Legend Of Angkor Tour, 5 days

On arrival at Siem Reap  Airport, you are greeted by our guide and taken to your hotel by private transfer.  You may have free time to relax and catch your first glimpse of Siem Reap Town, a gateway to the ruins of Angkor Temple Complex , which is regarded as the largest religious structure in the world. . This archeological site stretches over an forested area of some 400 square kilometers and contains the magnificent remains from the different capitals of the Khmer Empire between  802 AD and 1350 AD. They range from stunning architectural marvels to ordinary edifices full of rubble and will make for an exciting exploration in forthcoming days. No activity planned for this afternoon, you have some time free to  explore Siem Reap Town at your leisure. This urban center has grown up from a relatively small backwater town into the fastest growing settlement in Cambodia. The vibrant downtown is tightly packed with small eating spots, shop houses, luminous bars, and bustling old market, offering an interesting exploration. Today you can take an optional visit to the Angkor National Museum, a showpiece on the Khmer civilisation and the majesty of Angkor. The rich collection of Angkorian artifacts remains a very useful experience for first-time visitors, putting the story of Angkor and the Khmer empire in context before exploring the temples. This optional activity is not included; however, your guide is in hand to provide you with some suggestion. 

The exciting exploration of Angkor Complex begins with the Roluos Group, an early capital of the powerful  Angkorian-era Khmer Empire. This ancient capital was established by Jayavarman II and  served as the Khmer royal city for over 70 years under four successive kings. There are several remaining temples, including  Lo Lei, Preah Ko and Ba Kong, which are  mostly built by end of the ninth century.  The oldest temple of Preah Ko was dedicated to the Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu while Lo Lei was built in an artificial island, to honor the ancestors. We have a look at these two small temples before we pay a visit to Ba Kong, the first large mountain temples in Angkor. We leave the Rolous Group for Angkor Thom,  an epic collection of striking structures encompassed in quadrangle area. The best preserved South Gate comes in view with a causeway fringed with 54 demons and 54 gods pulling a giant snake. This scene is focusing on a famous Hindu story in bygone time. We walk through two ranges of status on a cosmic scale to the gate tower with colossal human faces carved in stone. The walkway draws a line for our exploration of  the Royal Enclosure where remains some  mysterious ruins, including the Royal Palace, Phimeanakas Temple and  Royal Terraces. These structures built from perishable materials have long vanished. The memorable climax of our visit is Bayon Temple  built in the centre of Angkor Thom. This enigmatic complex contains  54 towers, each topped off with the four faces of  Compassion Buddha.

Today, we explore in some depth the Angkor Complex, walking to see  Prasat Kravan with a line of five brick towers and Srah Srang, which is a large pond used for the royal baths and the ritual bathing. Nearby is Banteay Kdei Temple, a monastic complex of  enclosure walls,  concentric galleries and towers. We follow it with the famous Ta Prohm Temple, which was once hidden by the jungle overgrowth for many centuries. The temple was constructed with flat rectangular walls surrounding the central sanctuary. There are enormous fig trees and creepers which embrace themselves from the stone foundation to the corridors of this tower temple, giving it a distinctive feature. The sightseeing also includes  Neak Pean, which is originally designed for the medical purposes, with four connected pools representing water, earth, fire and  wind. We head towards Preah Khan, a good counterpoint to Ta Prohm Temple.  The large ruin of Preah Khan was all but partly destroyed by the climate impact. However, it is till interesting to walk around, exploring the legends, towered enclosures, and shoulder hugging corridors. The architectural masterpiece of Angkor Wat would not to be missed. This iconic structure was built in the 12th century and reflects a perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry, bringing the pride and strength to all Khmers. The distinctive five towers of this temple are now emblazoned on the Cambodian flag. We stroll around this massive monument, unraveling the mysteries of the bas-reliefs from Hindu mythology to the glories of the Khmer empire. The footsteps lead through the upper levels of the inner sanctuary to the sacred heart of Angkor Wat, a blend of spirituality and symmetry.

Heading out of the town, we drive beyond the towering Angkor Wat  through  Preah Dark Village to Banteay Srey Temple. This intricately carved temple despite the lack in size is still a jewel in the crown of Angkor-era sculpture. The architecture style features a mixture of the archaic concept and the innovative materials since Banteay Srey Temple  was largely built from sandstone in pinkish hue, with brick and laterite used for the enclosure walls and some structural elements. We stroll around this beautiful landmark and admire the marvelous sculpture at every step. Upon leaving Banteay Srey Temple, we continue our drive towards the Kbal Spean River, where water and sculpture intertwine to make for the secret treasure of “ River of a Thousand Lingas”. This mysterious site has been largely reclaimed by the jungle of Kulein Mountains; however, it involves a walk through the luxuriant forest to catch a view of numerous lingas covering the surface of a sandstone riverbed rock. The carving motifs are mainly myriads of lingams and yoni. There are also many sculptures depicting Hindu mythological scenes and symbols, including Gods Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi, Rama, Hanuman, and  animal images. We travel by roads back to Siem Reap Town, with stopover at  Banteay Samre, a temple containing both Hindu and Buddhist depictions. This structure is adorned with striking relief depicting the scenes of Vishunu and  Krishna legends.

The temple exploration is not only activity in Siem Reap Town. We spend this morning on a boat trip out, to discover Tonle Sap Lake, one of the largest natural fresh water bodies in  Southeast Asia. The traditional boat navigates along a small river towards this large lake, giving us a chance to see friendly children on small boat, many vendors making a shift floating market, and fishermen pulling in day catch. Along the way we anchor to visit a floating village where are everything from schools, shop houses to police station. The village life goes on as it would anywhere else in Cambodia. This enjoyable stop gives a good insight into the lifestyle of local people who call this grand lake their home and mostly rely on the lake for their livelihood. They may move from a place to place following the water level and current of Tonle Sap Lake. You may have free time before the Airport transfer to do your last minute shopping opportunities and own exploration of  the town or simply look back upon your trip images. The holiday comes to an end with a transfer to Siem Reap Airport for your departure.