The Temples of Angkor
Often the main allure of visitors to Siem Reap, the Angkor Complex comprises a selection of ancient temples that are a source of national pride and a point of pilgrimage for all Cambodian people. The best known and best-preserved site in the complex is Angkor Wat, a Hindu temple that symbolises Mt. Meru, home of the religion’s ancient gods. The largest religious building in the world, Angkor Wat is more like a city than a temple, combining symmetry and spirituality, while surrounded by a striking moat. Another highlight of the complex is Angkor Thom, once an entire walled city with a population of one million, and the Royal Capital from 1181. The centre piece is Bayon temple, crowned with 216 giant smiling faces of King Jayavarman VII. Another of Angkor’s jewels is the fig-covered Ta Phrom, built in 1186 as a Buddhist temple. One of the largest temple sites in Angkor, it took almost 80,000 people to maintain. We can arrange once-in-a-lifetime experiences at the Angkor temples– whether a sunrise breakfast as you sail along a temple moat, or a guided tour with a Khmer scholar.
Tonle Sap Lake
The largest freshwater lake in South East Asia, a boat trip on Tonle Sap invites you to experience authentic Cambodia as you pass fishermen in their trawlers - a huge amount of the country’s fish comes from the lake, making it an important commercial resource - and unique floating villages that comprise not only stilted houses, but schools, restaurants and more suspended over the water.
APOPO Visitor Centre
APOPO is a special NGO that works with African Giant Pouched Rats (also known as Hero Rats), teaching them to detect landmines and tuberculosis using their extraordinary sense of smell. APOPO’s training and research centre is based in Tanzania with over 220 people across 7 projects in 6 countries, of which Cambodia is a key site. APOPO’s Siem Reap visitor centre is located on the road to Angkor Wat and gives you the opportunity to learn about how the Hero Rats use their remarkable sense of smell to clear rural areas of landmines after decades of conflict. The Hero Rats are too light to detonate landmines so face no risk. A special behind-the-scenes experience also gives you the chance to meet the rats and their handlers to experience first-hand how they clear a mockup mine field, as well as offering a great photo opportunity together. They enjoy spacious, cool lodgings at the centre with plenty of fresh fruit and attention from their keepers. They never work for longer than 3-4 hours a day and have sun cream carefully applied to their ears and tails while on duty. They typically retire after 4 years of service.
Vespa Street Food Tour
Get ready to enjoy Siem Reap’s sensational street food as you are whisked into the hustle and bustle of the city at night. Street vendors will invite you to taste a seemingly endless variety of dishes that showcase a spectacular diversity of flavours and colours. From the comfort of your seat, behind your personal driver, take in the city’s magnificent scenery from your Vespa as you head towards your next delicious dish.
Phare Cambodian Circus
Get set to experience Siem Reap's most unique, authentic and highly rated evening entertainment. More than just a circus, Phare performers use theatre, music, dance and modern circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories; historical, folk and modern. The young circus artists - many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds - will astonish you with their energy, emotion, enthusiasm and talent.
British Airways and Thai Airways International from London Heathrow to Bangkok, with onward connecting flights to Siem Reap.
Travelling With Children or Without an Adult
Children travelling without both parents should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. Please contact the relevant Embassy for the county you are travelling to for further information.
Visa and Advance Passenger Information
All passengers must ensure they have a valid, acceptable passport, any required visa and any other documentation for both the final destination and any stop-off points en route. Please make sure that Advance Passenger Information is submitted in advance to travel for all destinations. Failure to hold correct documentation or submitting incorrect details with Advance Passenger Information or Visa applications may result in refusal of carriage or entry into a country. Please check with the relevant Embassy regarding visa requirements well in advance of your travel date. Charges may apply for some visas.
Passengers not travelling on a British Passport are advised to contact their relevant Foreign & Commonwealth office for individual Visa requirements.
For up-to-date resort information, visit www.fco.gov.uk
Health facilities, hygiene and disease risks vary worldwide and you should take health advice about your specific needs from your general practitioner or a specialist clinic as early as possible before travel. Those planning to become pregnant should discuss their travel plans with their healthcare provider to assess their risk of infection with Zika. For information about Zika, other mosquito-borne diseases (such as Dengue fever and Chikungunya), Lyme Disease (caused by tick bites), and to receive advice on mosquito bite avoidance measures, please visit Insect and tick bite avoidance.
In addition, we highly recommend that you seek specialist advice from your doctor and, where recommended, obtain vaccinations or tablets for protection against, for example: Malaria, Hepatitis A, Polio and Typhoid. In some cases, treatments for Malaria should begin well in advance of travel. Travellers may also be required to show Yellow Fever Certificates on arrival in certain destinations ie, some African countries. Please note that you are strongly advised against scuba-diving for 24 hours before travelling by air. We would also like to draw your attention to the risk of DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) and recommend that you consult with your doctor before travelling.
Visit the FCDO website and select your destination country for the very latest travel advice: Foreign Travel Advice. Additional sources of information include: Public Health England, The National Travel Health And Network Centre, Foreign And Commonwealth Office and your General Practitioner or a specialised clinic.