This exciting tour covers some famous and fascinating temples such as Beng Mealea and Banteay Srei. It will be an amazing day of history and culture, a full-learning experience about the fantastic Siem Reap and ancient Khmer Empire.
Beng Mealea
We’ll pick you up from the hotel and start our journey to Beng Mealea temple, which is located about 68 km northeast of Siem Reap. The history of the temple is unknown, the style of architecture is identical to Angkor Wat, so scholars assumed it was built in the Angkor Wat period in the early 12th century. King Suryavarman II, the founder of Angkor Wat, constructed this temple to dedicate to the Hindu religion.
Beng Mealea became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992. Beng Mealea is called the sister of Angkor Wat due to its identical structure and style. Most parts of the temple have collapsed because of the trees and a long period of civil war. As a result, there are blocks of sandstones lying on the ground. Since its distance is far away from other temples, many tourists haven’t made their way to Beng Mealea. It has become a mysterious and peaceful temple among many other temples in Siem Reap.
Kampong Khleang
After Beng Mealea, we will continue our trip to visit Kampong Khleang, a floating village lying on the top of the great lake, Tonle Sap. To reach Kampong Khleang, we’ll stop our car and go by boat through a river that connects to the Tonle Sap Lake. At the village, we’ll see strange houses, built as high as 10 meters, sitting on tall stilts. There are schools, restaurants, pagodas, churches, mosques, and even small stores on the top of water. We will see how people live on the great Tonle Sap lake.
Banteay Srei
Finally, we’ll head over to Banteay Srei temple which is known as “the Citadel of the Women”. This 10th century temple was consecrated on the 22nd April 967 A.D, and it was the only temple build during the Angkor period which wasn’t built by a king. It was designed and constructed by two courtiers named Vishnukumara and Yajnavaraha who served to king Rajendravarman II. Banteay Srei is very unique because it was built from red sandstone and its beautiful carvings still remain today which we hardly see at other temples.
