#47 best destination in the world

 

Angkor Wat

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  • #1 of the top 25 landmarks in the world
  • Largest religious monument in the world, at 402 acres
  • Originally a Hindu temple, it gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple toward the end of the 12th century
  • Masterpiece of high classical style of Khmer architecture
  • Designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

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  • Museum chronicling the Cambodian genocide
  • #21 of the top 25 museums in the world
  • Was used as an execution center

 

Preah Vihear Temple

Preah-vihear

  • Ancient Hindu temple built on top of a cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Bayon

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  • Khmer temple built in the 12th century under the Buddhist King Jayavarman VII
  • Known for its serene and smiling stone faces on the towers
  • Bas-reliefs present mythological, historical, and mundane scenes
  • Important example of baroque style Khmer architecture, versus classical style Angkor Wat

 

Choeung Ek

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  • Site of a former orchard and mass grave of victims of the Khmer Rouge
  • Known as The Killing Fields, where the Khmer Rouge regime executed over one million people between 1975 and 1979

 

Ta Prohm

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  • Buddhist monastery and university
  • Built in Bayon style from the 12th-13th centuries
  • Is in much the same condition in which it was found with an atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Bokor Hill Station

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  • Collection of French colonial buildings constructed as a temperate mountain luxury resort and retreat for colonial residents in the early 1920s at the top of Bokor Mountain in Preah Monivong National Park
  • Abandoned for long periods of time, modern infrastructure has made the location easily accessible as re-development is taking place

 

Kbal Spean

KbalSpean

  • Angkorian era archaeological site situated along the Stung Kbal Spean River
  • Consists of a series of stone rock relief carvings in sandstone formations of the river bed and banks
  • The motifs for stone carvings are mainly myriads of lingams (phallic symbol of Hindu god Shiva), depicted as neatly arranged bumps that cover the surface of a sandstone bed rock, and lingam-yoni designs
  • There are also various Hindu mythological motifs, including depictions of the gods Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi, Rama, and Hanuman, as well as animals, such as cows and frogs

 

Sambor Prei Kuk

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  • A now ruined complex that dates back to the Pre-Angkorian Chenla Kingdom (late 6th to 9th century), established by king Isanavarman I as central royal sanctuary and capital
  • The principal material is brick, but sandstone is also used for certain structures.
  • Located amidst mature sub-tropical forests with limited undergrowth
  • The area has been mined and could still contain unexploded ordnance

 

Killing Caves of Phnom Sampeau

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  • Khmer Rouge execution site
  • The Khmer Rouge killed their victims on top of the cave at the rim of a daylight shaft or ceiling hole and then threw the dead body into the cave
  • There are a number of caves at Phnom Sampeau that have traditionally served as Buddhist temples
  • Today there is a large glass memorial in the cave next to the skulls and bones and a golden reclining Buddha
  • A memorial, assembled from cyclone fencing and chicken wire contains human bones at the base of the stairway

 

Well of Shadows

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  • Memorial for those lost in this area during the Khmer Rouge genocide
  • Reliquaries display the skulls and bones of victims that have been found, and dot the country
  • These remains ask us to remember the atrocities committed

 

HUMAN Gallery – Joseba Etxebarria Photography

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  • Photography that tells human stories, giving a voice to the voiceless

 

Bambu Stage Siem Reap

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  • Theatre with nightly shows, as well as daily workshops by professional puppeteers, musicians, and dancers
  • Through fire, music, and special effects, the Bambu Stage Puppets bring to life a form of physical theatre that lets you share the magical ancient rituals first-hand

 

 

Costs

all flights $1,763

food $9/day x 12 days = $108

hotel $7/day x 11 days = $77

tickets (all attractions) $45

TOTAL for whole itinerary $1,993