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Day 1: Arrive Siem Reap
Arriving in Siem Reap you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. From the hotel we set out for a tour to the Angkor Wat complex. We begin with the Roulos group of temples including Prasat Bakong, Preah Ko, and Lo Lei. The Roulos Group are the oldest temples in the complex, dating from 879-893. The most impressive of the three remaining temples is Prasat Bakong, a five-stepped pyramid temple dedicated to King Indravarman. The corners of the pyramid have statues of elephants and crouching lions guard the steps. Many architectural innovations were created here, in particular the arched gateway or gopura. From here we proceed to the hilltop temple of Phnom Bakheng, and as the end of the day approaches, we climb the imposing remains for a truly memorable sunset.

 

Day 2: Angkor temple complex
After an early breakfast we drive out to visit Pre Rup and the East Mebon on route to the exquisite Banteay Srey. Pre Rup was the first sanctuary constructed with five towers instead of one and dates from 961. Banteay Srey was built by a Brahmin priest, which probably explains why it’s a relatively small temple. It is dedicated to the Hindu holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. The detailed carvings are superb, especially on the roofs and lintels with coiling snakes and flames. We then return to Siem Reap for some lunch.
In the afternoon we visit the majestic Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat was built between 1112 and 1152 by King Suryavarman II and dedicated to Vishnu, the Hindu god of

preservation, although some believe it is actually dedicated to the king himself as the temple faces west, representing death. It is the best preserved of all the temples. Its layout and its scale are simply breathtaking: the wall surrounding the enclosure measures 1,000 by 800 meters in length and the moat, said to represent the oceans of the world is 200 meters wide. It is, in all probability, the largest religious monument ever built, covering an area of 81 hectares. 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.

 

 

Day 3: Angkor temple complex
This morning we visit one of Angkor’s most fascinating ruins: Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm temple’s principal attraction is that it has not been rescued from the thick jungle, as the rest of Angkor Complex has. It looks much the same as it would have done when the French explorers came here 140 years ago, shrouded in undergrowth and the huge roots of old Banyan trees.

One French writer eloquently described Ta Prohm this way:

“With its millions of knotted limbs, the forest embraces the ruins with a violent love”. After Ta Prohm we head for Banteay Kdei and the nearby lake of Sras Srang – ‘the King’s bath’ which was used for ritual bathing.
This afternoon we visit more of the amazing Angkor complex, including Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm temple. King Jayavarman II built Angkor Thom at the end of the 12th century shortly 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 centre 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.

 

Day 4: Tonle Sap and Depart Siem Reap
On morning four there will be the option of taking a boat trip down to Tonle Sap, Asia's largest inland lake, which swells to ten times its normal size during the wet season, or perhaps some last minute shopping before transferring to the airport for your departure flight.