Itinéraire

ITINERARY IN DETAILS:

Morning, drive to the remote Beng Mealea temple through the typical Khmer countryside (80Kms from Siem Reap). There is a lot to see in the approximately 2-½ hours drive as it takes you through many lively villages and along kilometers of rice paddies. Explore the long abandoned ruins of Beng Mealea (11th century), still strangled by the overgrown jungle. Lunch box will be provided at the site.
A further 1 hr drive brings you to Koh Ker, situated in the northeast of Siem Reap. Discover the long abandoned temples in the forests of northern Cambodia. Also known as Chok Gargyar, it served as the capital of Jayavarman IV (reigned 928-42). His son and successor Harshavarman I moved the capital back to Angkor in 944. There are a remarkable number of religious buildings in the Koh Ker region, considering the short space of time that it was the capital of the empire. There are more than 30 major structures and experts believe there may have been as many as 100 minor sacred buildings in the region. It was also a prolific period for gigantic sculpture and several of the most impressive pieces in the National Museum in Phnom Penh come from Koh Ker, including a huge garuda (half-man, half-bird creature). Return to Siem Reap.