Angkor And Preah Vihear

Upon arrival, welcome by tour guide in Siem Reap, transfer to the city center and check in hotel. Then visit West Baray Big Pond, a “baray” is a water reservoir built by the ancient Khmer people. Then turn to Wat Thmei (Killing Field) contains a unique glass-walled stupa containing the bones of victims of the Khmer Rouge. Some of the bones were recovered from a nearby well while others are the remains of soldiers who died on a nearby battlefield. Come back to visit the "Les Artisans d'Angkor – Chantiers Ecole" the Finest Authentic Khmer Arts and Crafts. After the short rest we would have welcome dinner with Apsara, the traditional Khmer dance - drama performance, which are not merely dance but also telling a story. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Please note: Hotel check-in time is around 14:00.

Breakfast at hotel. Feel your excitement build as you cycle into the Angkor Complex and be amazed by the sheer size!
Start with a visit to the South Gate of Angkor Thom where statues of the gods of good and evil line the entrance. Your next stop is the Bayon, known for the hundreds of smiling faces that grace the towers. The bas reliefs are quite impressive and tell stories of daily life and the great battles that were fought between the Khmers and ancient Thais.  Pedal to Phimeanakas, shaped a bit like a pyramid with two ponds in the rear and the nearby Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper Kings.  Then cycle to one of the most loved temples of all – Ta Prohm.  This small crumbling temple his held together by giant tree roots giving it a magical feel.
After lunch and a well earned rest, cycle to the magnificent Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument. This visually spectacular temple is a massive three-tiered pyramid, rising 65 metres from the ground and crowned by five lotus towers. Overnight in Siem Reap.
 

Breakfast at hotel. Today there is more cycling, this time to the Roluos temples, the former ancient capital of the Khmer Empire. Explore the small temples of Bakong, Preah Ko and Lolei and then hop back on your bike and cycle to the Tonle Sap Lake.  Along the way you will pass small villages and vividly green rice paddies – a portrait of rural Cambodia. Children may scamper out of houses to greet you as water buffalos wallow in muddy ponds. Overnight in Siem Reap.

After breakfast and check out hotel, we transfer to visit the lost temple of Beng Mealea, the titanic of temples, a slumbering giant lost for centuries in the forests of Cambodia. It is the most accessible of Angkor’s lost temples, a mirror image of Angkor Wat, but utterly consumed by the voracious appetite of nature. Constructed by Suryavarman II in the 12th century, the builder of Angkor Wat, the forest has run riot here and it is hard to get a sense of the monument’s shape amid the daunting ruins. Continue to visit Koh Ker – the capital of the Angkorian empire from AD 928 to AD 944. We visit Prasat Thom, a seven-storey step pyramid, more Mayan than Khmer, with commanding views over the surrounding forest, nearby Prasat Krahom or Red Temple and other temples including Prasat Pram, Prasat Balang, Prasat Krachap, Prasat Damrei Krap, the five towers of Prasat Ling, each enclosing a giant Lingas or fertility symbol, the biggest and best found in situ anywhere in Cambodia. Continue our drive to Sra Em where we will stay overnight. On arrival, check in hotel and relax for the rest of the day. Overnight in Sra Em.

After breakfast and check out hotel, we transfer to visit Preah Vihear, the Temple Mountain, a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva built in the beginning of the 10th century. The temple had further works added to it by the following three kings. The temple today is still a Hindu site, but Buddhist Monks pray at the temple to the Gods. The temple area consists of three stories surrounded by two galleries. Your guide will lead you through the temple area explaining the sites ancient and recent history. The temple was declared a Word Heritage UNESCO site in 2008. Leaving Preah Vihear, we transfer to the border and cross the border to Laos. End of service.

Please note: Hotel check-out time is 12:00.