Day 1 Siem Reap Arrival, Kampong Pluk floating village and City Tour
Upon arrival, you will be met by your guide at the airport. Proceed to hotel for check-in.
Please note that hotel check in time is from 1400. Early check in is subject to hotel availability and with extra fee.
Short freshen up and prepare for the first destination.
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.
Back to town and proceed to restaurant for lunch and experience the local food that blends with international cuisine. (Included in the 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 rices, dried fish and pork sausages, vegetables and fruits, and a Cambodian specialty Prahok, a type of fermented fish paste. Some stalls sell baguettes and that 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.
Return to your hotel to rest and freshen up, meet your guide in the hotel lobby, and then proceed to the restaurant to enjoy a sumptuous meal. (Dinner with traditional apsara show included in the price)
Early rest for the next day Sunrise tour at Angkor Wat. Tour guide will arrange breakfast in box for the next day Sunrise tour.
Day 2 Angkor Wat Sunrise and Angkor temple tour.
Your tour guide will pick you up early in the morning in your hotel lobby. Tour guide arrange and remind hotel for the breakfast in box. 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.
Breakfast in box in 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.
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.
Back to town 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, proceed to visit Ta-Prom Temple ~ built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. 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’.
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.
Back to your hotel have a short rest and freshen up. As the sun sets over the shimmering waters of the river, your guide will whisk you away from your hotel to a hidden gem of a restaurant, where you’ll indulge in the mesmerizing flavors of Cambodia—a culinary adventure that promises not only exquisite dishes but also breathtaking views, turning every bite into a delicious memory you’ll cherish forever. (Included in the price)
Note: During the visit of the Bakan Tower of Angkor Wat Temple Visitors are required to wear proper attire, covering shoulders and knees (no short, miniskirt or short trousers). Children under twelve years old are not allowed to climb up this tower. It will be closed on the Buddhist Sabath Days, the Buddhist religious days (four days a month).
Day 3 SIEM REAP DEPARTURE
Breakfast at hotel. Free at leisure.
Your guide and private car will meet you at the hotel and transfer you to the airport for your departure flight.
Please note that hotel check-out time is by noon 1200. Luggage can be deposited at hotel after check-out. Hotel late check-out is subject to hotel availability and with extra fee.
(Dinner is not included in tour price)
