Kulen Mountain (Waterfall)
We will come and pick you up from the hotel and begin our trip to the 40km-long mountain range, Phnom Kulen. We must be there before 11am because it has only one small road. It is located about 50km north of Siem Reap town and it was the source of sandstone to build temples during the Angkor period. When driving up the steep hills, we will see the most beautiful landscape ever seen.
It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Phnom Kulen is also a protected area as a National Park by the Cambodian government. There are many interesting sites to visit on Phnom Kulen. We will see the elegant waterfall that is divided into two parts. The top is a 5m high and 20-25 wide waterfall, and the lower part is a 15-20m waterfall that used to film Tomb Raider. It is a good place for relaxing and swimming.
We will go to visit Preah Ang Thom, a 16th-century giant reclining Buddha, measuring up to 8 meters. The statue was carved into a huge sandstone. Preah Ang Thom is considered as a holy place to worship in Phnom Kulen. We will also see a big foot-print of Preah Bat Choan Tuk near Preah Ang Thom.
We then will visit the River of 1000 Lingas or Kbal Spean, located 1.5km from the waterfall. To access Kbal Spean, we have to walk on a small path into the forest. There are many figures of Lingas and Yoni and other carved Hindu Gods into the rocks of the riverbed.
Then, we will hike back to the mountain to see the Terrace of Sdach Kamlung or Terrace of Leper King, meaning in English. There is a small wrecked monument built of bricks in the middle of the plain terrace.
Kampong Phluk
After exploring Angkor Wat, we will continue our trip out of the Angkor archaeological sites to Kampong Phluk, located about 37km from Angkor Wat. Kampong Phluk is another floating village on the Tonle Sap Lake in Siem Reap. You will learn about the local culture and discover the lives of people who live on the water.
The hand-made houses are stabilized by a 6-meters stilts to prevent the houses from the floods during the rainy season. In the dry season between December to April, motorbikes can travel through the village. Here, there are clinics, pagodas, schools, restaurants, and churches, etc. Besides visiting the village, we can see the floating forest and wildlife too. This must-see tour will help you to relax while you take it all in.
We will watch a beautiful sunset at Kampong Phluk.
