Siem Reap 5 days / 4 nights

Day 1

Siem Reap - Arrival  ( -/ L / D)

Arrive at Siem Reap International Airport and transfer to the hotel (rooms may not be ready until the afternoon). Visit the South Gate (with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk), the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century), Bayon Temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Sunset at Angkor Wat. Dinner at local restaurant and accommodation at hotel. Lunch at local restaurant.  Afternoon, continue to visit your temple tour to the unique interior brick sculptures of Prasat Kravan, Srah Srang ("The Royal Baths" was once used for ritual bathing), Banteay Kdei (surrounded by 4 concentric walls), Eastern Mebon (guarded at its corner by stone figures of harnessed elephants, some of which are still in a reasonable state of preservation), and the mountain-temple of Pre Rup until sunset.  Dinner at local restaurant and accommodation at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel In the morning, visit the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor: Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Angkor Wat's five towers symbolize Meru's five peaks - the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat, the ocean beyond. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon, visit Preah Khan.  Built by King Jayavarman VII, Preah Khan is, like Ta Prohm, a place of towered enclosures and shoulder-hugging corridors. Unlike Ta Prohm, though, it's well preserved and ongoing restoration efforts should improve this situation. Visit as well Neak Pean a fountain built in the middle of a pool and the temple of Ta Som. Dinner at local restaurant and accommodation at hotel.

Early bird special: Transfer to the archaeological site for the sunrise from the Phnom Bakheng, one of two hills dominating the plain of Angkor, from where you will have a spectacular view of the Western Baray and Angkor Wat  Come back to hotel for breakfast.  Proceed to the Banteay Srei temple (10th century) regarded as the jewel in the crown of classical Khmer art. Then visit Banteay Samre, one of the most complete complexes at Angkor due to restoration using the method of "anastylosis". The name Samre refers to an ethnic group of mountain people, who inhabited the region at the base of Phnom Kulen and were probably related to the Khmers. No inscriptions have been found for this temple, but the style of most of the architecture is of the classic art of the middle period similar to Angkor Wat.  The proportions of Banteay Samre are splendid. A unique feature is an interior moat with laterite paving, which when filled with water must have given an ethereal atmosphere to the temple. Lunch at local restaurant . In the afternoon, continue the temple tour to Takeo, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda and Ta Prohm, one of the area's most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been left relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery. Its appeal lies in the fact that, unlike the other monuments of Angkor, it was abandoned and swallowed by the jungle, looking very much the ways most of the Angkor temples appeared when European explorers first stumbled upon them. Dinner at local restaurant and accommodation at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel Morning, drive to the remote Beng Mealea temple through the typical Khmer countryside (60Kms from Siem Reap). There is a lot to see in the approximately 2? Hours drive as it takes you through many lively villages and along kilometers of rice paddies. Explore the long abandoned temple (11th century), strangled by the jungle. Lunch box will be provided on the site Afternoon come back to hotel. Dinner at local restaurant and Overnight at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Visit the floating village of Chong Khneas, located 10 kilometers south of Siem Reap. Take a boat trip in a traditional wooden boat on the Tonle Sap Lake, the "Great Lake" of Cambodia, one of the largest in Asia. Lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, visit to "Les Artisans d'Angkor - Chantiers Ecoles" of Siem Reap and spend time at leisure at a local market (if time permits). Transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for departure flight to the next destination

Quote in USD per person based on private tour  (valid until 30 Mar 09 )

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