Angkor Explorers

Day 1
SIEM REAP ARRIVAL & City Tour

Upon arrival on flight, you will be met by your guide at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

The rest of the day is at your leisure to relax, enjoy your hotel’s facilities, and explore the city. Your guide will make arrangements for the following day.

In the evening, indulge in a delightful culinary experience at the hotel restaurant, where every dish tells a story and the ambiance invites you to savor each moment. Enjoy your dinner!

Please note that hotel check in time is from 1400. Early check in is subject to hotel availability and with extra fee.

Breakfast and Lunch: Not included in tour price
Dinner: Included in tour price

Day 2,
Rolous Group Temple (Lolei, Bakong, Preah Ko), Kampong Pluk Floating Village

After enjoying a delightful breakfast at the hotel, where a selection of local delicacies and international favorites fuels our day, meet the tour guide in the lobby for a short briefing for the whole day tour.  Proceed to 1st destination the Roluos Group temple, Lolei, Bakong and Preah Ko. This archaleological site about 13 km east of Siem Reap. Once it was the seat of Hariharalaya, first capital of Khmer Empire.  These temples are some of the earliest permanent structures built by Khmer and mark the beginning of classical period of Khmer civilization, built with bricks, partially with laterite or sandstone.

Proceed to a local restaurant for your lunch and enjoy Cambodian and fusion cuisine.

Transfer to the boat pier. Take the private boat and reach to Kampong Pluk, it’s about 20 Km locates on the Southeast of Siem Reap Town.

Over 3000 inhabitants are real Khmers, their households made of wood and bamboo built on stilts of about 6m to 7m high. During dry season when the lake is low and lack of water those buildings look like the skyscrapers. At this time of the year many of villagers move out onto the lake and build a provisional stilted house. In wet season while the water level rises up again, the dwellers move back to their permanent houses on the flood plain, the stilts now hidden under the water. People made a living by catching fishes produce as well as smelly fish paste, fermented fish, smoked fish, dried fish, dried prawn etc.

Upon arrival this village we will explore the above activities and we can have a chat with children at private English class, then stop at Buddhist Island to see Buddha paintings.

Return to your hotel to freshen up, meet your guide in the hotel lobby, and then proceed to the restaurant to enjoy a sumptuous meal. (Buffet Dinner with traditional apsara show)

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner: Included in tour price

Day 3
Angkor Wat Sunrise, Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom (Bayon, Baphuon, Elephant Terrace, Pimeanakhas), Ta Phrom

Your tour guide will pick you up in your hotel at tour guide will also arrange and request your breakfast in box from hotel a day before the tour. Proceed to Angkor Wat for the sunrise, experience the break of day as the sun rises from behind the temple’s five towers in a spectacle of red and golden hues. Your tour guide will explain the meaning of the sun in relation to the temple’s architecture.

Then you will visit the famous Angkor Wat. Built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, it is constructed following the model of the temple mountain symbolizing the Mount Meru, home of the gods. Inside the temple, the walls are covered with stone carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Hindu mythology and the wars Suryavarman II fought during his reign. Moreover, Angkor Wat is well known for the more than 2,000 Apsara dancers decorating the temple. Construction is thought to have taken around thirty years of intensive labor. Today, Angkor Wat is figured on Cambodia’s national flag as the temple symbolizes the soul of the Khmer people.

Visit the ancient city of Angkor Thom. A short stop at South Gate. Angkor Thom was the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8 m high wall, drawing a perfect square. Enter the city through the ancient South Gate, an impressive stone gate carved with Elephants and four giant faces. On each side of the entrance path a row of 54 gods or demons is holding the sacred Naga snake.

From here, continue to Bayon Temple in the exact center of the city. This 12th century masterpiece is a study in grandeur and is well-known for its 54 towers with enigmatic faces representing the 54 provinces of the Great Khmer Empire. Baphuon Temple, Phimean Akas Temple, Elephants Terrace & Leper King Terrace, Royal Palace, Woman and Man Pond) are also must-visits as they are both known for their intricate bas-reliefs.

