Angkor Wat Sunrise and Tonle Sap Lake 1.5 Days

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Day 1: Angkor Wat Highlights and Sunrise Guided Tour

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We begin with a pre-dawn departure from your hotel for sunrise outside Angkor Wat. Enter the great temple in darkness (please bring a torch) from the little-visited eastern side, and creep along hoary cloistered corridors past the longest stretch of bas-relief carvings in the world. Soak up the atmosphere of dawn at Angkor, from the edge of one of the ancient library pools. We then explore the interior of the great temple, spending a thorough two hours discovering the corridors, central chambers and upper terraces of this truly great temple. Your expert local guide will decipher the myriad of stories behind the bas-relief carvings, and give you an insight into life during the height of the Khmer empire.

We end our tour at Angkor with breakfast outside the temple (breakfast is not included), and a short rest. Continue the morning visit the jungle-enveloped Ta Prohm – one of the most atmospheric of all temples in Angkor.  Once home to 2,740 monks, Ta Prohm today looks much as it did in the early 1850s, when French explorer Henri Mouhot ‘rediscovered’ this crumbling site.

Continue the morning to Angkor Thom city. Pass by the famous Terrace of the Leper King, and the Terrace of Elephants before arriving Bayon Temple. At ‘The Bayon’ (12th century) we see its beautifully crafted central towers, covered in more than 200 enormous faces, then continue to the southern Gate of Angkor Thom, flanked by a row of 54 stone figures on each side – gods to the left and demons to the right – and the fortified city of Angkor Thom.     

the southern Gate of Angkor Thom, flanked by a row of 54 stone figures on each side – gods to the left and demons to the right – and the fortified city of Angkor Thom.  At ‘The Bayon’ (12th century) we see its beautifully crafted central towers, covered in more than 200 enormous faces, then explore the famous Terrace of the Leper King, and the Terrace of Elephants. Enjoy the rest of peaceful atmosphere at Angkor Archaeological Park before heading back to your hotel. Tour end between 12.30-1.30pm.

Day 2: Half Day Tonle Sap Fishing Village & Flooded Forest

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This morning at 8.00 am depart your hotel for the journey through the countryside to the world’s second largest freshwater Tonle Sap Lake.

The Tonle Sap one of the world’s most productive bodies of fresh water. In the wet season, the Tonle Sap Lake swells to 12,000 km². During the dry half of the year, the lake shrinks to as small as 2,500 km², draining into the Tonle Sap River. Each year, millions of fish come to spawn in the seasonally flooded forest surrounding the lake, attracting a myriad of water birds as well as people, who have settled in villages along the shores and who live with the rhythm of the water. This ecosystem was classified as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1997.

Take a boat trip to ‘Kampong Phluk’ a collection of three small fishing villages in an atmospheric flooded forest setting. Cruise through the village and see unique houses on stilts, and Cambodians at work in the floating forest. Our boat will meander slowly through forest canals, allowing you to catch glimpses of flora and fauna, and see a truly beautiful eco-system.

Take the back roads back to town on this half-day tour in Siem Reap and witness seasonal agricultural activities like cricket catching, rice planting, and harvesting, smoking fish, fish paste (prohoc making), and duck farming. Stop at a local village to pick up Khmer snacks and explore. Visit a Buddhist monastery before heading home.

 

Alternative Option to Kampong Phluk: Visit Chong Khneas with a Sunset Experience during the dry season (01st March until 31st July) 
Due to the dry season, the water level in Kampong Phluk is quite low to fully appreciate the unique charm of the floating village. However, Chong Khneas offers an excellent alternative. Located closer to Siem Reap, this floating village remains accessible and provides a wonderful opportunity to explore life on the Tonlé Sap Lake.

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