Expert Guide Explore the lost temples Beng Mealea & Koh Ker
ID: GYG562218-963301
Category:
Country: Cambodia
Duration:
09:00 hours
Description
We head to the lost temple of Beng Mealea, the titanic of temples, a slumbering giant lost for centuries in the forests of Cambodia. Next to Koh Ker served as the capital of the Khmer Empire from.
Today, meet your personal guide and driver and travel to the lost temple of Beng Mealea, the titanic of temples, a slumbering giant lost for centuries in the forests of Cambodia. It is the most accessible of Angkor’s lost temples, a mirror image of Angkor Wat, but utterly consumed by the voracious appetite of nature. Constructed by Suryavarman II (1113-1150), the builder of Angkor Wat, the forest has run riot here and it is hard to get a sense of the monument’s shape amid the daunting ruins. Here it is possible to enjoy an Indiana Jones experience clambering about the vast ruin. For those who want a more gentle adventure, there is also a sturdy wooden walkway running right into the heart of the temple. It is also possible to visit a nearby Angkor-era quarry from where stone was cut to build these massive monuments.
We then head into the bush to the remote Angkor capital of Koh Ker is an Angkorian site in northern Cambodia 70 miles northeast of Siem Reap; it was briefly the capital of the Khmer empire between 928 and 944 under king Jayavarman IV and his son Hasavarman II. After the Khmer empire had been established in the Angkor area (Roluos), Jayavarman IV moved the capital in 928 to Koh Ker. Here a vast number of temples were built under his reign, until his successor returned to the Angkor area about twenty years later. The Koh Ker site is dominated by Prasat Thom, a seven-storey step pyramid, a 30-meter-tall temple-mountain raising high above the plain and the surrounding forest. Great views await the visitor at the end of an adventurous climb. The area was only recently de-mined and the road improved. This makes Koh Ker very attractive for anyone who would like to experience what Angkor must has been like half a century ago. Picnic lunch at Koh Ker.
After exploring Koh Ker through the afternoon, begin the drive back to Siem Reap arriving this evening for a well-deserved opportunity to freshen up and good night's rest.
Highlights
- We head to the lost temple of Beng Mealea, the titanic of temples
- Next, continue drive to Koh Ker served as the capital of the Khmer Empire
- You’ll understand the thrill French explorer Henri Mouhot surely felt when
- He came upon the overgrown temples of Angkor in the mid-19th century.
Guiding languages
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Local lunch included at local restaurant with soft drink and local beer
Dear Guests We'll pick up from your hotel in Siem Reap Downtown
When should I book?
To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.
Cancellations
Cancellation is not possible. If you cancel it anyway or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity and the money you paid will not be refunded.