Arrive Siem Reap by afternoon flight, Siem Reap – Treasures of the Kingdom of Cambodia, special welcome all warmly to everybody, a moment of courtesy then self-introduce with our Cambodian tour guide in the meeting point’s of Siem Reap. We meet our guide and transfer to the city.

We visit the fabulous Ta Prohm embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers . Ta Prohm has been abandoned to the elements, a reminder that while empires rise and fall, the riotous power of nature marches on, oblivious to the dramas of human history . Left as it was ‘discovered’ by French explorer Henri Mouhout in 1860, the tentacle-like tree roots here are slowly strangling the surviving stones, man first conquers nature to create, nature later conquers back to destroy.

After soaking up the unique atmosphere of Ta Prohm, we head to Flight of the Gibbon Angkor, a zipline adventure through the treetops of Angkor. Family‐friendly and boasting international safety standards, flying through the air above the jungle canopy is an exhilarating experience along its 10 ziplines, including a ‘honeymoon’ tandem line, rope bridges, a tree house and a 15m abseil descent. They also have a nature trail and wild gibbons.

Welcome dinner with Apsara Dance show at local restaurant.

For those travelers thirsting for cultural highlights of Cambodia, No visit to Cambodia is complete without attending at least one traditional Khmer dance performance, often referred to as ‘Apsara Dance’ after one of the most popular Classical dance pieces. Traditional Khmer dance better described as ‘dance-drama’ in that the dances are not merely dance but also meant to convey a story or message.

After meeting our tour guide, then we bike to Angkor Thom that was the masterpiece of King Jayavarman VII. Following the occupation of Angkor by the Chams from 1177 to 1181, the new king decided to build an impregnable fortress at the heart of his empire. The scale is simply staggering and we are immediately overwhelmed by the audacity of Jayavarman on arrival at the city’s gates.

We begin to visit Bayon Temple. At the exact centre of Angkor Thom, this is an eccentric expression of the creative genius and inflated ego of Cambodia’s most celebrated king. Its 54 towers are each topped off with the four faces of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion), which bear more than a passing resemblance to the king himself. These colossal heads stare down from every side, exuding power and control with a hint of compassion, just the mix required to keep a hold on such a vast empire.

We continue to visit Terrace of the Leper King. This intricately carved platform was the royal crematorium and the statue that was originally thought to be the leper king is now believed to be Yama, the god of death. We continue along the Terrace of Elephants, originally used as a viewing gallery for the king to preside over parades, performances and traditional sports. At the southern end lies the Baphuon, once of the most beautiful temples at Angkor, dating from the reign of Uditayavarman 1 in the 11th century. It has undergone a massive renovation by the French and is now once again open for viewing.

We go local restaurant for Lunch.

We journey out to the Mother of all temples, Angkor Wat. Believed to be the world’s largest religious building, this temple is the perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry and a source of pride and strength to all Khmers. Built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II, this is most famous temple at Angkor. We venture into Angkor Wat to enjoy its magnificence in peace and quiet. We begin by unraveling the mysteries of the bas-reliefs that tell of tales from Hindu mythology and of the glories of the Khmer empire.

A not to be missed sunrise at Angkor Wat. Following sunrise we go straight to the ancient city of Angkor. Banteay Srei: nearly everyone’s favorite site. The special charm of this temple lies in its compact size, remarkable state of preservation, and the excellence of it decorative carving.

We journey north to Kbal Spean. The original ‘River of a Thousand Lingas’, Kbal Spean is an intricately carved riverbed deep in the foothills of the Cambodian jungle. The river flows down to the Tonlé Sap lake, and in ancient times its holy waters breathed life into the rice fields of the empire via the most complex irrigation system the world had ever seen. The Khmers venerated its limestone bed with a riot of carvings, including the delicate deities Vishnu and Shiva with their consorts. Lingams are phallic representations sacred to Hindus as fertility symbols and hundreds, perhaps thousands, are carved into the bedrock here. The carvings were only rediscovered in 1969 when French researcher Jean Boulbet was shown the river by a local hermit.

We travel northeast from Siem Reap to the massive jungle temple of Beng Mealea, the size and scale of Angkor Wat but utterly swallowed by the jungle. Discovering this gigantic temple feels just like it would have done when discovered by the first explorers.

This morning venture out past the temple area and explore the real countryside, by quad bike. A fun way to take in the sights, sounds and smells of the countryside, and ride through the villages, rice paddies, wetland areas – don’t wear your best clothes though – we’re going to get dirty !

We will visit Tonle Sap floating village: school, crocodiles and fish farm. You will find out about daily life of people on the lake. The Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is an ecological hot spot that was designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997. The Tonlé Sap is unusual for two reasons: its flow changes direction twice a year, and the portion that forms the lake expands and shrinks dramatically with the seasons. From November to May, Cambodia’s dry season, the Tonlé Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom Penh. However, when the year’s heavy rains begin in June, the Tonlé Sap backs up to form an enormous lake.

In the evening prepare for a special treat and visit Phare Ponleu Selpak. Phare is a social center and arts school that started in Battambang. The organization offers Cambodian youth a way out of poverty through arts. One of these projects is the Circus. Transfer at 7:30PM to the circus tent and enjoy a stroll over the terrain to read and learn more about the projects. At 8PM the show starts and will entertain you for an hour with comedy and acrobatic acts performed by the local youth. An entertaining evening is guaranteed and afterwards you can meet and chat with the wonderful young people of the show and learn more about their backgrounds.