Best Siem Reap Adventure with Elephant Tour 1 Week

Program Detail

Day 1 | Siem Reap – Arrival & Cultural Apsara Show

Meal: Dinner
Upon your arrival at Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, you will be greeted by our friendly driver then transfers directly to a booked hotel for check in and have your own free time.

Evening around 6.15pm, we leave to enjoy delicate Khmer set dinner followed by traditional Apsara dance performance at a selected local restaurant.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Day 2 | Fully Guided Angkor Discovery

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast is at hotel.
*Sunrise is available upon request (surcharge) and starting time is at 4.30am.

We’re journeying out (tuk tuk or car/minivan) of hotel at 8.00am the South Gate of Angkor Thom atop 4 giant faces that religiously represents compassion, sympathy, equanimity and charity. Stroll around Bayon temple consisting of more than 200 smiling faces in stone, admired by interesting temples including Baphuon, Phimeanakas, terrace of leper king and terrace of elephant. Resume the journey to visit Ta Prohm temple adorned with the stunning, amazing tree roots where Lara Croft Tomb Raider was filmed.

Enjoy Khmer set lunch at a selected local restaurant near temple.

Afternoon, continue to witness the marvelous Angkor Wat – the world’s heritage listed by UNESCO in 1992 and the largest unrivaled monument in the world. Built by Suryavarman II in 12th Century, Angkor Wat is considered as one of the top destinations in Asia and is a must-see in your lifetime. Learning from your tour guide the amazing history, its ancestral incredible, architectural masterpieces and the finest carvings dates back to the Khmer Empire when it dominated the largest parts of Southeast Asia.

Note: Visiting beautiful sunset is available at Phnom Bakheng, please speak to our tour guide to manage this for you. This is a hiking up (Approx. 30 minutes/way) to the hill and it’s always touristy or skip it if you feel tired.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Day 3 | Wildlife Sanctuary, Kbal Spean Trekking & Beng Mealea Jungle Temple

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast is at hotel.
We start at 7.45am then drive passing ruined Angkorian temples, rice paddies and countryside toward wildlife sanctuary “Angkor Center for Conservation of Biodiversity” whose wildlife expert will give you a great tour to learn about wildlife/birds being protected and how they rescue those rare endangered species. We challenge trekking up with 45 minutes, through rooting/rocky path to see the series of sandstone formation carved under the river, which was built during Angkor period. We stroll around the riverbed of 1000 linga carvings admired small river and its waterfall (seasonal) and learn from your tour guide about Angkorian history then you can bathe under the falls if you visit it at the end of the rainy season.

Enjoy Khmer set lunch at a selected local restaurant near temple.

Afternoon, we continue to visit Beng Mealea temple hidden amongst the stunning vegetation. We walk to experience the guided adventure within the lush jungle to reveal the lost temple “Beng Mealea”. Since the temple was constructed during the reign of king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century until then it’s never been restored again. It provides wonderful adventure that you’re going to climb over/down the ruined rocks, walking into the gallery to unlock the carvings and its interesting history of the Hindu temple related Angkor time. We then tranquilly capture picturesque photos before we make our way back to the hotel in the evening.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Day 4 | Phnom Kulen Waterfalls & Beautiful Banteay Srei Temple

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast is at hotel.
We leave hotel at 8.30am, heading out of the hassle Siem Reap city to visit one of Cambodia’s national parks – popularly known as “Phnom Kulen” where you meet famous, beautiful waterfalls. Phnom Kulen (Mountain of Lychee) situates about 57km with approx. 1 hour drive, Phnom Kulen is regarded as the holy mountain for religious significance to Hindus and Buddhists and was the significant home of the ancient Khmer Empire when King Jayavarma II proclaimed independence from Java in 804 CE. The journey provides nice views of rice paddies, countryside dotting with palm trees and cattle. We will stroll at Preah Dak village to observe local people making the famous steaming-rice cake which hides coconut milk inside that you have a chance to grab a few bites before continuing to Phnom Kulen.

Enjoy the walking tour to see the giant reclining Buddha statue on the hilltop along with breathtaking, spectacular views and learn from your tour guide about historical site. Resume walking within the jungle to observe the sacred ground-pool before we head to relax near the waterfall. From then, it is your own free time for cooling down, swimming and enjoying local lunch followed by fresh coconut juice.

Late afternoon, we go to witness the intricately carved, beautiful red-pink sandstone temple of Banteay Srei – considered to be a Jewel of Khmer art which features elaborate decorations and its finest details. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as a “precious gem”. We drive back to Siem Reap and on the way, we stop for a visit at palm sugar village and other various local handicraft souvenirs (skip it if you feel enough for today).

Overnight in Siem Reap

Day 5 | Bike to Countryside & Tonle Sap Lake

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast is at hotel.

Start at 8.00am with briefing bike ride introduction, we then gently start riding out of the hassle Siem Reap city with highlight of activities. The ride will be on the paved road about 7km passing Buddhist pagoda & school before we cycle along dirt road through local villages, see Khmer stilt houses, rice fields, vegetable gardens and you will be welcomed by kids saying “Hello” to you. The fantastic bike ride takes you to see authentic Cambodia while you’re riding pass to interact local people, visit local market, have a lot of stop to take beautiful photos of huge rice paddies dotting with palm trees, cows and water buffaloes.

Once we arrive in a village, you will be introduced to a host family before we have some fun on the oxcart ride through the village to get interaction. Disembark the cart, enjoy welcome fresh coconut juice from the host family and take lunch break or you can stroll around the family house to see animals and witness local daily life.

After enjoying lunch break, we say goodbye to the host family then continue the bike ride to Mechrey village of Tonle Sap Lake. Embark a sheltered boat for the excursion to see The Great Lake of Tonle Sap which the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia. The boat trip slowly cruises along the canal then passing by floating school, floating houses which animated by some fishing activities. Our tour guide will explain you about Tonle Sap ecosystem and witness how life works in the floating community relying on aquatic resources, and we stop to see a small floating crocodile farm, souvenirs shop and stroll around Buddhist pagoda. Take the boat back to the mainland and ride back to hotel.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Day 6 | Kulen Elephant Forest (share-tour)

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast is at hotel.

Our driver (no guide) will pick you up at 7.40am from hotel’s lobby then transfers to Kulen elephant forest’s office in Siem Reap town. Next, the shuttle minivan will leave at 8.00am with an hour drive to the Kulen Elephant forest which locates at the base of Kulen Mountain range.

Once at the reserve, you will spend time to learn from the local tour guide to get understanding the way of elephants live, play and roam as well as knowing how they are being well taken care mostly through their natural habitat, observing their relationships and behaviors. At noon, retire to base camp and enjoy a traditional meal before heading back to Siem Reap (approx. 2.00pm).

You will then get picked up by our driver from Kulen elephant forest’s office to hotel.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Day 7 | Siem Reap – Departure

Meal: Breakfast
Breakfast is at hotel.
Simply enjoy the rest of free time in Siem Reap before our team picks you up from hotel’s lobby and transfers to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport for your flight to the next destination.

*Thank You and Goodbye to Beautiful Cambodia

*You may consider to see or do one of suggested activities because Siem Reap truly offers much more to be explored from rural villages of involving exotic village activities, oxcart ride, more interesting things to see and a lot of fun things to do such as countryside quad bike to hunt the beautiful sunset, sunrise balloon near Angkor Wat temple, Angkor zipline in Angkor Archaeological Park etc.