Full Day Beng Mealea and Koh Ker Pyramid Temple Tour
- 8 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Venture beyond the Angkor crowds to jungle-clad Beng Mealea and Koh Ker's 7-tiered pyramid temple, the former Khmer capital under King Jayavarman IV, on a full day tour with lunch. Two of the least-visited temple sites near Siem Reap make for an adventurous full day away from the main Angkor circuit. Beng Mealea, the 'Lotus Pond' temple, was built in the early 11th century by Suryavarman II and remains half-swallowed by jungle, with wide galleries said to have foreshadowed Angkor Wat's own construction. A picnic lunch is served during the visit before continuing to Koh Ker, the remote former Khmer capital from 928 to 944 AD under King Jayavarman IV. Its centrepiece, Prasat Thom, is a striking 7-tiered sandstone pyramid, the boldest architectural statement of this brief but ambitious period in Khmer history. The return drive passes remote villages and dense, untouched jungle, a fitting close to a day spent well off the beaten path.
Inclusions
What's included
- All applicable taxes and service charges
- One day pass into the Angkor Archaeological site
- Transportation by car / mini-van / coach with professional driver
- Lunch at a local restaurant is included (food only)
- All entrance and donation fees for visits as mentioned in the description
- A full day tour with a professional English-speaking guide.
What's not
- Personal expenses such as meals, drinks, tips and gratuities, shopping, portage fees
- Travel insurance coverage for customers (highly recommendable)
Itinerary
On this tour, we travel through the thriving countryside, past rice paddy fields and local villages to Beng Mealea temple. Beng Mealea - the “Lotus Pond” Temple from the early 11th Century - was built by Suryavarman II as a Hindu Temple. One of the few accessible temples, hidden in a maze of the jungle - if there is one temple to explore resplendent with jungle engulfing it, it is Beng Mealea. Clambering over large sandstone blocks to reach the inner sanctuary and eerie worship corridor is an exploration to remember. Architecturally, Beng Mealea is known for its innovative, in its time, construction of hallways, it was a large temple with wide galleries foreshadowing Angkor Wat. A picnic lunch will be arranged during the tour.
Continue with a visit of Koh Ker Temple which represents the remnants of the capital of the Khmer Empire from 928 AD – 944 AD, a very unique period in the Age of Angkor. The premier, dilapidated bastion of the complex is Prasat Thom, an imposing 7-tiered pyramid and temple complex. It was home to Jayavarman IV, the maternal uncle of the two previous kings and a great feudal landholder, who ascended the throne in 928. In only a few years, Jayavarman IV built many colossal sanctuaries dedicated to Shiva, ruling over large numbers of people and in considerable splendour for twenty years until succeeded by his son Harshavarman I. We head back to Siem Reap while we pass remote villages and the dense, untouched jungle behind us. We can assure you that you will look back to this day as an adventurous one.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
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Ratings come from 1 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Pickup
- Pickup is included for everyone.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Asian Trails LTD
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- This tour is operated on full private basis with English-speaking guide. Other languages are on request / subject to availability and supplementary charges may apply.
- Return transfers for this excursion apply only / are inclusive for customers staying in and inside Siem Reap. Transfers outside these areas, including any accommodation outside this area such as Tonle Sap, Koh Ker, Banteay Srei and Siem Reap International Airport are excluded. Supplements apply for customers who want to join this excursion outside one of these regions.
- We will do all possible to comply with any dietary requirements during this excursion; it may not always be possible to confirm your wishes in advance based on the choice of local restaurant.
- Part of this excursion includes walking over unpaved roads and paths. This may not suit guests with walking issues. Bear in mind that such paths may turn slippery / muddy after a rain shower. We suggest wearing good walking shoes, preferred closed shoes, when booking this tour.
- To avoid any issues pertaining obtaining an arrival visa at the airport, please ensure that your passport contains at least two empty pages. Failure to do so may result in not gaining entrance into the Kingdom of Cambodia.
How it compares in Siem Reap
- Its from-price is 181% above the median of the 2414 experiences we list in Siem Reap.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 1480 of 2414.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Siem Reap
Siem Reap is the riverside town beside Angkor, Cambodia's vast complex of Khmer temples, with night markets, river walks and a relaxed centre.
Angkor Wat, often called the largest religious monument in the world, rises above its moat in a silhouette of lotus-bud towers that is breathtaking at sunrise. Nearby, the walled city of Angkor Thom holds the Bayon, with its more than two hundred serene stone faces, the Terrace of the Elephants and the Baphuon, while Ta Prohm is gripped by the roots of giant silk-cotton and strangler fig trees.
Top-ranked sights in Siem Reap: Angkor Thom, Tonlé Sap, Kampong Phluk.
Special offers in Siem Reap
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
20% offFree cancellation
20% offFree cancellation![2 days- Angkor sunrise, Banteay Srei, Kulen mountain, Beng Mealea]()
20% offFree cancellation
