Diamond Tours & Travel
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Cambodia
3D/2N in Siem Reap
Day
1: Siem Reap
Upon
arrival Siem Reap international airport you will welcome by our
driver than transfer you to
hotel check in.
Day
2: Siem Reap
Breakfast at
hotel . Ta Prohm has been abandoned to the elements, a reminder that while empires rise and fall, the riotous power of nature
marches on, oblivious to the
dramas of human history. Left as it was ‘discovered’ by French explorer
Henri Mouhout in
1860, the tentacle-like tree roots here are slowly strangling the surviving stones, man first conquering nature to create, nature
later conquering man to destroy. We journey out
to the Mother of all temples, Angkor
Wat. Believed to be the world's largest religious building, this temple is the perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry and a source of pride and strength to all Khmers. Built in the 12th century by King
Suryavarman II, this is most famous temple at Angkor. We stay at Angkor Wat to enjoy a
picnic breakfast. As the crowds return to their hotels, we
venture into Angkor Wat to enjoy its magnificence in peace and quiet. We begin by unraveling the mysteries of the bas-reliefs that tell of
tales from Hindu mythology and of the
glories of the Khmer empire. Stretching for almost one kilometre, these intricate carvings are
a candidate for the world’s longest unbroken piece of art. Following in the footsteps of the devout and the destructive before us, we then
continue to the upper levels of the inner sanctuary. The
final steps to the upper terrace of Angkor are the steepest of all, as pilgrims of old were to stoop on their pilgrimage to encounter the Gods. Finally the pinnacle, the sacred heart of Angkor Wat, a blend of spirituality and symmetry so perfect that few moments will measure up. In the afternoon, we visit the immense walled city Angkor
Thom that was the masterpiece of King
Jayavarman VII.
Following the occupation of Angkor by the Chams from 1177
to 1181, the new king
decided to build an impregnable fortress at the heart of his empire. The scale is simply staggering and we are immediately overwhelmed by the audacity of Jayavarman on
arrival at the city’s
gates. The causeway is lined by an intricate
bridge depicting the Churning of the Ocean of Milk from
Hindu mythology in which the
devas (gods) and asuras (devils)
play tug of war with a
naga (seven-headed serpent) to obtain the
elixir of immortality. We begin our visit at the Terrace
of the
Leper King. This intricately carved platform was the royal crematorium and the statue that was originally thought to be the leper king
is now believed to be Yama, the god of death. We
continue along the Terrace
of Elephants, originally used as a
viewing gallery for the king
to preside over parades,
performances and traditional
sports. At the southern end lies
the Baphuon, once of the most beautiful temples at Angkor, dating from the reign of Uditayavarman 1 in
the 11th century. It has undergone a massive renovation by the French and is now once again open
for viewing. Our climax is the enigmatic and enchanting temple of the Bayon. At the exact
centre of Angkor Thom, this is an eccentric expression of the creative genius and inflated ego of Cambodia’s most celebrated
king. Its 54 towers are each topped off with the four
faces of Avalokiteshvara
(Buddha of Compassion), which bear more
than a passing resemblance to the king
himself. These
colossal heads stare down from every side, exuding power and control with a hint of compassion, just the mix required to keep a hold on such a vast empire. Before clambering upwards, we unravel the mysteries of the bas-reliefs, with their intricate scenes of ancient battles against the Chams and their snapshot of daily life during the Angkor period.
Day
3: Siem Reap
Breakfast at
hotel
We travel out
to the mighty Tonle Sap Lake to visit the floating
village of Chong Kneas. Nestled under the hill of
Phnom Krom, this floating community
moves location with the waters of the lake. During the wet season when the lake swells to five
times its size, the village is near
Phnom Krom, but during the dry season, it
moves as much as 4km from the hill. Everything floats on water in this living fishing community. There are floating schools, floating shops, floating petrol
stations, even floating
karaoke bars. Many of the houses are floating fish farms with large pens of fish underneath. For
those that are interested, we can also make a
stop at the Gecko Environment
Centre to learn more about lake, which is like the heartbeat of Cambodia, providing sustenance to millions of Khmers. Then we will transfer you to
Siem Reap international airport for departure.
| Min. 2 pax |
| €219 |
Included: All land sightseeing and transportation; Accommodation in sharing room with breakfast; English speaking local guide; Boat Trip ; All entrance fee; Pure drinking water during sightseeing
Excluded: Service not mentioned in program; All meals; International flight ticket to Cambodia; Visa for Cambodia currently USD20 per person; Expenditure of a personal nature; Travel insurance (cover against all cancellation costs, medical expenses, including repatriation, in the event of accident of illness)
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