*Best deal package, from 1 Apr-30 Sep, 2008

• Price includes:
  - 2 night accommodation with daily breakfasts at Tara Angkor in Siem Reap
  - Private transfers and tours as mentioned in the program
  - Entrance Fees
  - English speaking guide
  - Meals as mentioned in the program

• Price excludes:
  - International air ticket to and from Siem Reap
  - Airport tax: 25 USD for Siem Reap International Airport tax
  - Cambodia VISA fee (current rate: USD 20 per person)
  - Other services not mentioned in the program
  - personal expenses
  - Compulsory Gala dinner on Christmas and New Year
  

  Note: This program does not include an international air ticket to Cambodia. We suggest our customers contact their local travel agencies for best price. However, if you plan to arrive in Siem Reap or Phnom Penh from Bangkok (Thailand), we can arrange the air ticket for you upon request.

• Remarks:

  1. Visas are required to enter Cambodia. This can be obtained upon arrival at Siem Reap Airport for USD 20 and 1 passport sized photo per person.

  2. An additional passport sized photo is required for the Angkor Temple Pass.

  3. For your information, the airport tax at Phnom Phen Airport is 20 USD per each person.

  4. Please ensure you take comfortable walking shoes, light clothing and drink plenty of water. The most commonly accepted currency in Cambodia is the USD.

  5. Your passport must be valid at least 6 months beyond your visit.

  6. There are compulsory gala dinners during Christmas and New Year's Eve, please contact us for details of the additional charge for dinners.

Visit the lost empire

Visitors are amazed at the scale of Angkor City. The complex covers around 400 square kilometers and comprises over 100 monuments and edifices of temples, sculptures, statues and incomparable bas-relief that have withstood the ravages of time.

The enormous temple complexes had been expanded to the large area by successive kings. The architectural style of Angkor is largely based on Indian (Hindu) cosmology to symbolize the center of the universe and mixed with Chinese and local architecture. At the fall of the Empire, the jungle reclaimed the decaying ruins until being rediscovered in 1861.

Angkor Wat

Perhaps the most famous temple of Angkor complex is Angkor Wat. The temple complex built under the reigns of Suryavarman II (1113 - 1150) presents several architectural masterpieces of ancient Khmers. The compound of Angkor Wat covers almost a square mile and is surrounded by a huge moat 180 meter wide. On this tour, our guide will elaborate on the design and history of the vast pyramid temples and their surrounding structures.

The Baphuon Temple

Built in the reign of King Udayadityavarman II (1050-66), Baphuon Temple features some of the finest sculptures ever found in Angkor. The beautifully carved lintels, doorframes and columns are main attraction of the Baphuon. However, the most striking beauty of Baphuon is its beauty of Baphuon is its bas-relief that stretches for hundreds of yards. The long carved stone depicts scenes from Hindu mythologies (Mahabharata and Ramayana) and a scene of Suryavarman holding court.

Bayon

The eeriness and mystery that looms over Angkor Thom is enhanced even more by the hazy appearance of Bayon with its carved heads of Jayavaraman VII (accredited for constructing the city) jutting from the top of the building. Each of the 54 towers surrounding the edifice depict smiling faces of the king portrayed as Boddhisattva Avalokitesvara (Buddha), which may appear somewhat ominous to modern eyes.

Ta Phrom; temple of memory

The temple complex of Ta Prohm and Preah Khan are filled with memory. Built during the 12th century, the temples were dedicated to King Jayavarman VII's parents. At Ta Prohm, the temple ruins are invaded by trees and deliberately left in the same conditions as it was found in 1860. To explore Ta Phrom is to climb over piles of fallen sandstone blocks or sift through narrow passages-some parts of the temple are in accessible. Despite these difficulties, this sanctuary is considered by many as the most romantic site in Angkor. Another temple complex near Ta Phrom is Preah Khan in which its buildings were used as religious university, residence and hospitals.

Banteay Srei

Among all temples in Siem Reap, Banteay Srei has the most delicate and well-preserved bas-relief and carvings. The temple is apparently smaller than Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm but this pink sandstone religious complex is perhaps the most beautiful in Siem Reap. The Hindu temple, also known as the ‘citadel of women’, was built by a Brahin spiritual teacher of King Jayavarman V in the 10th century. The name ‘citadel of women’ probably derived from intricate carvings of Apsara – female fairies in the Ramayana – in niches. Indeed, all of the towers are meticulously carved from the base to the top.