Angkor - Classic 3-day Temple Tour
The 3-day tour is my most popular. It gives you the opportunity to explore the best that Angkor has to offer, from sunrise at Angkor Wat to some of the most famous and spectacular sites.
Day 1 – 7.00am Pick up at Hotel by Ac/ Car or Tuk Tuk
Day 1 – We’ll pick you up from your hotel at 6.45am in your choice of an air-conditioned car or Remork Moto.
Then we’ll head through the forest over to the north Gate of Ta Phrom to see the four faces of the gate, hidden by the trees and then we would explore around the Jungle Temple of Ta Phrom (commonly known as the Tomb Raider temple).
From there, we will drive to Banteay Kdei Temple, also built by King Jayavarman VII in the early 12th & 13th centuries. We will spend the rest of the morning exploring this temple.
Lunch at Your Hotel or Local restaurant
The afternoon part of the tour will start again at 2.30pm when we’ll head out to the Angkor Thom area. At our first stop, at Wat Tep Pranam, we’ll have the opportunity to photograph monks in their saffron robes, performing a sacred water blessing, and we’ll shoot portraits of novices with their wood fires burning in the background. It’s not a popular tourist spot – it’s known only to locals and we often see local Khmer, monks, and Buddhist visitors worshipping at the shrine with the giant Buddha.
From Wat Tep Pranam, we’ll walk to the uncrowded Temple Preah Palilay where several huge tree roots loom large over the central tower, providing another perfect photo opportunity to shoot a classic ‘jungle temple’. Afterwards, we’ll drive 10 minutes to the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom (which translates as ‘Great City’) passing the Terrace of the Elephants, a 350-meter-long and 2.5-meter-high ornamental wall decorated with carved elephants. It was built in the late-12th century as a viewing platform for King Jayavarman VII so he could look out over his victorious returning army. At the end of the terrace, you’ll get to see the Terrace of the Leper King, also built during Jayavarman VII’s reign and we can photograph it from the road. We’ll continue on to Bayon Temple, one of the most photographed temples in Angkor thanks to it 216 stone smiling faces, and 37 surviving towers.
Before we head back home, we’ll stop at the South Gate and enjoy the view as the sun sets along the moat of Angkor Thom.
Day 2 – 5.00 am Pickup at your Hotel by AC/ Car
Day 2 – It ’s an early start today and we’ll pick you up from your hotel at 5.00 am.
This morning, we’ll get up early to watch and shoot sunrise along rice (paddy) fields with lines of palm trees. We’ll also visit a Cambodian family
cooking food over their traditional open fire and making sugar palm and we’ll be able to photograph them. When it’s time for breakfast, we’ll stop at a local restaurant and afterwards, we’ll set off to visit Chuev Srey Vibol a rarely visited temple away from the crowds where we can photograph monks lighting candles and incense in their orange or red robes amongst the temple ruins, with the vivid green moss and tree roots in the background. We’ll head back home for a break over lunch and to escape the heat of the day
In the afternoon we’ll pick you up from your hotel at 2.30 pm.
This afternoon, we’ll take you to Tonle Sap Lake – the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia. It is a complete ecosystem, providing water for irrigation as well as feeding the river Tonle Sap which is one of the most important rivers in Cambodia. During the dry season, the Tonle Sap lake is approx. 2,500 sq km, but during the wet season, the lake grows to 6 times its size, to about 16,000 sq km, and goes from 160 to 250km in length. The Tonle Sap river which usually flows into the sea reverses direction during the wet season. When it does, the houses on the edge of it would flood, so they have built them out of bamboo, to float. We’ll visit the floating village of Kampong Phluk or Kampong Khleang where you can see the stilt houses which are up to 6 meters high. In the dry season, the village looks like a regular village, just floating high in the air. We’ll take a private boat out to see the locals, going about their daily lives, going to school, shopping from boat to boat on the water, and fishing
Day 3- Pick up from the Hotel at 4.00 am
I know, even earlier!!) in an air-conditioned vehicle. This morning, we’re getting up early to experience and photograph Angkor Wat in all her glory – as the sun rises over the moat with the 5 lotus towers reflecting in the water with its infamous water lilies. It gets very busy with tourists, hence we start out early, in the dark, to be the first there. (note, we only stay for sunrise at Angkor Wat).
After sunrise we’ll head to the most beautiful pink sandstone temple – Banteay Srei – where every inch of the doorways and walls are adorned with leaf motifs and female deities known as devatas. Perfect for photography. From Banteay Srei, we’ll drive back through the countryside to the largest Buddhist temple – Preah Khan – where we’ll see the Hall of Dancers, a former performance space that has some impressive bas-relief apsara carvings before heading back home for lunch break.
In the afternoon, we’ll pick you back up from your hotel at 3.00 pm.
This afternoon, we’ll return back to Angkor Wat where the afternoon’s
golden sunlight will be reflected in the water which is rather fitting, because Angkor wat is a golden temple and it’s a lovely way to end your tour.
$ Tour Price
$271.00 per person. Minimum 2 people. Under 12 years old is free of charge.
Price : Inclusive Ac transport, private boat for floating village, drinking water, hot black coffee, hot tea, private tutor and guide services.
(An option additional guests available)
Price excludes: accommodation, Food, Beverage, Entrance fee to Angkor Heritage site and your own personal purchases.
This itinerary is flexible. I can also put together a custom itinerary based on your specific needs or interests. Just CONTACT ME