Proceed to visit Ta-Prom Temple or “Ancestor Brahma” ~ built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara or Royal Monastery, founded by King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and center of learning dedicated to his mother. It has been left in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination massive fig and silk cotton trees grow from the towers and corridors, offering some of the best ‘tree-in temple’.

Indulge in a unique lunch where vibrant Cambodian and Asian flavors meet the elegance of French and Italian cuisines. Experience a delightful fusion of aromatic curries, fragrant lemongrass, and delicate pastries, all in one unforgettable meal. Bon appétit! (Included in the price)

Start your day with a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel, featuring a delightful array of local and international dishes. Savor fresh fruits, pastries, and specialty coffee – fuel up for an exciting day ahead, meet the tour guide in the lobby for a short briefing for the whole day tour, proceed to 1st destination.

Preah Khan or “Royal Sword”, built in 12th century for King Jayavarman VII to honor his father. It was the center of a substantial organization, with almost 100,000 officials and servants. The temple is flat in design, with a basic plan of successive rectangular galleries around a Buddhist sanctuary complicated by Hindu satellite temples and numerous later additions. It has been left largely unrestored, with numerous trees and other vegetation growing among the ruins.

Neak Pean “the entwined serpents” an artificial island with a Hindu temple on a circular island in Jayatataka Baray.  Some historians believe that Neak Pean represents Anavatapta. a mythical lake in the Himalayas whose waters are thought to cure all illness.

Eastern Mebon, a 10th century temple, built during the reign of King Rajendravarman, it stands on what was an artificial island at the center of the now dry East Baray reservoir. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and honors the parents of the king. The sculpture is varied and exceptional, including two-meter-high free-standing stone elephants at corners of the first and second tiers. Religious scenes include the god Indra atop his three-headed elephant Airavata, and Shiva on his mount, the sacred bull Nandi.

Pre Rup, a Hindu temple built as the state temple of Khmer king Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961 or early 962. It is a temple mountain of combined brick, laterite and sandstone construction. The temple’s name is a comparatively modern one meaning “turn the body”. This reflects the common belief among Cambodians that funerals were conducted at the temple, with the ashes of the body being ritually rotated in different directions as the service progressed.

Banteay Samre, “The Citadel of Samre” named after the Samre, an ancient people of Indochina. Built during the reign of Suryavarman and Yasovarman II in the early 12th century, it is a Hindu temple in the Angkor Wat style. The design of its single ogival tower is immediately recognizable as Angkor Wat style along with other temples in the region such as Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda. Due to this temple’s similarity to some monuments of north-east Thailand, it has the appearance of a compact Phimai. While there are no inscriptions describing its foundation, it seems likely to have been built by a high official of the court during the reign of King Suryavarman II.

Srah Srang, meaning “Royal Bath” is a baray or reservoir at Angkor, located south of the East Baray and east of Banteay Kdei. It is a popular site for viewing the sunrise.  It is cruciform, flanked by nāga balustrades which end with the upright head of a serpent, mounted by a garuda with its wings unfurled. The steps that lead down to the water are flanked by two guardian lions.

Prasat Banteay Kdei also known as “Citadel of Monks”, a Buddhist temple located southeast of Ta Prohm and east of Angkor Thom. Built in the mid-12th to early 13th centuries AD during the reign of Jayavarman VII (who was posthumously given the title “Maha paramasangata pada”, it is in the Bayon architectural style, similar in plan to Ta Prohm and Preah Khan, but less complex and smaller. Its structures are contained within two successive enclosure walls, and consist of two concentric galleries from which emerge towers, preceded to the east by a cloister.

For Lunch, savor the vibrant flavors of authentic Khmer and Asian cuisine as you indulge in a delightful lunch at a charming local restaurant. (Included in price)

In the afternoon, visit Artisans d’Angkor. Artisans d’Angkor was established in 1992 in order to support Cambodian arts and crafts, and to help young people find work in their local villages by continuing the practice of traditional arts. Among the workshops available for visit are wood and stone carving, wood and stone lacquering, gilding, and silk processing.

