We bought a tour which included transportation and a tour guide for 12.50 USD1 each. The tour bus picked us up at around 8 AM and the first stop was the ticket office for those who hadn’t bought tickets yet. We had already bought the 3-day ticket so we just walked around the stalls while we waited. Once everyone had their tickets, we headed to the temple of Pre Rup. We then find some shade while the guide gives us some history on the temple. This temple has 3 levels and pre-dates Angkor Wat; being the main temple at the time. We then had some time to walk around to take pictures before heading to East Mebon. This temple is also from the same period as Pre Rup so it looks quite similar. This is a smaller temple with 2 levels but the interesting thing here is that there are many holes in the temple walls. The guide said that there used to be diamonds and other precious stones in these holes but have since been stolen. There are also elephant statues in the corners of the temple which is a good spot for pictures.
The next stop is the temple of Ta Som which has long tomb-raider-like corridors. There is a V-shaped tree just past the entrance which is a good photo spot. When you get to the end of the corridors, there’s a massive tree growing out of the temple walls that also makes for great pictures. Once we’re done here, we head to Neak Pean which is on an artificial island in the middle of a man-made lake. The tour bus dropped us off at the entrance where you walk along a bridge that leads to the temple. However, since we were there at the start of the wet season, the lake was dry. Normally, there would also be 4 ponds that surround the temple, each representing the elements of fire, water, earth, and wind. After quickly walking around to take pictures, we crossed back on the bridge and then to Preah Khan.
From the drop off point, it was a 5-minute walk to the temple. We crossed a bridge that was decorated with statues that had their heads or upper bodies cut off. The guide said that foreigners had done this with the help of the locals to sell in the black market. Preah Khan was the most tomb-raider-like temple with many long corridors. There was also a large tree growing out of its temple walls which made it very picturesque. There was a wedding photoshoot going on when we got there. The guide took us through the temple making stops to give information on the site. He then gave us some time to wander around the corridors before making our way back to the tour bus. It was now around 1 PM and we were taken to a tourist restaurant in the area. It seemed to be a fancy place as we were given refreshing cold face towels on the way in. The guide dropped us off and then said he’d be back in an hour. The menus had several Asian and Western dishes but not many Cambodian options. Prices ranged between 8 and 15 USD but it was all very tasty.
We were picked up from the restaurant at around 2 PM and then taken to Banteay Srei which took about 40 minutes to get there. This temple was built by a priest rather than a king. Its walls and towers were the most detailed and its carvings were very well preserved. The guide took us throughout the site making stops to give us information. It was a beautiful temple but quite small and debatable on whether it’s worth the 40-minute drive. From Banteay Srei, we then headed back to Siem Reap which took about an hour. We were dropped off at our hotel where we chilled by the pool for some time. In the evening, we went for dinner in Sok San road and a quick walk around the area.
