1 Day Banteay Srei Temple, Waterfalls and Beng Mealea Temple

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Banteay Srei

  Banteay Srei is about 32km northeast of Siem Reap and 21km northeast of Bayon. It is well signposted and the road is surfaced all the way, so a trip from Siem Reap should take about 45 minutes by car or one hour by remork. Moto and remork drivers will want a bit of extra cash to come out here, so agree on a sum first. You can eat at one of several small restaurants, complete with ornate wood furnishings cut from Cambodia’s forests, near the entrance to the temple. There's plenty to do in Banteay Srei District as well as several homestays should you wish to stay and explore the area. It is possible to combine a visit to Banteay Srei as part of a long day trip to the River of a Thousand Lingas at Kbal Spean and Beng Mealea. A half-day itinerary might include Banteay Srei, the Cambodia Landmine Museum and Banteay Samre. It takes 45 minutes to explore Banteay Srei temple, but allow 1½ hours to visit the information centre and explore the area.

  2 hours • Admission ticket included
• 2
  Phnom Kulen National Park

  One of the most popular attractions in Cambodia is the majestic Phnom Kulen mountain, located about 1.5-2 hours away from Siem Reap. The mountain was given its name due to the abundance of lychee trees it once hosted, and nowadays offers visitors a beautiful view, as well as fun activities such as picnicking and waterfall swimming. For those who plan to drive up to the top of Kulen Mountain, you need to get there early, as the road is one-way traffic only. Located about 50 kilometers from the city of Siem Reap, Phnom Kulen is one of Cambodia’s most revered sites. According to legend, it was here that King Jayavarman II declared independence from Java in 802 CE and thus began the Khmer Empire – as an independent nation.

  3 hours • Admission ticket not included
• 3
  Prasat Beng Mealea

  A spectacular sight to behold, Beng Mealea, located about 68km northeast of Siem Reap, is one of the most mysterious temples at Angkor, as nature has well and truly run riot. Exploring this Titanic of temples, built to the same floor plan as Angkor Wat, is the ultimate Indiana Jones experience. Built in the 12th century under Suryavarman II, Beng Mealea is enclosed by a massive moat measuring 1.2km by 900m. The temple used to be utterly consumed by jungle, but some of the dense foliage has been cut back and cleaned up in recent years. Entering from the south, visitors wend their way over piles of finely chiselled sandstone blocks, through long, dark chambers and between hanging vines.

  3 hours • Admission ticket included

Additional info

• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

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