Angkor Wat and Tonle Sap

Begin your cycling exploration of the incredible Angkor Wat temple, built by Suryavarman II, in early 12th century Angkor Wat is constructed following the model of the temple mountain symbolizing the Mount Merou, home of the gods. Considered as the masterpiece of the Khmer architecture, this Vishnu temple is the King’s funerary temple. We continue to the jungle-clad Ta Prohm, built in the mid-12th to early 13th centuries. Ta Prohm is unique in that it has been left largely as it was found overgrown by jungle trees and vines, with many parts of the temple crumbling to the ground. This makes the ‘Tomb Raider Temple’ one of the most picturesque and memorable of the Angkor temples.

After lunch, we drive back to town and continue to cycle to Wat Athvea Pagoda outside Siem Reap and receive a water blessing. Walk with your guide through the stunning temple grounds and look at the architectural features of the complex, replete with garden paths and gilded spires. Once inside the pagoda, take a seat on the floor in front of a row of Buddhist monks who sit in saffron robes. Listen as the monk chant prayers in Pali, the language of early Buddhist scriptures. Along with your alms offering, you’ll find lotus and jasmine flowers amid the incense and candles used during the traditional ceremony. Receive a personal blessing from one of the monks as he ties a red thread around your wrist that is meant to bring good luck and prosperity. Your guide is always on hand to interpret what is said, help you to understand the role of Buddhism in Cambodia or answer any questions you have.

Continue to cycle to Phnom Krom hill pass through rural landscapes and picturesque of many hamlets where you can explore daily life of Cambodian people and climb to visit the modern pagoda and ruins of an Angkorian temple on the summit. We then take a boat ride to explore the floating village of Chong Khneas, witnessing the residents going about their daily life. It is quite a sight to see a whole bamboo village complete with homes, petrol stations, schools, hair dressers and even karaoke bars, floating on a lake. You can experience the full beauty of Tonle Sap, the boat will then head out into the vast expanse of the lake and cut its engine, as you watch the setting sun disappearing into the waters in silence – perfect…

Note: By February and March the water level can be quite low, resulting in the muddy banks and bottom of the lake becoming visible, and by April most of the outer areas of the lake are dry, meaning that the villages are no longer “floating” as such, but towering high above the dry ground. May to September is the rainy season when the lake will again fill up.