Siem Reap Wildlife & Adventure

Upon arrival at Siem Reap International Airport, you will be welcomed by your driver and transferred to your hotel for check-in. Once you arrive at the hotel, you will be welcomed by one of our management team, and it is the opportunity to go through your itinerary again before it gets started. 

In the morning, at 8 am, we discover the Cambodia countryside by bike specially designed for families with children. Our guide knows the best tracks for an enjoyable tour that allow you to see rural life. The Mountain Bikes can be equipped with baby seats and also bikes for children that fit all sizes. After the tour, we will then transfer you back to your hotel, and you will have the afternoon free.

This morning, you will get picked up at the place where the call began, wherein 802 AD. Jayavarman II crowned himself god-king. Rich in history, he “Age of Angkor” began in Phnom Kulen. It is one of the only two places in Cambodia where Buddha is said to have set his foot.

You will visit a scenic waterfall and a giant reclining Buddha; these are parts of a standard trip here. In addition, we push on further exploring kilometers of complex back trails, deep jungle trek, and hidden temples, including the magnificent and highly sought-after stone elephant and lion statues.

This morning you’ll get picked up to Prek Toal as it has been called “the single most important breeding ground in Southeast Asia for globally threatened large waterbirds”. Key bird species of global significance here: Spot-billed Pelican, Milky Stork, Painted Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Greater Adjutant, Black-headed Ibis, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, and Oriental Darter. Enjoy the landscapes of flooded forests, floating villages, and the Great Tonle Sap Lake.

This morning, you’ll get picked up from your hotel to Kulen Elephant Forest. There, you’ll learn about the elephant morning routine.

Help the elephants with breakfast in the mornings and watch them get ready for the day before heading into the forest together. Observing the elephants’ mornings is a great way to learn more about how to care for them.

At noon, return to base camp and share a traditional meal with our large residents before bidding them farewell and departing for Siem Reap.

Rising early, at 8 am, you journey by jeep to the enigmatic and enchanting temple of Bayon. By beginning our tour here, we can avoid the crowds and see the temple at its quietest. This temple, located in the heart of Angkor Thom, is an eccentric expression of Cambodia’s most celebrated king’s creative genius and inflated ego.

Its 54 towers are each adorned with the four faces of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion), who bears a striking resemblance to the king himself. These enormous heads look below every side, exuding power and control with a hint of compassion, simply the mix needed to keep a hang on such a vast empire.

You continue your expedition amongst the walled city of Angkor Thom, the work of art of King Jayavarman VII. Following the Chams’ occupation of Angkor from 1177 to 1181, the new king decided to construct an impregnable fortress in the center of his empire. The causeway is lined by a complex bridge depicting the churning of the ocean of milk from Hindu folklore in which devas (gods) and asuras (devils) play tug of war with a naga (seven-headed snake) to get the elixir of immortality.

Within Angkor Thom, our next stop is the Terrace of the Leper King. This intricately sculpted platform was the royal crematorium, and the statue, which was originally thought to be the leper king, is now figured to be Yama, the god of death.

We proceed along the Terrace of Elephants, which was originally used as a viewing gallery for the king to command parades, performances, and traditional sports. The Baphuon temple, one of the most beautiful in Angkor, is located at the southern end and was built during the reign of Uditayavarman in the 11th century. It has gone through a huge renovation and is now once again open for visiting.

You then move on next to the Mother of all temples, Angkor Wat, believed to be the world’s largest spiritual building. This temple is the perfect combination of symbolism and balance and stands as a huge source of pride to all Khmers. We begin by deciphering the mysteries of the bas-reliefs, which depict Hindu mythology as well as the splendors of the Khmer empire. These intricate carvings stretch for nearly one kilometer and are a contender for the title of the world’s longest unbroken work of art. We then proceed to the upper levels of the inner sanctuary, following in the footsteps of the faithful and the destructive who came before us.

The final steps up to Angkor’s upper terrace are the steepest of all, as pilgrims used to stoop on their way to meet the Gods. We have finally arrived at the pinnacle and sacred heart of Angkor Wat, a perfect combination of spirituality and symmetry that few moments can match. After that, we head to the Ta Prohm temple, which has been left to the elements. The temple acts as a significant reminder that, while empires rise and fall, nature’s riotous power marches on, indifferent to human history’s dramas. The tentacle-like tree roots that French explorer Henri Mouhot discovered in 1860 are slowly strangling the remaining stones that man first conquered nature to build.

We will then pause for a late lunch at a local restaurant (Lunch is on the clients’ own account) before continuing to our final temple – Banteay Kdei. The name translates to `Citadel of Chambers,’ and as the temple exists on one level, it is easy to thoroughly explore the towers and corridors as well as their beautiful carvings.

The temple’s construction had changed many times since its original plans, causing a slight lack of consistency in its design. That being said, the final outcome of the temple is superb. As it is far less visited than its neighbouring main sites, Banteay Kdei offers a serene and peaceful end to our exploration.

After the temple tour, you’ll go straight to the Angkor jungle for a wildlife visit, like the park’s roaming gibbons! And currently, there are 3 species of gibbons: Lar Gibbon, Pileated Gibbon & Agile Gibbon.

After the tour, you’ll be transferred back to your hotel for your rest of the evening free.

Today you are free until we pick you up from your hotel to the airport with plenty of time before your departing flight back home.