DAY 1
Journey to Beng Melea and Koh Ker

We journey through scenic countryside out to the ancient temple ruins of Beng Melea.  Beng Melea sits over 60km from Siem Reap, left in a semi ruinous state, allowing you to witness just how the temples looked when re discovered prior to restoration.  Large vines and trees have played havoc with the ancient stones, leaving a beautiful and mysterious temple ruin for you to explore.

Koh Ker

We continue our drive and watch as the landscape transforms, with sugar palms giving way to vast crops of banana and other local produce.  Koh Ker is home to a vast number of temples,  all pre dating the Ankgor Wat complex.  The site served as the capital city of the Khmer Empire during the middle of 10th century before it was shifted to Angkor Wat.  The temples within Koh Ker sit in various states of ruin.  There are stunning carvings and surprises throughout the complex, while originally there were over 96 not all remain standing and some are blow ground, however there are plenty to keep you exploring.    The highlight is making the climb to the top of tiered pyramid of Koh Ker temple and witnessing the incredible views across the landscape.

From Koh Ker to Preah Vihear

After our day of explorations we continue our drive, again with the ever changing landscape.  We journey through vast cashew plantations and arrive at Preah Vihear.

We overnight at the Preah Vihear boutique hotel, where simple but clean rooms await and pool refreshes.  We highly recommend you try the Char Kreoung for dinner.

DAY 2
A visit to the incredible Preah Vihear

We depart early to take advantage of the morning light and after a short drive we arrive at the base of Preah Vihear. Here we transfer to small trucks with experienced drivers.  The climb up the mountain is steep, and it calls for a special vehicle and driver skill.  Preah Vihear is hard to believe, its a temple of such beauty and an engineering feat that is awe inspiring.  From the top you can soak up views across the mountainous highlands of Thailand the the lush green of Cambodia.

Your guide will take you through each of the incredible temple structures.  It’s worth stopping a few times and just soaking up the atmosphere.  Preah Vihear is a mountain temple that represents the mythical mount Meru, home of the gods.  Your guide will bring the ancient history of the temple  as well as some of the modern  struggles with Thailand to life.

Analong Veng Peace Centre

As we embark on our journey back to Siem Reap on route we take time to stop in Analong Veng.  The town itself has a very interesting history, serving as one of the last strong holds of the Khmer Rouge soldiers until the late 1990’s.    We visit Pol Pots grave and house of Ta Mok – a senior figure in the Khmer Rouge regime.

We visit the Analong Veng Peace Centre, dedicated to memory, reconcilation and peace building.   Here we can learn about the struggles and history of Cambodia and the journey to peace.

Return to Siem Reap

We then continue back to Siem Reap and return to your hotel.