4-Day Private Tour: Angkor Temples, Banteay Srei & Tonle Sap

Day 01: Rolous Group & Angkor Wat Temple. We are going to pick up you at the lobby of hotel where you are staying in Siem Reap. Then, we go to buy temple ticket before we visit Rolous Group & Angkor Wat.

Bakong Temple. Explore the early capital of Angkor and let your guide show you the most attractive sites in this location, the most impressive being the pyramid-like Bakong surrounded by moat still containing water today. Bakong was built in late ninth century (881) by king Indravarman I dedicated to Siva (Hindu). This is the first mountain temple in Angkorian Period.

Preah Ko Temple. This temple was built in late ninth century (879) for the king's parents, maternal grandparents, and a previous king, Jayavarman II and his wife, replica to PrahKo style of art. You will admire the style of stucco carving sticking on the brick towers.

Lolei Temple. Lolei was built on an islet in the center of a large reservoir (now rice fields) by Yasovarman I, the founder to the first city at Angkor.

Angkor Wat Temple. First a Hindu, then subsequently a Buddhist, temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world. The temple was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century inYasodharapura,( present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Breaking from the Shaivism tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag.

Day 02: Banteay Srei, Banteay Samre, Neak Pean and Preah Khan Temples. Today we are going to visit four main temples inside Archaeological Park.

Banteay Srei Temple. Banteay Srey is well known for its beautiful delicate carvings in warm pink sandstone. This late 10th century structure is fairly compact and very different from other Angkorian temples.

Banteay Samre Temple. One of the most complete complexes at Angkor due to restoration using the method of “anastylosis”. The name Samre refers to an ethnic group of mountain people, who inhabited the region at the base of Phnom Kulen and were probably related to the Khmers. No inscriptions have been found for this temple, but the style of most of the architecture is of the classic art of the middle period similar to Angkor Wat. The proportions of BanteaySamre are splendid. A unique feature is an interior moat with laterite paving, which when filled with water must have given an ethereal atmosphere to the temple.

Neak Pean Temple, a small island temple located in the middle of the last baray ( the Preah khan Baray or Jayatataka ) to be constructed by a Khmer king in the Angkor area. The central temple sits at the axis of a cross or lotus pattern of eight pools.

Preah Khan Temple is a huge, highly explorable monastic complex. It originally served as Buddhist monastery and school, engaging over 1000 monks. It is another temple with spectacular trees and roots taking over the ancient man made structures which would give Ta Prohm run for its money any day! Explore the delicate carvings and don't miss the only two-storey construction in Angkor; standing on high columns this is a unique phenomenon in Khmer architecture. Your knowledgeable guide will help you navigate through the temple grounds.

Day 03: Angkor Thom City & Taprohm Temple. Today we go to visit Angkor Thom City & Taprohm.

South Gate of Angkor Thom. On the left side of the moat, 54 'devas' (guardian gods) pull the head of the snake 'Shesha' while on the right side 54 'asuras' (demon gods) pull the snake's tail in the opposite direction.

Bayon temple, over 200 large faces carved on the 54 tower give this temple its majestic character and the bas-reliefs contain genre scenes of everyday life-markets, fishing, festivals with cockfights and jugglers and so on-and history scenes with battles and processions.

Baphoun Temple. You will then continue to Baphuon with its long causeway and an impressive giant Reclining Buddha, a jigsaw puzzle only put back together in 2011 following a 37 year-long disruption caused by the war. It was built in middle of the 11th century (1060) by king Udayadityavarman II, dedicated to Siva (Hindu).

Phimean Akas Temple. Phimean Akas was built in late tenth century-beginning of the 11th century by King Jayavamen V and Udayadityavarman I and dedicated to Hindu.

Terrace of Elephants. You will see a lot of elephant images on the wall.

Terrace of Leper King. The place where the former kings in Angkorian Period have been treated.

Taprohm Temple. Taprom ( The Ancestor Brahma, Jungle Temple ), shrouded in dense jungle. The temple of Ta Prohm is ethereal in aspect and conjures up a romantic aura. Fig, banyan and kapok trees spread their gigantic roots over stones, probing walls and terraces apart, as their branches and leaves intertwine to form a roof over the structures. Trunks of trees twist amongst stone pillars.

Day 04: Floating Village & City Tour. Today we are going to visit Tonle Sap Lake and Artisan Angkor in the City Tour.

Chong Kneas Floating Village-Tonle Sap Lake. No trip to Siem Reap would be complete without visiting the largest freshwater lake in south-east Asia – the Tonle Sap. Embark on a journey in a traditional wooden boat and witness how people live in harmony with the rising and falling water levels of the lake depending on the season. Accessible all year round, Chhong Kneas is the largest of the floating villages in the province with three ethnicities living side by side on the margins of the lake. Phnom Krom, an Angkorian site, dominates the horizon and overlooks the busy lives of the fishing and farming communities here.

Artisan Angkor Workshop. Les Artisan D’Angkor, fine art School, place for workshop wood and stone carving, Lacquering, silver plated and silk painting and old market area.