After that, explore Psah Chas (Old Market) also commonly spelt as Phsar Chas, Psar Chas or Psar Chaa, is a market in the city of Siem Reap in northern Cambodia. Not to be confused with the similarly named Psah Chas in Phnom Penh that is geared toward locals, this open-air market in the south of the city caters to locals and tourists alike. The market is popular with tourists in the city and sells souvenirs, including T-shirts, silverware, silk, wood and stone carvings, Buddhas, and other items. It is also known for its variety of Cambodian cuisine, and has a number of food stalls which sell a variety of rice, dried fish and pork sausages, vegetables and fruits, and a Cambodian specialty Prahok, a type of fermented fish paste. Some stalls sell baguettes and spiced frogs, which is believed to be a relic of French colonialism in the area. Other stalls cook up various Khmer soups and red chili slices and peanuts.

Day 5
Phnom Kulen (Big reclining Buddha, 1000 Shiva Lingas), Banteay Srei

After breakfast, meet the tour guide in the lobby for a short briefing for the whole day tour at 8am. Then proceed to the 1st destination Phnom Kulen.

Phnom Kulen, “Lychee Mountain”, is considered a holy mountain in Cambodia, of special religious significance to Hindus and Buddhists who come to the mountain in pilgrimage. Phnom Kulen has major symbolic importance for Cambodia as the birthplace of the ancient Khmer Empire, for it was at Phnom Kulen that King Jayavarman II proclaimed independence from Java in 802 CE.  Kulen has two waterfalls. The first is between 4–5 meters (13–16 ft) high and 20–25 meters (66–82 ft) wide. There is a shallow pond below it. The second waterfall is 15–20 meters (49–66 ft) high and 10–15 meters (33–49 ft) wide. This pours into a larger area of water which is popular to visit and swim in. These sizes apply to the dry and rainy seasons although the current will be weaker in the dry season.

Banteay Srei, is a 10th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and Parvati. built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as a “precious gem”, or the “jewel of Khmer art”.

(Lunch not included in tour price)

Back to hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at your own leisure.

Day 6
Koh Ker, Beng Melea

After enjoying a delicious breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be ready to meet your guide for the day’s activities. 1st Destination Koh Ker temple, from hotel, you will be travelling for 2 hours to get thru the location.

Koh Ker, is a remote archaeological site in northern Cambodia about 120 kilometers (75 mi) away from Siem Reap and the ancient site of Angkor.

Koh Ker is the modern name for an important city of the Khmer empire. In inscriptions the town is mentioned as Lingapura (city of lingams) or Chok Gargyar. More than 180 sanctuaries were found in a protected area of 81 square kilometers (31 sq mi). Only about two dozen monuments can be visited by tourists because most of the sanctuaries are hidden in the forest and the whole area is not fully demined.

The site of Koh Ker was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 17 September 2023 during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Prasat Beng Mealea “Temple of the Lotus Pond”, a temple from the Angkor Wat period, built as a Hindi temple but some carvings depict Buddhist motifs. Its primary material is sandstone and it is largely unrestored, with trees and thick brush thriving amidst its towers and courtyards and many of its stones lying in great heaps. There is extensive carving of scenes from Hindu mythology, including the Churning of the Sea of Milk and Vishnu being borne by the bird god Garuda. Causeways have long balustrades formed by bodies of the seven-headed Naga serpent.

Breakfast: Included in tour price
Lunch and Dinner: Not included in tour price

Day 7
Siem Reap Departure

It sounds like you have a pleasant final morning planned! After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, you can take your time to relax before your guide arrives. Make sure to check out of the hotel and gather your belongings. Once your guide arrives, they will assist you with your luggage and transport you to the airport for your departure. Have a safe and pleasant journey! If you need any more information or tips for your travel, feel free to ask!