Full-Day Temple Tour in Siem Reap with Kbal Spean and Banteay Srei

To enhance your experience and preserve Angkor for generations to come, we kindly urge you to observe the following points:

• Dress code: Revealing clothes such as shorts and skirts above the knees, as well as bare shoulders, are prohibited in sacred places. Respectful dress is strongly encouraged in Angkor.

• Monuments: Touching carvings, sitting on fragile structures, leaning on temple structures, moving or taking archaeological artifacts, and graffiti are strictly prohibited. Backpacks, umbrellas with sharp tips, tripods, and high heels are discouraged inside the temples.

• Sacred sites: As Angkor is a sacred site, loud conversations, noise, and other inappropriate behaviour in Cambodian culture are considered offensive and may disturb other visitors. Please remain calm and respectful.

• Restricted areas: For your own safety and the conservation of Angkor, please comply with all signs on site and watch your step at all times. Do not climb on loose stones.

• Smoking and littering: As a World Health Organization member, Angkor has been a smoke-free site since 2012. Smoking disturbs others, and cigarettes can start bush fires. To protect the environment, please do not smoke or litter.

• Candy or money to children: Buying items from children or giving them candy or money encourages them not to attend school but to beg. If you wish to help, please consider donating to a recognized charity.

• Monks: Monks are revered and respected. If you want to take pictures, please ask for permission first. Women should not touch, stand, or sit too close to monks.

• Note: A medium level of fitness is required for the 3 km round trek in the jungle. Wear sturdy shoes and bring a rucksack for water.

Places to visit:

• Go to Kbal Spean, an Angkorian-era archaeological site on the southwest slopes of the Kulen Hills to the northeast of Angkor. It is situated along a 150 m stretch of the Stung Kbal Spean River, 25 kilometres from the main Angkor group of monuments. The site consists of a series of stone carvings in sandstone formations carved into the river bed and banks. It is commonly known as the 'Valley of a 1000 Lingas' or 'The River of a Thousand Lingas'. The motifs for the stone carvings are mainly myriads of lingams (the phallic symbol of the Hindu god Shiva), depicted as neatly arranged bumps covering the surface of the sandstone bedrock and lingam-yoni designs. There are also various Hindu mythological motifs, including depictions of the gods Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi, Rama, Hanuman, and animals such as cows and frogs.

• Drive to Banteay Srei Temple. This pink sandstone temple was built by King Rajendravarman V in the late 10th century. The walls of Banteay Srei are densely covered with some of the most beautiful, deep, and intricate carvings of any Angkorian temple.

• Visit Banteay Samré, a temple located east of the East Baray. It was built under Suryavarman II and Yasovarman II in the early 12th century. This Hindu temple is in the Angkor Wat style. Named after the Samré, an ancient people of Indochina, the temple uses the same materials as Banteay Srei.