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.

This is the ultimate trip for anyone who is really serious about experiencing Angkor Wat and who wants to see things that the bus tourists miss. Choose your favorite gay-friendly hotel, add visits to stupendous historic sites with your private guide, gret food, shopping and nightlife, and you have the ultimate visit to Angkor Wat!

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 today 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 sea. Later 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.  

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.

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.

Afterwards 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.

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 at two major city complexes that could be reached only by helicopter or on foot until recently. We drive deep into the countryside beyong Phnom Kulen to the ruins of Beng Melea.. 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/fortress covers over one square kilometer and is partially eaten by the surrounding forest, which gives it a Hollywood 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.

Somewhat farther along the same new road is the awesome Koh Ker complex. King Jayavarman IV was born here and decided to move his capital here from Angkor. As you speed along the road you might think about what an immense undertaking this really was. Besides building an entirely new city in a few short years, tens of thousands of people and their belongings had to be transported by elephants on a trip that must have taken several days. Ultimately, there was not enough water to grow crops to support the population and people were tired of living in a remote outpost, so the capital was returned to Angkor after Jayavarman's death.

Nearly one hundred temples (nobody knows what is still buried and undiscovered) were constructed within a very small area and some of them are still in remarkable condition. They are largely untouched, except by teams removing Khmer Rouge land mines. Local villagers still excavate around some of the ruins for gold that may have been thrown at the feet of now-pilfered Buddha images. Several of the temples still have massive lingas still intact. You will have a chance to visit and explore as many of the smaller temples as you like. Wear sturdy shoes since this may involve climbing over large toppled stones. 

Koh Ker Temple, the jewel of them all, is so well hidden by the forest that you will see nothing until you are practically upon it. It is the only pyramid-shaped temple yet to be discovered in the Khmer Empire. It bears a striking resemblance to Borobudur in Indonesia and the Mayan Pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza, Mexico, which prompts some to speculate that all of these were actually constructed by visitors from another planet who operated a control tower for space vehicles at Machu Pichu. But that is another story.

Built to worship Treypuvanesvara, the god of happiness, Koh Ker is simply breathtaking. Its seven tiers are taller than Angkor Wat. There is a massive garuda carving and many Sanskrit inscriptions near the top, which can be reached on rickety wooden steps if you are brave enough. (We do not recommend it.) brave enough to climb the rickety wooden steps. Equally impressive is a compound of smaller libraries and sanctuaries connected by a causeway built with immense undulating nagas on either side.  Perhaps the best part is that you may not see any other foreigners here at all.

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):

Standard: Ta Prohm Hotel April through September 08 Double 566 354 283 18,874 Single 918 574 459 30,595 October 08 through March 09 Double 573 358 287 19,116 Single 932 583 466 31,078 Superior: Steung Siem Reap Hotel April through September 08 Double 610 381 305 20,324 Single 1,034 646 517 34,462 October 08 through March 09 Double 642 401 321 21,412 Single 1,099 687 550 36,637 April through September 09 Double 624 390 312 20,808 Single 1,063 664 531 35,428 Sublime: Borei Angkor Hotel April through September 08 Double 664 415 332 22,137 Single 1,143 714 571 38,087 Delectable: Shinta Mani April 08 through October 09 Double 802 501 401 26,721 Single 1,359 849 679 45,283 Faaabulous: Hotel de la Paix Through March 2009 Double 1,276 798 638 42,536 Single 2,370 1,481 1,185 78,993 Deluxe: Victoria Angkor (Deluxe Room) Through September 08 Double 863 540 432 28,783 Single 1,462 914 731 48,721 October 08 through March 09 Double 1,081 676 540 36,033 Single 1,976 1,235 988 65,878 April  through September 09 Double 972 608 486 32,408 Single 1,759 1,099 879 58,628 VIP: Grand Hotel d'Angkor April through September 08 Double 1,131 707 566 37,707 Single 1,908 1,192 954 63,585 October 08 through March 08 Double 1,289 805 644 42,957 Single 2,293 1,433 1,147 76,440 Ultimate: Victoria Angkor (Suite) Through September 08 Double 1,604 1,002 802 53,457 Single 2,812 1,757 1,406 93,730 October 08 through September 09 Double 1,639 1,024 819 54,623 Single 3,098 1,936 1,549 103,273 Convert to Other Currencies

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 15 June 2008 and are subject to change.