Itinerary in details:
Day 1: Arrive – Siem Reap, Sour Sdey “Hello” Cambodia (-/-/-)
Upon arrival at Siem Reap Int’s Airport, process immigration procedure (visa on arrival is available or obtain in advance via www.evisa.gov.kh), then get your luggage and walk straight to the Exit Gate where our representative is waiting. After self-introduced, you’ll transfer to hotel in the city (check in time is 2pm). Time to fresh-up and relax at hotel.
Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 2: Rolous Group & Grand Circuit (B/-/D)
After breakfast, we depart to Preah Khan Temple. It is located northeast of Angkor Thom and just west of the Jayatataka baray, with which it was associated. It was the center of a substantial organization, with almost 100,000 officials and servants. Next is Neak Poan, “the entwined snakes” is a small temple located on an island in the center of the now dry Jayatataka baray, a water reservoir 3,500-meter-long and 900 meter wide. Continue to Tasom offers some beautiful photo spots, especially the rear entrance where tree roots adorn the gateway.
Visit the Rolous Group including Lolei, Preah Ko & Bakong temple first. This island temple consists of four brick towers on a double plate rite platform. The 3 temples Bakong, Lolei and Preah Ko – located southeast of the Siem Reap Market – comprise the Rolous group of monuments and are dating back to the late ninth century and is the earliest site of the 600 years Angkor Period that is open to visitors.
Dinner with Apsara Dance show at local restaurant.
For those travelers thirsting for cultural highlights of Cambodia, no visit to Cambodia is complete without attending at least one traditional Khmer dance performance, often referred to as ‘Apsara Dance’ after one of the most popular Classical dance pieces. Traditional Khmer dance better described as ‘dance-drama’ in that the dances are not merely dance but also meant to convey a story or message. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 3: Angkor Highlight (B/L/-)
We start very early in the morning so we can capture the iconic picture of the pre-dawn facing Angkor Wat temple. Sunrise at Angkor Wat can be a busy venue especially during the months of December, January, February, and March.
After sunrise, we will explore the vast and rich of Angkor Wat temple, taking pictures at different angles, playing with light and shadows, and capturing the most beautiful devatas carved in sandstone.
Next destination will be the Ta Prohm “Tomb Raider” fame. Ta Prohm has been abandoned to the elements, a reminder that while empires rise and fall, the riotous power of nature marches on, oblivious to the dramas of human history. Left as it was ‘discovered’ by French explorer Henri Mouhout in 1860, the tentacle-like tree roots here are slowly strangling the surviving stones, man first conquering nature to create, nature later conquering man to destroy.
Next, will be the impressive Bayon temple with its 54 towers and 216 faces overlooking the defunct city of Angkor Thom. The final stop will be at one of gate of Angkor Thom to capture sunset over the moat. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 4: Rolous Group & Grand Circuit (B/L/D)
We’ll escape the heat of the city by driving 48kms North of Siem Reap to visit the holy Kulen Mountains, also referred to as Phnom Kulen (Mountain of the Lychees) by locals. The sandstone from this mountain was the main supplier of construction materials for the Angkor Kingdom. We’ll stop at the sacred site of The River of a Thousand Lingas, which features hundreds of lingas carved in the sandstone bed of the river, which date back to the 9th century.
Further downstream, large blocks of stone, also under water, are carved with Apsaras dancers and Vishnu figures. Next on the agenda is a wander around the mountain-top pagoda which is home to relics, statues and a large reclining Buddha. The last mountain stop will be Kulen Waterfall, featuring a natural pool which is the perfect place to cool off on a hot day and a great picnic spot too, so that’s what we’ll do. We return to Siem Reap and visit the smallest, but magnificent, Banteay Srei built in the 10th Century and dedicated to Shiva. The temple was the birthplace of Khmer classical style architecture, and the bas-relief work is the best example of Khmer classical art remaining.
The pink sandstone structure bears a series of striking and beautiful sculptures, lintels, pediments, and friezes. Khmers say the temple must have been carved by women for the details are too fine for the hands of a man. On the way back stop at Pradark Village, where you will see the villagers making palm sugar, handicraft for selling to tourist. It’s a nice chance for you to see the local people living at the countryside with their struggling for daily life.
Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 5: Siem Reap – Departure (B)
After meeting, we depart to Tonle Sap Lake. We will visit the floating village of Kampong Phluk, which means “Port of Tusks”, located 20 km east of Siem Reap. It is a village built on stilts on the Tonlé Sap. The community largely depends on fishing for a living, spending Cambodia’s rainy season (June-October) fishing. During the dry season (November-April), when the waters of the lake go down, many of them work in agriculture to supplement their income.
The excursion will take you to explore the floating village and allow you to see how people live and trade. We go to local pagoda, where you should change to clothes, we can get wet in as here we will experience the ceremony “Srouch Teok”, which roughly translates into “Water blessing”. A monk will chant in ancient Pali as he splashes water over us, washing away our sins and bad luck so we can start fresh and by being a good person can increase our good luck.
Return in town, we will go to visit Satcha Artisans and wood carving, lacquer ware, polychrome products, silver plating and silk paintings. In there, we can take a tour through the workshops and watch students as they learn how to create silk fabrics and garments, stone.
Transfer to Siem Reap airport for departure to next destination. It’s time to say goodbye, we thank you for traveling with us and warmly welcome you to come again.
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