EXPLORE ANGKOR 4 DAYS

Breakfast at hotel. This morning we visit Banteay Kdei temple then drive through the countryside to reach the magnificent Banteay Srei temple also known as the Citadel of Women. This Hindu temple, dating back to the 10^th century, has three central towers each decorated with superbly intricate carvings and reliefs of male and female divinities.

In the afternoon we visit the largest and most impressive temple - Angkor Wat - one of the most beautiful and fascinating places on the planet. Angkor Wat was built between 1112 and 1152 by King Suryavarman II. Angkor Wat with its five towers, perfect symmetry and exquisite bas-reliefs is one of the most inspired religious monuments ever built. The five towers that dominate the scene are said to represent the five peaks of Mount Meru, the mythical home of the omnipotent Hindu deity Shiva. Beautiful bas beliefs and carvings adorn the inner sanctuaries depicting various Hindu mythological epics, including the longest continuous bas relief in the world, which runs along the outer gallery walls.

As the end of the day approaches, we climb to the hilltop temple of Phnom Bakheng for a truly memorable sunset.

Tonight, enjoy your dinner with Apsara dance show (Khmer traditional show) at a nice local restaurant. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Breakfast at hotel. We visit the fortified Royal city of Angkor Thom, constructed by King Jayavarman II at the end of the 12th century, not long after the completion of Angkor Wat. It is surrounded by a massive perimeter wall and a moat with five monumental gates and covers an area of more than ten square kilometers, indeed Angkor Thom means ‘Great city’. The most important monuments are located in the center of the city, namely the Bayon, Baphoun and the Terrace of Elephants. The Bayon in particular is a fascinating piece of architecture and one of the most photographed. It is a bizarre structure, with a total of 54 towers elaborately decorated with over 200 enigmatic smiling faces.

In the afternoon, look around the ‘Small Circuit’ of temples. Start with Ta Phrom. This iconic temple is twined with incredible tree-roots as nature has slowly reclaimed it over the centuries. Originally constructed as a Mahayana Buddhist temple in the late 12th century by Jayavarman VII, it apparently took 80,000 people to look after it, and has been left as it was found in the 19th century. Though well-known, it can still make the visitor feel like an explorer of old; the crumbling masonry and overgrowth of vines, trees and roots conveying the romance of a true lost civilization.

Transfer back to the city. Overnight in Siem Reap.

This morning go to the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Tonle Sap Lake swells to over four times its normal size during the rainy season and supports many communities all-year round. Take a boat out to the lake village of Kampong Phluck to see its stilt-houses. You’ll pass flooded forests and floating houses along the way, witnessing how people adapt to life on this fertile body of water.

Transfer back to Siem Reap, where you are free at leisure until your transfer to the airport for your onward flight.