Day 1: Phnom Penh
Upon arrival at Phnom Penh you will be
greeted at the airport and
transferred to your hotel. Following
this there will be a city tour
including the Silver Pagoda, the
National Museum, the Toul Sleng
Museum of Genocide, and Wat Phnom.
The Silver Pagoda, also known as the
Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha, named
after the statue housed there, was
created by King Norodom in 1892.
The floor is comprised of more than
5,000 silver blocks, weighing a
total of 6 tones. The National
Museum, built in the Khmer style in
the 1920's has an extensive
collection of Khmer art. The
highlight of the exhibit is a 6th
century bronze figure of the Hindu
god Vishnu. The Tuol Sleng Museum,
or Museum of Genocide is testament
to a more recent and bloody past.
Originally this building used to be
a high school, until in 1975, it
became the Khmer Rouge's main
torture and interrogation centre,
gaining the acronym 'S-21'. From
here the victims were taken out and
executed in what is now known as the
Killing Fields.
(Diner included)
Day 2: Phnom Penh - Siem Reap & Angkor
Wat
This morning you will be transferred
to the airport for the short morning
flight to Siem Reap. Once in Seam
Reap you will tour Angkor Wat,
Angkor Thom, and Bayon. The Angkor
Complex is perhaps the most stunning
temple complex in the world.
Rediscovered by the French in 1860,
this huge site has over 400 temples
in total, spanning a period of 500
years. Founded in the 9th century,
the complex flourished for
centuries; its zenith culminating
with the creation of Angkor Wat in
the first half of the12th century.
The builders of these awesome
creations likened themselves to
Gods, or Devaraja and indeed several
of the temples are dedicated to
former monarchs.
Angkor Wat was built between 1112 and
1152 by King Suryavarman II and
dedicated to Vishnu, the Hindu god
of preservation, although some people believe it is actually dedicated
to the king himself as the temple
faces west, representing death. It
is the best preserved of all the
temples. Its layout and its scale
are simply breathtaking: the wall
surrounding the enclosure measures
1,000 by 800 meters in length and
the moat, said to represent the
oceans of the world is 200 meters
wide. The five towers that dominate
the scene are said to represent the
five peaks of
Mount Meru,
the mythical home of the omnipotent
Hindu deity Shiva. Beautiful bas
beliefs and carvings adorn the inner
sanctuaries depicting various Hindu
mythological epics, including the
longest continuous bas relief in the
world, which runs along the outer
gallery walls. From here we visit
the fortified Royal City of Angkor
Thom, constructed by King Jayavarman
II at the end of the 12th century,
not long after the completion of
Angkor Wat. It is surrounded with a
massive perimeter wall and a moat
with five monumental gates and
covers an area of more than ten
square kilometers. The most
important monuments are located in
the centre of the city, namely the
Bayon, Baphoun and the Terrace of
Elephants. The Bayon in particular
is a fascinating piece of
architecture and one of the most
photographed. It is a bizarre
structure, with a total of 54 towers
elaborately decorated with over 200
enigmatic smiling faces.
(Breakfast and diner included)
Day 3: Siem Reap & Angkor Wat
Today will include visits to several
sites within the Angkor complex
including Ta Prohm temple, whose
principal attraction is that it has
not been rescued from the thick
jungle, as the rest of the Angkor
Complex has. It looks much the same
as it would have done when the
French explorers came here 140 years
ago, shrouded in undergrowth and the
huge roots of old Banyan trees. Also
included today are the Temples of,
Takeo, Chau Say Tevoda, Thammanon,
Banteay Kdei, Sras Srang, and Prasat
Kravan. In the afternoon following
lunch there will be a boat trip on
Tonle Sap Lake,
Asia's
largest inland lake, which swells to
ten times it’s normal size during
the wet season.
(Breakfast and diner included)
Day 4: Depart Siem Reap
This morning there will be a transfer
waiting to take you to the airport
for your connecting flight out of
Cambodia.
(Breakfast included)
Trip Cost Includes:
Ø
All transportation and transfers in
air conditioned vehicles
Ø
English speaking guide
Ø
All accommodation based on twin share
basis with daily breakfast
Ø
Additional meals as indicated in the
itinerary
Ø
Domestic Flights, Phnom Penh – Siem
Reap
Ø
Admission fees when on guided tours
Trip Cost Does Not Include:
Ø
International Flights
Ø
International departure tax
Ø
Admission fees during free time
Ø
Visas and Visa fees
Ø
Personal expenses such as shopping;
telephone, laundry and bar bills
etc.
Ø
Tips and Gratuities
