Begin your journey into the villages, culture and daily lives of Southeast Asia in Siem Reap, Cambodia — the epicenter of the region’s spiritual and artistic character. Along with your native guides, explore opulent 12th-century temples swallowed by the forces of nature and towers decorated with the smiling face of Avolokitesvara, the Buddhist embodiment of compassion. Wander through the vast Angkor Wat complex, so grand in scale it took three decades to complete.
Please Note: The Siem Reap travel package will be escorted by local guides only.
Days 1-3 • Wednesday-Friday
U.S. / Siem Reap, Cambodia Fly from the U.S. to Siem Reap, Cambodia and transfer to the Victoria Angkor Resort. (Meals Aloft)
Days 4 & 5 • Saturday & Sunday
Siem Reap The massive Angkor Wat temple, the largest monument of the Angkor group and the best preserved, is thought to have been the funerary temple for King Suryavarman II and is oriented to the west to conform to Hindu symbolism between the setting sun and death. After 1432 when the capital moved to Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat was cared for by Buddhist monks. After a guided morning tour, you can return at your leisure this afternoon to wander the grounds of the complex or perhaps explore the gallery of bas reliefs. Our Siem Reap tour also includes the South Gate, with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean; the 12th-century capital of Angkor Thom, last capital of the Khmer Empire; and the often-photographed Bayon, with 54 towers decorated with the smiling face of the Buddhist god Avolokitesvara. We’ll also visit the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, Elephant’s Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. We journey to Ta Prohm. One of the area’s most beautiful temples, Ta Prohm has been left largely untouched since it was discovered. Unlike other monuments near Angkor, Ta Prohm was abandoned and swallowed by the dense, surrounding jungle. Only narrow paths have been cleared to allow for visits, so the monuments of Ta Prohm, with tree roots wrapping around towers, look much the way the Angkor temples did when Europeans first explored the area. (Day 4: B,D; Day 5:B,L)
Day 6 • Monday
Siem Reap / Luang Prabang, Laos Visit Artisans d’Angkor, a school and shop where the vanishing Khmer arts are being taught to the young people of Cambodia. Vast numbers of artists and craftsmen were lost during the genocide of the Khmer Rouge, so Artisans d'Angkor was founded as a professional school to help young Cambodians rediscover traditional handicrafts and to give them the opportunity to take part in the rebuilding of the country and in the revitalization of a priceless art form. Watch the young artists at work and shop for amazing lacquer, silk, and stone pieces treasures. Fly to Luang Prabang, meeting the rest of the group, and overnight at the Chang Heritage Hotel. (B,L Aloft)
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