There is much more in the vast archaeological park surrounding Angkor Wat than just the famous sites most tourists see. One thing you will notice is that visitors seem to come and go as quickly as they can. Buses converge on monuments all at once, turning usually-sleepy ruins into a panicked scene mobbed with camera-toting tourists. They see Angkor Wat Temple, the Bayon and Ta Prohm, then it's off to the airport. While these are certainly among the most important archaeological treasures in the world, they are by no means the only spectacular things to be seen in Angkor. This itinerary includes not only the places on the well-trampled tourist path, but also two of the largest and most important temples in the region that could be reached only by helicopter until recently, and where you will probably not see any other visitors at all.

Arrive on an early morning flight today so that you can pack as much into the day as possible. (We can adjust the schedule if you must arrive later.) After a stop at your hotel, you and your guide enter the Angkor complex through the south gate of Angkor Thom, the city-fortress that contains the temple of Angor Wat. At the time of its construction, this was the world's largest human settlement with as many as one million inhabitants. Among the first things you will notice is that everything built here is of enormous proportions. These were the skyscrapers of their day. Among the places you will visit to day are the Bayon, with its towering stone faces. Nearby are the Terrace of the Leper King and the Terrace of the Elephants, with its gigantic friezes that depict the importance of these beasts in daily Khmer life. Most of the day is devoted to the temple that has come to be known as Angkor Wat, the spiritual nucleus of an empire that once across Southeast Asia. Centered within a mile-square moat, it is the largest religious monument ever built. If you like, climb the steep steps to the very zenith of the temple for a glorious view. But do not overlook the portico that surrounds the temple and its mile of stone reliefs depicting the Ramayana epic and the military conquests of the god-kings who built Angkor. Tonight, step out for a bit of fun. Siem Reap has plenty of nightlife and some surprisingly good restaurants.

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 as they deftly avoid the tour bus arrivals so that you can you can enjoy the better known monuments more without the mobs. Wander through the ficus root-engulfed temple of Ta Phrom, built to house the divine image of the Queen Mother, then visit Ta Keo, where five towers rest atop a five-tiered temple, Srah Srang, a ritual bath large enough for a thousand women, and the Eastern Mebon, which was once an island in a man-made lake larger than all of ancient Rome. 

Today we begin to leave the most-visited tourist sites behind us, beginning with a visit to  Banteay Kdei. This is an intimate and seductive temple dedicated devotees of  apsara dancing, and still an active place of worship for local people. The naga-ringed entry porch is largely complete, as is the hall of dancers, with pillars  graced with exquisitely stylized performers striking magical poses.

Preah Khan was built in 1191 to honor the father of great King Jaravayaman VII. It is a huge site, almost as large as Angkor Wat, although it is still being reclaimed from the engulfing jungle. Gigantic fig trees have strangled a maze of chambers that once sheltered more than 500 gem-and-gold-encrusted statues of the Buddha, which were eventually removed or defaced by Hindus.

Diminutive Neak Pean was the Trevi Fountain if its day.  Water was sacred here, and this Buddhist temple was an important sanctuary for purification rituals during the reign of Jayavarman VII.  The temple was actually an island in a now-overgrown baray (reservoir), so it was reached only by boat. Within the temple stands a large square pool with a central island of entwined nagas that once supported long-disappeared statues. Water flowed from the island into the pool, then into smaller pools in pavilions on each of the four sides of the main pool. It does not take much to imagine how spectacular this place probably was.

After lunch you take a break from toppled stones to enjoy an interesting trip to nearby Tonle Sap, the giant body of water that connects Siem Reap with the Mekong Delta. Board a small boat to see what life is like in the floating villages on this vast inland seaLater you relax in a floating restaurant, where you can snack on a platter of  shrimp and a frosty Angkor beer, if you like. You can read more here.

Begin the day with a drive into the lush countryside to the foot of the only mountain you can probably see in any direction. Along the way you will get a close-up look at life in the little villages that appear along the road. You are sure to see some beautiful and amazing things--vividly green rice paddies that stretch into the horizon, children who manage to play without expensive plastic toys, pigs riding motorbikes, and local soap operas on color TVs beaming through the doors of wooden huts with no electricity.  

First you visit Banteay Srei, which has come to be called the "Temple of Women." Re-discovered in 1914, this distant jewel-like temple is unique in many respects. While most of Angkor's temples are of massive proportions, Banteay Srei was built on an intimate, human scale. Its profuse and gloriously ornate architectural details and mythical beasts with human heads, are exceptionally well preserved. It pink sandstone and elaborate ornamentation Banteay Srei has even been compared to a wedding cake. Sadly, some unprincipled visitors carry little bits of the temple home in their pockets. If local legends are true, these people will have endless bad luck and suffer horrible deaths. At least let's hope so.

Stop for lunch at one of the rustic restaurants across the road, where flattened beer cans and old calendars have become a decorative theme. If you are lucky there will be venison on the day's menu. If not, there will be plenty of other tasty and more conventional dishes and plenty of Angkor, the national beer.

A winding mountain road takes you to the top of Phnom Kulen, the mountain you saw in the distance. This ancient hilltop retreat that is still a mystical and holy place for the Khmer people, and among the favorite places for people living in Siem Reap to hang out on their days off. Water played an important role in the spiritual live of the people of Angkor, and most of it 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 (stone phalluses significant as symbols of fertility)  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. You return to Siem Reap early evening, perhaps reluctantly.

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 tourists 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. Although still relatively unknown by visitors, many who see Beng Melea consider it to be the most spectacular site the see.

Koh Ker

Where is Rath's description for this?

Your morning is free until your transfer to the airport. If you have seen and done everything and your flight departs late in the day there is time for a well-deserved spa treatment, some shopping in the Old Market, or an unforgettable scenic flight by helicopter.

PRICE PER PERSON FOR ALL INCLUSIVE PACKAGE (DOLLARS/EUROS/POUNDS/BAHT):

choose from these SIEM REAP HOTELS Standard: Ta Phrom Superior: Steung Siem Reap Hotel Sublime: Borei Angior Hotel Delectable: Shinta Mani Faaabulous: Hotel de la Paix Deluxe: Victoria Angkor VIP: Grand Hotel d'Angkor Ultimate: Victoria Angkor Club Sanook Member bonus: Club Sanook Members get a free balloon ride over Angkor Wat Club Sanook Members who use our packages in Bangkok, Siem Reap, Phuket, Beijing or Shanghai can use a Club Sanook mobile phone free during your trip if you make arrangements with me in advance. We will give you the number before you depart so you can leave it with friends and family. There are a few rules, of course, but I will send you details before your trip. Please make your arrangements in advance. Please indicate you are a member when you reserve. You can join today free! Just click "Join the Club. Compulsory meals and/or surcharges may apply during Christmas/New Year period Prices are based on currency exchange rates of 01 May 2008 and are subject to change.

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Club Sanook Members who use our packages in Cambodia can use a Club Sanook mobile phone free during your trip if you make arrangements with me in advance. We will give you the number before you depart so you can leave it with friends and family. There are a few rules, of course, but we will send you details before your trip. Please make your arrangements in advance.