Angkor Temples experiences

Breakfast at the hotel and departure to visit Angkor Thom (Great City). You will begin with the South Gate and the famous Bayon Temple from the 12th and 13th centuries, dedicated to Buddhism. The temple consists of no fewer than 54 gigantic towers and 216 faces of Avalokitesvara.

Then, you will continue your visit with the Terrace of the Elephants, 350m long, located at the foot of the Royal Hall; it was a place used for organizing public ceremonies. This is followed by the Terrace of the Leper King, built in the 12th century, which features various sculptures of apsaras, as well as Phimeanakas, Baphuon, and the Elephant Terrace.

You will continue with a visit to the Ta Prohm temple before the lunch break. In the afternoon, you will set out to discover the marvelous Angkor Wat temple, a World Heritage site built in the 12th century (1112-1152) in honor of Vishnu. It covers an area of 200 hectares and is surrounded by a moat and a wall measuring 1300m x 1500m. Angkor Wat is the largest temple in the world, famous for its slender towers and extraordinary bas-reliefs, and is considered one of the most extraordinary monuments ever conceived by man.

In the late afternoon, you will have the choice to admire the sunset from Bakheng Hill or return to Siem Reap for a short Tuk Tuk ride, with the opportunity to participate in a Buddhist ceremony where you will be blessed by monks wishing you happiness and prosperity for your holiday.

During the morning, you will visit the Banteay Srei temple, which houses one of the most extraordinary jewels of Khmer art. Built in the 10th century, this small pink sandstone temple, whose name means “Citadel of the Women,” contains sculptural masterpieces that remain in an excellent state of preservation. André Malraux made it famous in the early 20th century following the recovery of several “apsara” heads, which were returned to the community in 1923. During the journey, you will visit the Banteay Samre temple where, according to legend, a farmer became king: the King of Sweet Cucumbers. You will admire the remarkable and carefully preserved sculptures of this classic temple.

In the afternoon, you will begin with a visit to the Preah Khan temple, built by Jayavarman VII in 1191 in honor of his father, who is represented as the saving god of Mahayana Buddhism. The temple was originally a true city and a place dedicated to Buddhist studies. Belonging to the same era, Neak Pean, also called “Entwined Nagas,” is the only island-temple in Angkor. It is said to symbolically represent Anavatapta: the sacred and mythical lake of the Himalayas, revered in India for the healing properties of its waters. The large central basin is connected to four other smaller basins representing the four great rivers of the earth and the four cardinal points. Each of them features a gargoyle in the shape of a lion, horse, elephant, and man. The most interesting part is certainly a marvelous statue of Balaha, which represents the legend of the rescue of a group of shipwrecked survivors.

You will continue your visit to Angkor by heading to the two beautiful 12th-century temples of Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda, built under the reign of Suryavarman II. Here, you will find sculptures in honor of Shiva, Vishnu, and the Devatas (particularly at Chau Say Tevoda).

Breakfast at the hotel. 

An entire day dedicated to visiting temples outside the ordinary circuit.

Located 50km North of Siem Reap, the Kbal Spean temple, well-known as the “River of a Thousand Lingas,” is unique in its kind: to reach it, you will need to walk for about 45 minutes along a well-marked path through the thick forest to the river where, starting from the 11th century, sculptors began carving various figures into the rocks. The riverbed is decorated with hundreds of lingas—symbols of fertility representing the essence of the Hindu god Shiva. In addition to the lingams, you can admire bas-reliefs depicting Hindu deities. The path leads to a small waterfall—an ideal spot to cool off.

Break for a free lunch at a local restaurant before departing for the large Beng Melea complex, located 40km east of the main Angkor group. Beng Melea is a picturesque jungle temple that has recently become one of the newest and most exciting tourist attractions in Cambodia; it is an excellent place for photography as it is largely in ruins and completely shrouded by vegetation. The first impression one gets when visiting Beng Melea is of a massive pile of rubble hidden within the growth of wild trees. Visitors to this intriguing temple will witness a vast collection of sculptures, primarily representing stories from Hindu mythology.

Continue for another 70km or so to reach Koh Ker, another complex consisting of various temples and monasteries. Koh Ker was the capital of the Khmer Empire for a very brief period between 928–944 AD.

Return to the hotel. Check-in and accommodation at the hotel.

Early morning wake-up to head towards the floating village of Kompong Khleang, located about an hour’s drive from Siem Reap and visited by thousands of tourists each year. Kompong Khleang is one of the most impressive villages due to the height and size of its stilt houses. Take a walking tour of the village to meet the inhabitants and enter a home where a family raises crocodiles. Afterward, you will board a local boat to travel through the canals toward the Great Lake, where residents move their houses according to the seasons. Return to the village for a picnic lunch on-site. Free time to visit the old market until the meeting time for your airport transfer. Rooms are at your disposal until noon. Transfer to the airport for your return flight.

Please note: 

From April to October, cruises will not be possible due to the water level of Tonle Sap Lake being too low. Alternatively, you can visit Chong Kneas on the lakeshore or the pre-Angkorean complex of Roluos, including the temples of Bakong, Preah Ko, and Lolei.

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