Tour Name: Angkor Wat, Beng Melea and Koh Ker Guided Excursion 1d
Tour Code: A1G
Tour Duration: 1 day
Tour Operates: all year round / on demand
Number of Pax: available upon request
Tour Price: available upon request
Pick-up and drop off location
Can be anywhere upon request
Hotel in Siem Reap
Upon arrival in Siem Reap airport
Upon arrival in Siem Reap bus station
Upon arrival in boat pier in Chong Kneah floating village
Any AirBnB and residences in Siem Reap.
Tour start
Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Ta Prohm, small circuit, Banteay Srei, Beng Melea and Koh Ker
Angkor Wat – in the morning, you will be met and welcomed by our English speaking guide, picked up and transferred onward to visit the magnificent temple of Angkor Wat, built by Suryavarman II in early 12th century. Angkor Wat is constructed following the model of the temple mountain symbolizing the mount Merou, home of the gods, considered as the masterpiece of the Khmer architecture. This Vishnuite temple is the King’s funerary temple that is why the temple is oriented to the west. Inside the temple the walls are covered by carvings and bas-reliefs depicting the Hindu mythology and the wars Suryavarman II made during his reign. As well Angkor Wat is well known for the 1800 Apsara dancers decorating the all temple. But like most say, it takes a life time to discover all the wonders of this temple.
Angkor Thom city complex – continue visit the Great City of Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8m high wall; each side of the city is 3 kilometers long. It draws a perfect square you access this town through 5 gates, 4 of them represent the cardinal points and the 5th one the Victory Gate was the one leading directly to the Royal Palace area.
You will arrive via the South Gate, an impressive stone gate carved with Elephants and 4 giant faces. On each side is a row of 54 gods or demons holding the sacred Naga snake.
After passing through the South Gate, you will go down along this shady road to the Bayon temple. This temple lies exactly in the center of the city. The particularity of this monument is the 54 towers representing the 54 provinces of the then Great Khmer Empire. Each tower has 4 faces. This is the only temple in Cambodia depicting scenes of the everyday life at the time of the empire.
From the Bayon continue by walk to the Baphoun recently re-opened to the public. There you will pass by the Phimeanakas the location of the Royal Palace. The only remaining are a pond and a temple. The palace was made of wood and did not survive the time and the wars.
Then continue to the Terrace of the Elephants. This Terrace was the place where the parade was done for the king. Next is the Terrace of the Leper King, depicting the water world.
Ta Prohm overgrown temple – continues transfer to Ta Prohm - one of the most popular temples of the Angkor Complex. This temple was built in the memory of the King Jayavarman VII’s mother. When found by the French conservators at the end of the 19th century, they deliberately left this temple in the same condition as it was discovered, overgrown by strangler fig and silk-cotton trees, giving the temple a mystical and romantic appeal.
Your visit will include Banteay Kdei, a Buddhist monastery from the late 12th century, Srah Srang, also known as the “pool of ablutions”, the identical twin temples of Tommanon and Chaosay Tevoda, Ta Keo and Krovan temple.
Banteay Srei – continue for an excursion to visit Banteay Srei, made of pink sandstone and is one of the smallest temple you can visit but one of the most beautiful as well. Built in 967 AD by a guru to Jayavarman V, it showcases the most exquisite, deep and complex carvings in all Khmer architectures. As well the carvings and bas-relief are in a perfect condition although being here for more than millenary.
Beng Melea - continue for an excursion to visit Beng Melea. Sprawling jungle temple covering over one square kilometer, the temple is largely overrun by vegetation and very lightly touristed, giving it an adventours, ‘lost temple’ feel. Photographers: trees growing from the broken towers and galleries offer some of the best ‘tree in temple’ shots aside from Ta Prohm. Constructed in a distinctly Angkor Wat style under the same king that built Angkor Wat, Beng Melea preceded and may have served as a prototype of sorts for Angkor Wat. Though there are some lintel and doorway carving, there are no bas-relief and the carvings are comparatively sparse. When the temple was active, the walls may have been covered, painted or had frescos. In its time, Beng Melea was at the crossroads of several major highways that ran to Angkor, Koh Ker, Preah Vihear (in northern Cambodia) and northern Vietnam.
Lunch at local restaurant (at your own costs)
Koh Ker - continue driving to Koh Ker, is a former capital of the Khmer Kingdom, pre-dating Angkor, and is home to many spectacular 10th century temples. A brief interruption: the exception took place in 928AD when, for reasons that remain unclear, there was a disruption in the royal succession. King Jayavarman IV moved the capital 100 km from Angkor north to Koh Ker, where it remained for 20 years. When the capital returned to Angkor, it centered not at Phnom Bakheng as it had before, but further east at the new state-temple of Pre Rup (961AD).
Return to Siem Reap.
Tour Ends
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