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Offered languages
- English
Explore the jungle-swallowed ruins of Beng Mealea and the finely carved pink sandstone of Banteay Srei, two of Angkor's lesser-visited temples, on a full day tour with lunch included.
Eighty kilometres outside Siem Reap, Beng Mealea, the 'Lotus Pond' temple, lies engulfed by jungle much as it was when rediscovered. Built in the early 11th century by Suryavarman II as a Hindu temple, its wide galleries are thought to have foreshadowed Angkor Wat's own design. Clamber over collapsed sandstone blocks to reach its inner sanctuary, one of the few jungle temples still open to this kind of exploration.
After lunch on the way back to Siem Reap, visit Banteay Srei, the 10th century 'Citadel of Women' temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Built from red sandstone in 967, its carved figures are executed with a delicacy widely considered unmatched among Angkor's temples.
Two very different sides of the Angkor region in a single day, from raw jungle ruin to refined stone carving.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
We pick up from only hotels inside Siem Reap, Supplements apply for customers who want to join this excursion outside one of these regions.
Itinerary
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1Prasat Beng Mealea
At around 8 am, your English-speaking guide and driver will be waiting at your hotel lobby for a full day away from the main Angkor temples and move into the countryside. The ride to the jungle-based Beng Mealea lies 80 kilometres outside Siem Reap and will fill our morning with ease. The Beng Mealea, or “Lotus Pond” Temple, from the early 11th Century built by Suryavarman II as a Hindu Temple and is hidden in a maze of the jungle. Architecturally, Beng Mealea is noted for its innovative, for its time, construction of hallways, it once was a very large temple with galleries foreshadowing Angkor Wat. For a long time, it was left aside by nearby villagers until it was (re)discovered by local explorers and remains still one of the least-visited temple ruins of Angkor. The sprawling jungle temple covering over one square kilometre is overrun by vegetation, so there is plenty to see, explore and walk around.
3 hours • Admission ticket included -
2Banteay Srei
After enjoying a simple lunch en route and on the way back to Siem Reap, you will visit Banteay Srei. Named ‘The Citadel of Women’ this is a tiny, yet very enchanting temple, which is one of the jewels in this remarkable city. Built of red sandstone in the 10th century and dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, the carved male and female figures in the niches are executed exquisitely in both style and proportion. This is the most Indian of all the temples in Angkor and the words of H.W. Ponder, is ‘a fairy palace in the heart of an immense and mysterious forest’. A proper dress code applies for visitors to this temple and your guide for the day will gladly explain the requirements to enter the holy sanctum of Banteay Srei. The day comes to an end, and with the air-conditioning on and seeing countryside life passing by, we head back to Siem Reap.
2 hours 30 minutes • Admission ticket included
Additional info
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This tour is operated on full private basis with English-speaking guide. Other languages are on request / subject to availability and supplementary charges may apply
- Return transfers for this excursion apply only / are inclusive for customers staying in and inside Siem Reap. Transfers outside these areas, including any accommodation outside this area such as Tonle Sap, Koh Ker, Banteay Srei and Siem Reap International Airport are excluded. Supplements apply for customers who want to join this excursion outside one of these regions
- We will do all possible to comply with any dietary requirements during this excursion; it may not always be possible to confirm your wishes in advance based on the choice of local restaurant
- Guests are advised that some walking is required during this excursion; we always ensure that we take the most comfortable ways from the entrance of the sight to the sight itself
- To avoid any issues pertaining obtaining an arrival visa at the airport, please ensure that your passport contains at least two empty pages. Failure to do so may result in not gaining entrance into the Kingdom of Cambodia
Additional info
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This tour is operated on full private basis with English-speaking guide. Other languages are on request / subject to availability and supplementary charges may apply
- Return transfers for this excursion apply only / are inclusive for customers staying in and inside Siem Reap. Transfers outside these areas, including any accommodation outside this area such as Tonle Sap, Koh Ker, Banteay Srei and Siem Reap International Airport are excluded. Supplements apply for customers who want to join this excursion outside one of these regions
- We will do all possible to comply with any dietary requirements during this excursion; it may not always be possible to confirm your wishes in advance based on the choice of local restaurant
- Guests are advised that some walking is required during this excursion; we always ensure that we take the most comfortable ways from the entrance of the sight to the sight itself
- To avoid any issues pertaining obtaining an arrival visa at the airport, please ensure that your passport contains at least two empty pages. Failure to do so may result in not gaining entrance into the Kingdom of Cambodia
- Some of the Angkor sights temples and palaces (such as the Baphuon) uphold a very strict dress code: it is essential that you dress appropriately during this excursion by wearing clothes that cover shoulders and fall below the knees.
- Customers wearing shirts with obscene and disrespectful prints and pictures and brightly-coloured clothing may be refused entrance
- Natural elements of any kind have a destructive effect on electronic equipment. It the customer’s own responsibility to ensure that any camera, mobile telephone or other device is properly wrapped and protected against these elements. We cannot be held responsible in any way for negligence and/or not following suggestions for any damage related to this
- Please ensure that you bring sunglasses, a hat /cap and sunblock with a high SPF factor when traveling with us on this tour – even when it is cloudy, the sunrays still have an immense power
- It is the responsibility of the customer to provide us with the correct hotel information, should pick-up and drop-off services be included in the package. Any changes in accommodation outside 24 hours will be handled accordingly: changes within 24 hours may be on request
- In the event of no-show or change of accommodation without prior consent and confirmation from us within 24 hours may result in the applicable cancellation charges as outlined in the terms and conditions.
- Important note: From 1st January 2020 on wards, Visiting to Beng Mealea temple will require visitors to have a Angkor pass to enter.
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Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
You will not receive a refund if you cancel.
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