,L,D)

DAY 3

SIEM REAP: Visit Beng Mealea

At 8.00am, we drive out of the city to go to Koh Ker. Abandoned to the forests of the north, Koh Ker, capital of the Angkorian empire from AD 928 to AD 944, is 127km northeast of Siem Reap. It takes about 1.5 hour to reach Koh Ker.

Koh Ker is a 10th-century temple complex in the north Cambodian jungle. A former capital of the Khmer Empire, the site is now remote and heavily forested. The main structure, Koh Ker Temple, is a stepped 7-tiered pyramid. The large rectangular tank, Rahal Baray, supplied water to the complex. The Prasat Krahom, meaning "red temple," is known for its sandstone carvings, while Prasat Pram is covered in strangler figs.

9.30am, We start at Prasat Krahom where impressive stone carvings grace lintels, doorposts and slender window columns. The principal monument is Mayan-looking Prasat Thom, a 55m-wide, 40m-high sandstone-faced pyramid whose seven tiers offer spectacular views across the forest.

10.30am, we drive back to Siem Reap. On the way back, we stop at two famous temples: Prasat Neang Khmaw & Prasat Pram. We proceed our way back and stop at a local restaurant near Beng Mealea temple. Enjoy your lunch.

1.30pm, we visit Beng Mealea temple. Enjoy a short walk through the dense jungle and discover the wonders of an overgrown temple, Beng Mealea, which lay undiscovered for centuries.

A spectacular sight to behold, Beng Mealea, located about 55km northeast of Siem Reap, is one of the most mysterious temples at Angkor, as nature has well and truly run riot. Exploring this titanic of temples, built to the same floor plan as Angkor Wat, is the ultimate Indiana Jones experience. Built in the 12th century under Suryavarman II, Beng Mealea is enclosed by a massive moat measuring 1.2km by 900m.

3.30pm, we leave Beng Mealea and drive to the last one that we visit today, Banteay Srey.

4.30pm, Arrival at the temple. You now have chance to see the “gem” of the Angkor area. The so-called “Citadel of the Women” displays some of the finest examples of classical Khmer art.

Considered by many to be the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art, Banteay Srei is cut from stone of a pinkish hue and includes some of the finest stone carving anywhere on Earth. Begun in AD 967, it is one of the smallest sites at Angkor, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in stature. The art gallery of Angkor, Banteay Srei, a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, is wonderfully well preserved and many of its carvings are three-dimensional.

Overnight in Siem Reap. (B,L)

DAY 4

SIEM REAP: Visit Tonle Sap Lake & Departure

Morning, enjoy breakfast at hotel. Visit Angkor National Museum at 7.30am. Angkor National Museum is an archaeological museum dedicated to the collection, preservation and presentation of Angkorian artifacts, also to provides information and education about art and culture of Khmer civilization, with collections mainly dated from Khmer Empire's Angkor period circa 9th to 14th-century. Most of the artifacts are discovered in and around the Angkor archaeological sites nearby. The museum is located in Vithei Charles de Gaulle No. 968, Siem Reap, Cambodia, on the way between downtown Siem Reap to northern road leading to Angkor ancient city. After that, take a boat trip for sight-seeing on Tonle Sap Lake, the Great Lake of Cambodia. It is one of the largest lakes in Asia. Here, enjoy a brief cruise past floating villages complete with schools, restaurants, and hospitals. Leave the lake and head to downtown to visit Artisan's D'angkor, the caving art school. Continue your visit to Wat Thmei. Wat Thmei near Charles de Gaulle Boulevard in Siem Reap, Cambodia where you will find a small memorial stupa which contains the skulls and bones of victims killed during the regime of the Khmer Rouge during 1975 – 1979. Transfer to Siem Reap airport for your departure flight.

(B)

End of the tour!