Banteay Srei
We will visit only two wonderful archaeological sites of Angkor, Banteay Srei and Kbal Spean. It will be a good learning experience learning about the history and culture of Cambodia.
When we pick you up at the hotel, we will begin our tour with Banteay Srei temple, meaning the “Citadel of the Women” or “the Citadel of Beauty”. It is located about 35km northeast of Siem Reap city. The only temple that wasn’t constructed by a monarch, Banteay Srei was built in 10th century by two courtiers of King Rajendravarman II, Vishnukumara and Yajnavaraha. This temple was Consecrated on 22 April 967 A.D and dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva.
Banteay Srei is considered as a “precious gem” or “the jewel of Khmer art” because it is different from the other temples in Cambodia and was built from pink sandstone. Most of the structures and decorative wall carvings are still noticeable today. Many Cambodian people think that this temple was built by women because of its very beautiful carvings that could only have been done by women.
Kbal Spean
After visiting Banteay Srei, we’ll go to visit Kbal Spean, located in the jungle about 12km from Banteay Srei. This archaeological site is known as “the River of a 1000 Lingas”. The reason it has this name because numbers of old stone carvings and countless Lingas, the phallic symbol of god Shiva can be seen in the riverbed. The carving of Kbal Spean took two reigns of the king, Suryavarman I and king Udayadityavarman II, who ruled between the 11th and 12th century. This brilliant ancient site is highly recommended to anybody who is interested in studying about the history of Cambodians.
