DAY 1: ANGKOR THOM & ANGKOR WAT
Pick up from your arrival point in Siem Reap ( Bus - / Boat station / airport ), transfer and check in Ta Som Guesthouse.
Welcome drink and cold towel upon check in.
In your room, we provide a tropical fruit basket upon arrival.
Transfer with our experienced English speaking local tourguide to the nearby Angkor Archaeological Park, UNESCO-World Heritage site since 1992.
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Entering Angkor Thom, this once largest city of the world form the South Gate, you admire the street of 108 gods and devils.
Study Bayon Temple,
with its famous face tours (the "smile" of Angkor) and bas reliefs from the 14th century, depicting the daily life that doesn't seem to have much changed until now.
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Easy walking tour to Baphuon Temple and Phimenakas Temple.
We walk further to the Terrasse of Elephants and Terrasse of Yama (the so called leper king) and see the fantastic reliefs.
Time for optional lunch in a local restaurant with good view to the historical central place of Angkor Thom. You should try the good noodle soup!
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In the afternoon, with the best light, intensive visit of world famous Angkor Wat temple.
Optional: You can start your visit by riding a balloon (staying on the same place, around 15 minutes!). Great roundview. Take your best fotos!
Study the fantastic bas reliefs of Angkor Wat, depicting scenes of Hindu mythology (like the churning of the milk sea) and climb up to the third level of this holy place, where once only the Angkorian priests and kings have worshipped their gods.
Enjoy the great roundview and take your time for meditation on a quiet place.
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Sunset from Phnom Bakheng (very busy but famous for sunset) or Preh Rup, a lovely and quiet place to reflect your discoveries in Angkor.
Transfer back to Ta Som Guesthouse for optional dinner in our Ta Som Garden Restaurant.
Try the famous traditional Amok Fish, delicious and not spicy!
Overnight in Ta Som Guesthouse in air conditioned room.
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DAY 2: ANGKOR
You shouldn't miss the fantastic sunrise in Angkor Wat - a unique experience!
Transfer from Ta Som Guesthouse to Angkor Wat with your driver (without tourguide for sunrise!).
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After sunrise, you meet your tourguide and have at first breakfast (as breakfast box) on the picturesque Srah Srang Water Basin. Enjoy this quite place, the former royal bath.
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Start for a walking tour through Banteay Kdei and Ta Prohm, the so called "jungle temples".
This tour has a special itinerary and is easy. It takes us about two hours. Enjoy to "feel" and to "smell" Angkor!
(If you want, the walking tour can be shortened up to one hour, according to your condition.)
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Visit of Ta Prohm
The EFEO (Ecole Francaise d'Extrême-Orient) has decided to keep this temple overgrown by the jungle. Enjoy the trees growing out from the temple ruins and feel like the first explorers and "rediscoverers" of Angkor, like Henri Mouhot or Lunet de Lajonquière.
Time for lunch in front of the gigantic Western face gopuram (Western temple entrance) of Ta Prohm in a local restaurant (not included).
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In the afternoon, we explore Preah Khan temple (with huge trees overgrowing the ruins). The temple complex has been ideally restored by the World Monument Fund.
Learn about the enormous looting problem in Angkor and the important savegarding and preservation activities of the WMF.
Go on seeing the most important temples on the "grand circuit", like Neak Pean (holy bath) and the Eastern Mebon (with Elephant statues).
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Our special:
As Ta Som Temple gave the name to our Guesthouse and Tour Agency,
the visit of this marvellous small temple is also included in this tour!
Ta Som means "the ancestor", king Jayavarman VII dedicated this temple to his teacher.
Enjoy the famous eastern gopuram of Ta Som, which is depicted on our logo. Take your picture!
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Sunset from Pre Rup or from another place (according to day 1).
After your second day in the temples, you might wish to enjoy a traditional Khmer massage (from US$ 6 per hour, optional!).
Optional dinner in Ta Som Garden Restaurant. You should try the famous Loklak beef.
Overnight in Ta Som Guesthouse in air conditioned room.
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Breakfast in Ta Som Guesthouse.
Transfer to Phnom Krom on the shores of the Tonle Sap Lake.
Enjoy a boat trip on the Tonle Sap Lake (about two hours), the greatest fresh water reservoir with the highest biodiversity in the world. See the floating village of Chong Kneas. Visit the fish farm and the crocodile farm.
Learn about fishing techniques and life on the water.
Visit of Artisans d'Angkor.
After the tour, return to Ta Som Guesthouse.
End of package tour "Angkor Highlights".
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You can add more nights in Ta Som Guesthouse and choose among our interesting daytrips.
To complete your Angkor experience, we highly recommend the "Bird Sanctuary Prek Toal", where you will feel like in a Hitchcock's movie and our "Countryside tour" where you go deeper into the way of living of the locals (ricefields, sugar palms, water buffaloes, ox cart drive). This life doesn't seem to have much changed since Angkorian times.
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