Gay Travel Cambodia: Angkor Wat Five-Day Adventure of Undiscovered Treasures

Arrive on an early morning flight and follow your personal guide through the south gate of Angkor Thom, a city-fortress of perfect proportions designed at the height of Angkor 's artistic daring. Wander awestruck by the sheer magnitude of these haunting remnants of celestial cities modeled on Hindu cosmology. The jewel of this immense collection of temples and palaces is the temple of Bayon, with its sensational, towering stone faces and epic sculpture galleries. Beyond are the Terrace of the Leper King and the Terrace of the Elephants. The remainder of the day is devoted to Angkor Wat, epicenter of an empire that once stretched to present-day Burma. Centered within a mile-square moat, it is probably the largest religious monument ever built. The portico still resonates with visions of saffron-robed monks and muscled artisans carving a mile of stone reliefs depicting the Ramayana epic and the military conquests of the god-kings who built Angkor . If you like, climb the steep steps to the very zenith of the temple for a glorious view. End this most amazing day with a million riel sunset (the riel is the national currency).

Get an early start this morning for one of the most eventful days of your adventure. Begin with a drive deep into the countryside to the seldom-visited Beng Melea temple ruins. You may be the only visitors since it is too far out of the way for visitors who make only brief stops in Angkor . The sprawling temple covers over one square kilometer and is mostly eaten by the surrounding forest, which gives it a temple-lost-in-the-jungle feeling. While many of the buildings are in total ruin, others are almost intact. A wooden walkway built by a French film company lets visitors cross huge toppled stones effortlessly to go deep into the heart of the complex. After a lunch break you drive a winding mountain road to the top of Phnom Kulen, an ancient hilltop retreat that is still a mystical and holy place for the Khmer people. Water played an important role in the spiritual live of the people of Angkor , and much of the water came from Phnom Kulen. This was the personal spiritual retreat of King Jayavarman II, who built the Angkor temple. He had almost two kilometers of stone stream bed carved with more than 1000 lingas and many other Hindu religious images to bless the water as it cascaded to the cities below. Local people still come to the spectacular waterfall here for ritual baths. You can read more about Phnom Kulen here. Return to Siem Reap early evening.

Continue your adventure early to take advantage of the cool morning. You will no doubt see busloads of tourists being herded about and will appreciate having your personal guide all to yourself as you wander, awestruck, through the ficus root-engulfed temple of Ta Phrom, built to house the divine image of the Queen Mother Ta Keo, where five towers rest atop a five-tiered pyramid, Srah Srang, a ritual bath large enough for a thousand women; and the Eastern Mebon, a terraced pyramid that was once an island on a man-made lake larger than all of ancient Rome. Tonight, why not enjoy a culinary adventure in one of Siem Reap's traditional garden restaurants, where a feast can be had cheaply?

You may have noticed the Western Baray as you landed in Siem Reap. This immense, rectangular man-made reservoir holds the equivalent of 17,000 swimming pools. If the weather is hot and you feel up to it, a swim here is a wonderful way to begin your day. If you prefer not to get wet, you can take a boat to see the ruins of an island temple. Later, you stop at a lovely inn run by two Khmer women. Enjoy one of the best meals of your visit in a tropical garden. (They grow their own organic produce and make the best jam on the planet.) After lunch and a cooking lesson you can nap or have a massage in a beautiful teak sala built over a lotus pond. Return to Siem Reap late in the afternoon. Or instead, you have the option to visit the floating villages at Tonle Sap. You will still have plenty of time to explore the town's charming Old Market area, and pick up some bargain handicrafts for your friends at home.

Your morning is free until your transfer to the airport. If you depart on an evening flight, consider additional sightseeing.

There is plenty more to see and do in and Around Siem Reap including Overlooked Angkor , or experience an unforgettable scenic flight by helicopter. Trained, licensed guides are in short supply and should be arranged in advance.

Choose form these gay-friendly SIEM REAP HOTELS   Standard: Golden Banana Superior: STEUNG SIEM REAP Sublime: BOREI Angkor HOTEL   Delectable: FCC Angkor HOTEL Faaabulous: HOTEL DE LA PAIX Deluxe: VICTORIA Angkor VIP: GRAND HOTEL D'Angkor Ultimate: VICTORIA Angkor Custom vacations are our specialty. If this travel package is not exactly what you are looking for, we may be able to modify it to make it a perfect fit.

Includes: round trip private airport transportation, gay- and lesbian-friendly hotel accommodations, tax, service, and daily breakfast beginning on day 2, sightseeing with personal guide, private car and driver, three-day admission pass to Angkor sites. Extra night option includes guide, car and driver but may require additional Angkor admission cost. Not included: air tickets, other meals and drinks, other admissions, gratuities, features not specifically mentioned in the itinerary, or items of a purely personal nature.