Highlights
The Temples of Angkor
Often the main allure of visitors to Siem Reap, the Angkor Complex comprises a selection of ancient temples that are a source of national pride and a point of pilgrimage for all Cambodian people. The best known and best-preserved site in the complex is Angkor Wat, a Hindu temple that symbolises Mt. Meru, home of the religion’s ancient gods. The largest religious building in the world, Angkor Wat is more like a city than a temple, combining symmetry and spirituality, while surrounded by a striking moat. Another highlight of the complex is Angkor Thom, once an entire walled city with a population of one million, and the Royal Capital from 1181. The centre piece is Bayon temple, crowned with 216 giant smiling faces of King Jayavarman VII. Another of Angkor’s jewels is the fig-covered Ta Phrom, built in 1186 as a Buddhist temple. One of the largest temple sites in Angkor, it took almost 80,000 people to maintain. We can arrange once-in-a-lifetime experiences at the Angkor temples– whether a sunrise breakfast as you sail along a temple moat, or a guided tour with a Khmer scholar.
Tonle Sap Lake
The largest freshwater lake in South East Asia, a boat trip on Tonle Sap invites you to experience authentic Cambodia as you pass fishermen in their trawlers - a huge amount of the country’s fish comes from the lake, making it an important commercial resource - and unique floating villages that comprise not only stilted houses, but schools, restaurants and more suspended over the water.
APOPO Visitor Centre
APOPO is a special NGO that works with African Giant Pouched Rats (also known as Hero Rats), teaching them to detect landmines and tuberculosis using their extraordinary sense of smell. APOPO’s training and research centre is based in Tanzania with over 220 people across 7 projects in 6 countries, of which Cambodia is a key site. APOPO’s Siem Reap visitor centre is located on the road to Angkor Wat and gives you the opportunity to learn about how the Hero Rats use their remarkable sense of smell to clear rural areas of landmines after decades of conflict. The Hero Rats are too light to detonate landmines so face no risk. A special behind-the-scenes experience also gives you the chance to meet the rats and their handlers to experience first-hand how they clear a mockup mine field, as well as offering a great photo opportunity together. They enjoy spacious, cool lodgings at the centre with plenty of fresh fruit and attention from their keepers. They never work for longer than 3-4 hours a day and have sun cream carefully applied to their ears and tails while on duty. They typically retire after 4 years of service.
Vespa Street Food Tour
Get ready to enjoy Siem Reap’s sensational street food as you are whisked into the hustle and bustle of the city at night. Street vendors will invite you to taste a seemingly endless variety of dishes that showcase a spectacular diversity of flavours and colours. From the comfort of your seat, behind your personal driver, take in the city’s magnificent scenery from your Vespa as you head towards your next delicious dish.
Phare Cambodian Circus
Get set to experience Siem Reap's most unique, authentic and highly rated evening entertainment. More than just a circus, Phare performers use theatre, music, dance and modern circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories; historical, folk and modern. The young circus artists - many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds - will astonish you with their energy, emotion, enthusiasm and talent.