DAY 1: ARRIVAL PHNOM PENH
- You will be met and welcome at airport by your driver and transferred from airport to hotel.
- Overnight in Phnom Penh.
DAY 2: PHNOM PENH VISIT (B)
- Breakfast at hotel
- Morning, start a city tour of some major sights of Phnom Penh. You will visit the National Museum, in which there is an attractive collection of ancient Khmer art: The sandstone sculptures dating from both the Angkorean and pre-Angkorean eras. You will also visit Royal Palace, the sacred Silver Pagoda, which is well known for its 5000 silver tiled floor. Heading out of this area, you will follow your trip to Wat Phnom The symbol of Phnom Penh.
- Afternoon, we continue our trip to the Tuol Sleng Prison Museum and the notorious “ Killing Fields” of Choeung Ek, which provides a deep insight into the painful rule of the Khmer Rouge. Then, transfer to Phnom Penh airport for taking domestic flight to Siem Reap by PPG998 at 6:35pm – 7:30pm.
- Overnight in Phnom Penh.
DAY 3: PHNOM PENH – BATTAMBONG (B)
- Breakfast at hotel
- After breakfast, you will be transfer by private car from Phnom Penh to Battambong (291km=3hours). On the way, have a stop to visit Kampong Leueng.
- Upon arrival at Battambong province, you will be transfer to the hotel for check-in.
- Afternoon, drive to Phnom Bannon Hill (1hr drive). Climb the 337 steps (80m high) to reach the temple (10min. walk). Visit the Prasat Bannon temple is a mountaintop 11th century Angkorian ruin consisting of five prasats and enjoy the breathtaking view over the surrounding plains. Continues then to the L’Ang But Meas cave(very old 150 years) located down the hill. After 15min walk through a banana plantation and the forest, reach the cave of the holy water. The Kouhea Preah Toeuk still hosts some Buddha statues brought by locals in the immense natural room. On the way, stop at grap farm to tast the Red Wine, made by local farmer, and visit grape farm.
- Overnight in Battambong.
DAY 4: BATTAMBONG- SIEM REAP (B)
- After breakfast, you will be transfer by boat from Battambong to Siem Reap (about 6hours crusing).
- Upon arrival Siem Reap, you will be transfer to the hotel for check-in and free at your own leisure.
- Overnight in Siem Reap
DAY 5: ANGKOR WAT – ANGKOR THOM (B)
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Visit Angkor wat, the most balanced, the most harmonious, and the most perfect Khmer temple. It shows Khmer art, which reached the height of it glory in the 12th century. The temple is a temple-mountain and was built by king Suryavrman II and dedicated to god Vishnu. Then visit an amazing view of Ta Prohm Temple which has been deliberately left as it was discovered.
- Afternoon, visit south gate of Angkor Thom with two rows of its huge statues of demons and gods depicting the churning of the ocean of milk arranged on both sides of stone bridge and Bayon temple, a forest of heads, built in late of12th century by king Jayavarman VI as a Buddhist state temple. Then, visit terrace of elephant, which used to be a base for the king’s grand audience hall; Terrace of Leper king supposed that it was a terrace housed the royal crematory.
- Climb Bakheng hill to have bird’s-eye view of sunset, Angkor Wat and western Baray.
- Overnight in Siem Reap.
DAY 6: VISIT SMALL – BIG CIRCUIT (B)
- Breakfast in the hotel
- Visit prasat Kravan, a brick temple built in 10th century, Srah Srang (royal bath), Banteay Kdei, and a Buddhist monastic complex built in 12th century. Then visit an amazing view of Ta prohm Temple which has been deliberately left as it was discovered. In Ta Prohm kapok trees clasp the sanctuaries in their mighty roots; and Ta Keo - an unfinished state temple for unknown reason. Ta Keo temple was built in early 11th century by King Jayavarman V and dedicated to god Shiva.
- Afternoon, visit Pre Rup temple, a classic example of temple-mountain, and the last without continuous galleries; Eastern Mebon, Ta som, Neak Pean, a unique ancient hospital built in the reign of king Jayavarman VI (1181-1220) which has been seen as a representation of Anavatapta, a miraculous lake in Himalayas that cures all illnesses; and Preah Khan, a large temple built on the site of battle that ended in Ankor’s downfall at the land of the Cham. Preah Khan was also really a kind of university, housing a number of masters and students.
- Overnight in Siem Reap.
DAY 7: beng mealea – koh ker (B)
- Breakfast in the hotel
- Morning, drive to the remote Beng Mealea temple through the typical Khmer countryside (60Kms from Siem Reap).
- There is a lot to see in the approximately 2½ hours drive as it takes you through many lively villages and along kilometers of rice paddies. Explore the long abandoned temple (11th century), strangled by the jungle.
- A further 1 and half hour drive brings you to Koh Ker, situated in the northeast of Siem Reap. Discover the long abandoned temples in the forests of northern Cambodia. Also known as Chok Gargyar, it served as the capital of Jayavarman IV (reigned 928-42). His son and successor Harshavarman I moved the capital back to Angkor in 944. There are a remarkable number of religious buildings in the Koh Ker region, considering the short space of time that it was the capital of the empire. There are more than 30 major structures and experts believe there may have been as many as 100 minor sacred buildings in the region. It was also a prolific period for gigantic sculpture and several of the most impressive pieces in the National Museum in Phnom Penh come from Koh Ker, including a huge garuda (half-man, half-bird creature). Return to Siem Reap.
- Overnight in Siem Reap.
DAY 8: KULEN MOUNTAIN (B)
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- We drive you our off town to visit Kulen Mountain about 60 km northeast of Siem Reap. Where the 500-year long Age of Angkor began. Kulen Mountain is the mountain with water full on which Jayavarman II initiated a royal (god of the king) linga cult in 802AD, declaring a unified and independent Cambodia uder a single ruler. Soon after, he moved his capital from Kulen to Roluos where it was to remain for almost a century before moving to Angkor area.
- Overnight in Siem Reap.
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Free at your own leisure
- Overnight in Siem Reap.
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Transfer to Siem Reap airport and End of Service.
