Siem Reap Tour In-depth
Bringing all the ruined temples to light
Learn about different hand gestures of the Angkor carvings from a local expert, talk to a local monk and receive a blessing at an old temple. The ancient ruins might be stone cold yet it's the people that tell a different story.
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Why You'll Love This Trip
- There are four loops of ruin sites of the massive Angkor Complex and this trip covers three of them, all in different approaches.
- Make real contact with our local friends, they are local scholar, landmine survivor, local boatman and monks... every and each of them would share a story with you.
- Taking the adventage of Siem Reap's fine hotel offers, an ideal balance between sightseeing and relaxation is designed for you.
A Different Narravite: 5-Day Siem Reap Tour
This tour is designed based on our travels and only the sites and experiences that excite us are written down. However, review it as a suggestion and it can be customized to your own taste.
Day-01 Siem Reap Arrival
As one of the most charming ancient towns in the world, Siem Reap welcomes millions of travelers yearly. Make your entry to Siem Reap's international airport.
It only takes half an hour from the airport to your hotel, which is just enough for you to get familiar with your private tour guide and the town.
Gatsby Tips:
- Gatsby's hotel choice: known widely for its French - Khmer cuisine, the Viroth Group just open up a new villa-style hotel in town: Viroth's Villa, great location and rooms.
- Most travelers are flying in from Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Singapore or other Asian cities and arrive before the evening. You may hire a Tuk Tuk to watch sunset at Bakhang Hill if interested.
Day-02 The Best Part of Angkor Wat
Measuring up to 162.6 hectares and dating back to the 12th century, the word "Angkor Wat" is actually referred to the enormous site that consists of a great number of temple groups. It can be roughly divided into four rings that wrap up one to one with Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom as the core sites.
Today we will start with a 2-hour walking tour with a local scholar at Angkor Wat . With his life devoted into Angkorian cultures, nobody knows more than him and he is happy to answer any question you might have.
After a nice lunch at a local restaurant, you will delve into the maze of trees at Ta Prohm, followed by Bayon Temple. No matter which direction you are standing, you can always see the stone face's mysterious smile that is known as the Smile of Angkor.
Get back to town and enjoy a buffet dinner show with traditional Apsara Dancing at Angkor Village.
Day-03 Angkor Wat from Dawn to Dusk
A dry moat around Angkor Thom suggests that it used to be an important stronghold for the Angkor Kingdom and this morning, you will be on a Khmer-style Gondola boat to navigate around the temple ruins and visit the less-trodden Prasat Chrung Temple. Your friendly boatman will introduce how life along the riverbank has changed over the ages.
Step into Angkor Thom and your tour guide will tell you stories during the wartime and some interesting royal court anecdotes.
Stop by a lovely little restaurant on the way to Beng Meala, another massive ruin site with rocks, pillars, chambers and walls collasped and scattering in the forest. At a landmine museum you will learn about how people cleared out all the landmines that used to make Beng Meala a death zone.
In the afternoon, your tour guide will buy some seasonal fruits and cold drinks for you on the way to Pre Rup, which is an ideal place for sunset yet less-visited due to its remoteness.
Day-04 Preah Vihear Temple
Standing and frozen in time atop a 525-metre cliff in the Dangrek Mountains in Cambodia, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Preah Vihear Temple has been under sever dispute over ownership between Cambodia and Thailand. There has been several battles between the two countries and they caused serious casualties and damges to the temple. As one of the handful Hindu temples in Angkor Complex, this temple is the most worshipped site among the Buddhism communities.
After a 2-hour driving in the rural site, you will climb up the mountain and admire stunning views and beautiful carvings of classic Hindu scriptures.
Stop by a humble village and have a simple lunch with the family on your way back to town.
In the afternoon, you will saunter around the main town of Siem Reap and enjoy some interesting coversation with a monk at Peace Cafe, followed by a simple blessing ritual at a small shrine.
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