Koh Ker temple,Prah Vihear & Koh Ker & Beng Mealea from Siem Reap

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. it is not allowed to visit it yet because Cambodia and Thailand has war.

   Passes by

2. Koh Ker Group located in the province of Preah Vihear, it was briefly the capital of the Khmer empire between 928 and 944 under king Jayavarman IV and his son Hasavaraman II. After the Khmer empire had been established in the Angkor area (Roluos), Jayavarman IV moved the capital in 928 almost 100km northeast to Koh Ker. Here a vast number of temples were built under his reign, until his successor returned to the Angkor area about twenty years later. The Koh Ker site is dominated by Prasat Thom, a 30 meter tall temple mountain raising high above the plain and the surrounding forest. Great views await the visitor at the end of an adventurous climb. Garuda, carved into the stone blocks, still guard the very top, although they are partially covered now. Across the site of Koh Ker there are many prasat or tower sanctuaries. A couple still feature an enormous linga on a yoni that provides space for several people. The outlet for the water that was sanctified by running it over the Linga can be seen in the outside wall of one of them. In other cases, three prasat stand next to each other, dedicated to Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Most of them are surrounded by libraries and enclosures, many also had moats. At that time, the roofs were still made of wood. Today, only the holes for the beams remain in the stone structures.

   2 h

3. Beng Mealea Temple (its name means "lotus pond") located at the foot of Kulen Mountain. It was built as Hinduist temple, but there are some carvings depicting Buddhist motifs. Its primary material is sandstone and it is largely unrestored, with trees and thick brush thriving amidst its towers and courtyards and many of its stones lying in great heaps. For years it was difficult to reach, but a road recently built to the temple complex of Koh Ker passes Beng Mealea and more visitors are coming to the site. Built in the 12th Century, many scholars believe it was the model for Angkor Wat. It is just as wonderful of a temple but it is still largely lost in the jungle.

   1 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

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

How it compares in Siem Reap

• Its from-price is 57% above the median of the 353 day trips we list in Siem Reap.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 171 of 353.
• 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.

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