Decide Your Own Tour from Siem Reap (DELUXE)

Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world. It was built early in the 12th century. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it’s the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation. We will enter the great temple in darkness from the little-visited eastern side. We continue our journey on foot and creep through jungle path to the north ancient library pool where we will wait for the Sun Rise. Listening to the explanations of your expert guide then spend time venturing into the central chambers of the temple, where your local guide will reveal the history, myths, and stories depicted on the stone bas reliefs (the longest stretch of bas-relief carvings in the world) then you will venture deep into the central Chambers of this truly great temple. Your knowledgeable guide will ensure that your visit to Angkor Wat leaves you with a rich understanding of the history and purpose of the great temple, and also of the mighty Angkorian civilization.

Phnom Kulen has major symbolic importance for Cambodia as the birthplace of the ancient Khmer Empire, for it was at Phnom Kulen that King Jayavarma II proclaimed independence from Java in 802 AD. Half an hour drive to the summit of the Koulen Mountain. Visit the 16th-century Buddist Temple (Phra Ang Tho), and it was here that King Jayavaraman II declared independence from Java in 802AD. A short climb up a stone staircase leads you to a 17-metre reclining Buddha with views across the countryside. Visit the River of 1000 Lingas, you will see hundreds of lingas carved into the sandstone riverbed. It is said that King JayavaramanII bathed in these waters and believed that the waters were holy. Then we move down to where it spills into the two-tier waterfalls.

Kampong Phluk in Khmer means "Harbor of the Tusks". The community largely depends on fishing for survival, primarily shrimp, spending Cambodia's wet season (May-October) fishing. Many houses and buildings are constructed on stilts ranging from 6 m to 9 m to accommodate the changes in water level between wet and dry seasons

Angkor Silk Farm belongs to Artisans Angkor, a social-business enterprise aiming at reviving Khmer cultural heritage while giving job opportunities to young Cambodians living in rural areas. Free guided tours through the eight-hectare farm give a unique insight into the different stages involved in silk production, from the mulberry tree orchards, silkworm breeding, the spinning mills, and the dying and weaving processes in the very traditional way.

Artisans Angkor is a Cambodian social business creating job opportunities for young people in rural areas, while reviving traditional Khmer craftsmanship (stone and wood carving, painting on statues, lacquering, and silver plating). The organisation, founded in 1992, is located in the City Center, 2 minutes walk from the Old Market in Siem Reap, Cambodia. You can visit their showroom and their craft room.

Koh Ker, the former 10th-century capital of the Angkorian Empire. Koh Ker was abandoned in the forest for too many years due to the Civil wars. There are some outlying temples. Archaeologists believe there may be more than 100 temple ruins in the area waiting to be discovered.

This holy place must have been favored during the great Angkorean epoch when its waters, after having washed gods and lingas, continued on to the wondrous royal city with its growing monumental temples.

Siem Reap is the gateway to the world-famous Angkor temple complex. The province also contains a vibrant capital city boasting many luxury hotels, beautifully-aged colonial buildings, a buzzing Pub Street, silk farms, markets, floating villages, craft shops, cafes, a Botanical garden, a War Museum, a national museum, and much more.