Tour Description
Kbal Spean
Pick up at the hotel 8:00am and 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.
Beng Mealea
Then, we’ll continue our tour southeast to Beng Mealea temple that is about 50km from Banteay Srie Temple. The history of the temple is not clear. Many archaeologists assume that this temple was built during the Angkor Wat period in the early 12th century because its style of architecture looks exactly the same as Angkor Wat. Thus, this temple was built during king Suryavarman II’s reign who also constructed Angkor Wat temple.
In 1992, Beng Mealea became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is known as “the sister of Angkor Wat” due to its identical design. The temple has collapsed because of the growth of trees and a long period of civil war. As a result, there are blocks of sandstones lying on the ground. Many tourists don’t make their way to Beng Mealea due to the distance. Thus, it becomes a mysterious and peaceful temple among many other temples in Siem Reap.
