Siem Reap Trip Overview
Angkor temples with names such as the ‘Lotus Pond’ Temple or the ‘Citadel of Women’ sanctuary are destined to bring the explorer out of you. Away from the sheer size of Angkor, the jungle-based Beng Mealea and charming Banteay Srei beckon to be visited.
• Explore the lesser-known temples of Angkor
• Enter Beng Mealea and learn about its unique place
• Soak in the charm of the pink sandstone temple Banteay Srei
• Enjoy a traditional Khmer lunch en route
• Return transfers from and to your hotel are included
Additional Info
* Duration: 10 hours
* Starts: Siem Reap, Cambodia
* Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
Angkor temples with names such as the ‘Lotus Pond’ Temple or the ‘Citadel of Women’ sanctuary are destined to bring the explorer out of you. Away from the sheer size of Angkor, the jungle-based Beng Mealea and charming Banteay Srei beckon to be visited.
• Explore the lesser-known temples of Angkor
• Enter Beng Mealea and learn about its unique place
• Soak in the charm of the pink sandstone temple Banteay Srei
• Enjoy a traditional Khmer lunch en route
• Return transfers from and to your hotel are included
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Beng Mealea, 40 km east of Angkor Wat Cambodia
At around 8 am, your English-speaking guide and driver will be waiting at your hotel lobby for a full day away from the main Angkor temples and move into the countryside. The ride to the jungle-based Beng Mealea lies 80 kilometres outside Siem Reap and will fill our morning with ease. The Beng Mealea, or “Lotus Pond” Temple, from the early 11th Century built by Suryavarman II as a Hindu Temple and is hidden in a maze of the jungle. Architecturally, Beng Mealea is noted for its innovative, for its time, construction of hallways, it once was a very large temple with galleries foreshadowing Angkor Wat. For a long time, it was left aside by nearby villagers until it was (re)discovered by local explorers and remains still one of the least-visited temple ruins of Angkor. The sprawling jungle temple covering over one square kilometre is overrun by vegetation, so there is plenty to see, explore and walk around.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Banteay Srei, Siem Reap Cambodia
After enjoying a simple lunch en route and on the way back to Siem Reap, you will visit Banteay Srei. Named ‘The Citadel of Women’ this is a tiny, yet very enchanting temple, which is one of the jewels in this remarkable city. Built of red sandstone in the 10th century and dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, the carved male and female figures in the niches are executed exquisitely in both style and proportion. This is the most Indian of all the temples in Angkor and the words of H.W. Ponder, is ‘a fairy palace in the heart of an immense and mysterious forest’. A proper dress code applies for visitors to this temple and your guide for the day will gladly explain the requirements to enter the holy sanctum of Banteay Srei.
The day comes to an end, and with the air-conditioning on and seeing countryside life passing by, we head back to Siem Reap.
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
