Welcome to Siem Reap, the charming gateway to the famed Temples of Angkor. You will be greeted by your local English speaking guide, who will accompany you to your hotel for check in.
Take a rest from your flight or discover Siem Reap on a stroll through its beautiful Wats and the colorful markets on your own.
After lunch, you will visit the famous Angkor Wat by local tuk tuk, built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century; it is constructed following the model of the temple mountain symbolizing the Mount Meru, home of the gods. Inside the temple, the walls are covered with stone carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Hindu mythology and the wars Suryavarman II fought during his reign. Moreover, Angkor Wat is well known for the more than 2,000 Apsara dancers decorating the temple. Construction is thought to have taken around thirty years of intensive labor. Today, Angkor Wat is figured on Cambodia's national flag as the temple symbolizes the soul of the Khmer people.
Overnight in Siem Reap

Today, depart on a scenic cycling tour through the most beautiful Cambodian countryside. You will pass rice fields and villages, where you will stop for refreshing breaks and a few chats with the locals. The road is all flat and easy to cycle, and the tour is fully supported, so if you or your children don't want to continue by bicycle, you can continue by private vehicle.
Your destination is Kampong Phluck, a village where you will see houses on stilts that are submerged when Tonlé Sap Lake extends. Embark on an interesting boat trip on the Tonlé Sap Lake, where you will have the opportunity to learn about life on the lake. You will pass floating houses and impressive flooded forests, portraying life on the water. Tonle Sap is South East Asia's largest freshwater lake with its size varying greatly depending on the season, as it is swelling to about 4 times its size in during the wet season. Enjoy a picnic lunch on one of the local houses. (NOTE: Due to low water levels during the dry season, the boat trip is only possible from June to March, but we can arrange an overland visit to Kampong Pluck that is an equally interesting experience, as you can walk among the stilted houses).
Overnight in Siem Reap

Get up early this morning for a transfer to Banteay Chhmar (duration ca. 5 hours). You will stop on the way as much as you like.
Welcome to Banteay Chhmar and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Then head out to visit Banteay Chhmar, a place of exceptional atmosphere which gets very few visitors. A notable feature of this temple that is applying for UNESCO World Heritage Site status is the magnificent bas reliefs on the outside of the inner sanctuary walls. Almost every step within this vast ruin; gives another fabulous picture of stone being consumed by nature. It is a spectacular sight with its Bayon Style towers, walls and enclosures cloaked with vegetation. Dinner at the homestay.
Overnight in a homestay in Banteay Chhmar

After breakfast, visit the local market in Banteay Chhmar and experience some typical Khmer village activities. Visit a school - it will be impressive to see for your own children how different school life is over here in countryside Cambodia. If you wish, you can hold a little lesson for the school children and teach an English children's song to them. Guess how much joy this will bring to the children as well as to your family!
Enjoy your picnic lunch before your return to Siem Reap. Arrival late afternoon.
Overnight in Siem Reap

Enjoy the morning free at leisure or take part in one of the optional activities.
Optional: HORSEBACK-RIDING at HAPPY RANCH
Head to the Happy Ranch outside of Siem Reap, a western style horse ranch. There, you will get acquainted with your horse of pure Cambodian breed, a descendant of the Mongolian wild horses. Enjoy the countryside on horseback! During the 2 hour trail ride you will get to places far outside the tourist area, through the rice fields and local villages to the rarely visited temple of Wat Atvea. Explore the peaceful temple ruins of the Angkor-era, a truly authentic experience.
Optional: ANGKOR SILK FARM
Drive through the countryside around the Western Baray where you can spot water buffalos in swampy ponds, kids in school uniforms on their bicycles and oxcarts. Visit the Angkor Silk Farm 15 km west of Siem Reap, where you can witness the entire process of silk creation from growing and harvesting mulberry as food for the silk worms, the breeding process and life cycle of the silk worm to the spinning the silk, the dying process and the creation of beautiful silk weavings on wooden hand looms. Children will get the opportunity to feed the silk worms - a fun experience!
Optional: MICROLIGHT FLIGHTS
Feel free like a bird on a flight in a micro light aircraft. The flights take off from a private airstrip just outside of town and fly at an average altitude of 300-400 m. There are currently 2 micro light planes available that fits 1 passenger each next to the experienced US-pilot. On the fascinating 15mins to 1 hour flight, discover Siem Reap town, the Angkor area as far as Angkor Wat and Banteay Srei, the Roluos Group and the floating villages of Tonle Sap Lake.
Optional: QUAD BIKE RIDE
An unforgettable experience as you will ride a quad bike especially designed for off road terrain through the beautiful countryside of Siem Reap Province. The 12 km guided tour will take you to local villages, where you can learn about the way of life in rural Cambodia and have the chance to meet and chat with the wonderful and friendly people. The highlight of the 2 hour tour is the sunset in the rice fields.
Optional: ROLOUS GROUP
Head to the Rolous Group, around 15 km out of Siem Reap. The Rolous Group is the site of an ancient center of Khmer civilization known as Hariharalaya and as such the oldest temple complex of this area, dating back to the 8th and 9th century. Explore the three main temples Bakong, Preah Ko and Lolei on a short 3 km walking tour. The surrounding countryside with its paddy fields and sugar palm trees is very typical for Cambodia - enjoy the beauty on a cow cart ride to Roluos Pagoda, a great and fun way to get in touch with rural Cambodia and its friendly people. Here, in a small contemporary pagoda, Buddhist monks will celebrate a private blessing ceremony for you, wishing you health and a safe journey - a very special experience!
Overnight in Siem Reap

A short transfer will bring you to the beginning of your temple exploration experience. You set out like the first explorers did on foot, trekking through the dense jungle of the magnificent temples of Angkor.
Your first destination is the city of Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8 m high wall, drawing a perfect square. Get up close with an Elephant as you will ride on its back through the South Gate to the enigmatic Bayon temple - a truly unforgettable moment. Continue to visit Bayon Temple in the exact center of the city. This 12th century masterpiece is a study in grandeur and is well-known for its 54 towers with enigmatic faces representing the 54 provinces of the Great Khmer Empire. The Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King are also must-visits as they are both known for their intricate bas-reliefs.
Walking from temple to temple is a unique way to see these magnificent ruins: glimpses of small temples can be spotted amongst dense jungle, towers appear looming overhead, and the sheer number of ruins along the way is staggering. Stop on the way for a picnic lunch. From here, find your way through the forest towards Ta Prohm temple, that children will probably enjoy the most. The 'Lara Croft' movie was set and filmed here. 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 Ta Prohm one of the most memorable of the Angkor temples. But this temple visit will not be a usual one...think Tomb Raider! You will be given a map and a roadbook and it is your task as a family to unravel a mystery inside Ta Prohm that will lead you to the final clue...
Overnight in Siem Reap

Enjoy some time at leisure to relax at the hotel or to discover Siem Reap town on your own until the transfer to the airport for your onward flight.