"Go to Angkor Wat, go with World Heritage Network !!!”
I finally got to see this great place. Here are a few things that may be helpful to those considering. I went in June and it was wonderful. I was looking for a private tour and was recommended by my friends in Siem Reap to look for World Heritage Network. I hired a local guide that spoke perfect english and it was the best decision ever made. A good guide adds a lot, no matter how well you think you can do it alone, having a guide makes a lot of difference. I suggest a guided tour of the main temples byWorld Heritage Network as they provide the best guides in Siem Reap and a possible return on your own for more photos if that is your passion.
I would say that 3 days of temples is enough unless you really like temples. In that time you can see the major ones and spend more hours than you want to be on your feet. However, I strongly suggest that you not limit yourself to temples. For examples: I went on the Buffalo Trails Horse Cart half day-- and I recommend it. I think the Ox cart version would be less attractive as the roads jostle you around seriously and in the oxcart you are sitting cross legged- while in the horse cart you are sitting on a seat. This tour gets you up close and personal to the villages. Worth every penny.
Banteay Srei is worth the trip. It is as described-- exquisite!
Kbal Spean was not worth it-- at least for the stream itself. Somewhat more interesting for the walk up. May be more interesting if you go in the dry season, but when there is water, the carvings are under water. My guide said that it is better to go to the Kulen National Park to view the lingas.
Tonle Sap- I went to Kampong Phluk. The stilts are not visible but the village is very intimate. The trip out is nicer by boat than by motorcycle (dry season). The paddle trip through the drowned forest was interesting for the green light and the twisted trees but the web page promises of possible wildlife are I think overly optimistic. The side trip to Beng Mealea was not really worth the effort. The temple is not very photogenic, and there is an additional charge. Overall, it was an interesting trip and it couldn’t be better if not for my guide and the great tour organized by World Heritage Network for me. I thank you guys! Great job!
I would say that 3 days of temples is enough unless you really like temples. In that time you can see the major ones and spend more hours than you want to be on your feet. However, I strongly suggest that you not limit yourself to temples. For examples: I went on the Buffalo Trails Horse Cart half day-- and I recommend it. I think the Ox cart version would be less attractive as the roads jostle you around seriously and in the oxcart you are sitting cross legged- while in the horse cart you are sitting on a seat. This tour gets you up close and personal to the villages. Worth every penny.
Banteay Srei is worth the trip. It is as described-- exquisite!
Kbal Spean was not worth it-- at least for the stream itself. Somewhat more interesting for the walk up. May be more interesting if you go in the dry season, but when there is water, the carvings are under water. My guide said that it is better to go to the Kulen National Park to view the lingas.
Tonle Sap- I went to Kampong Phluk. The stilts are not visible but the village is very intimate. The trip out is nicer by boat than by motorcycle (dry season). The paddle trip through the drowned forest was interesting for the green light and the twisted trees but the web page promises of possible wildlife are I think overly optimistic. The side trip to Beng Mealea was not really worth the effort. The temple is not very photogenic, and there is an additional charge. Overall, it was an interesting trip and it couldn’t be better if not for my guide and the great tour organized by World Heritage Network for me. I thank you guys! Great job!
... By Jack S. Middleton, London, UK
I wasn't sure about the Sunrise visit to Angkor Wat thing but my adult Son who was traveling with me insisted that we must meet the Sun! It Is worth getting up at 4:30/ 5:00 to experience. It is a magical moment as the Sun comes up over the back of the Big Temple! As it climbs you will see the Temple reflection in the Lilly Ponds in front. The stuff of "life Experiences" So when you go...Just get up and make the Temple Sunrise! There are many other Temples and sites with in the area. There are many choices and it can get confusing. I highly suggest selecting a guide from World Heritage Network as we did to help us focus and be sure to see the key sites with limited time in Seam Reap. Based upon others before us who use Tripadvisor we consulted Rorne from World Heritage Network. He is extremely professional and helped us maximize our time at Angkor Wat. He was also able to provide us with a very good tour guide for the sites. Our guide did a great job of explaining many of the technical aspects of the sites. He also provided us the name and contact information for Phnom Penh where another excellent Guide took very good care of us for the days we were there. He also speaks very good English to maximize the experience at the Sites! It was great experience for me to keep for a long long time. A great thank you to Rorne and the guide from WORLD HERITAGE NETWORK. This is an opportunity for "Life Experiences"!
... By Harry L. Johnson, New York, USA
Angkor Wat (Angkor temple) is the central feature of this UNESCO World Heritage Site containing the magnificent remains of the Khmer civilization. Angkor Wat's rising series of five towers culminates in an impressive central tower that symbolizes mythical Mount Meru. Thousands of feet of wall space are covered with intricate carving depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. Have just had the best tour of the Angkorean Sites at Siem Reap in a guided tour by World Heritage Network. The best time to visit Angkor Wat is at sunrise. We left out Hotel at 5.30am and when we arrived to Angkor Wat it was still dark. By the time we walked from the carpark to the moat the sun was just coming up behing the Temple. Fantastic for photos. By 7.00am we had moved on to Angkor Thom and the other major temples in the area. Being there at this time was great as the crowds had not arrived and the heat was not unbearable. We returned to Angkor Wat after lunch to tour which took about 2 hours. All in a day, we spent 10 hours covering the most important temples. Our guide, Kim San was the best guide we ever seen and made us comfortable and the tour so much enjoyable and interesting. During my trip, I visited several other countries, Thailand and Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, but it was through my time in Cambodia that I fell in love with the temples there. I wished I could have stayed longer. I'm already planning to go back and will definitely be using Kim San as my tour guide again. If you visit Angkor Wat, always look for guided tour by World Heritage Network as they are the best !
...By Andier Herrmann, Berlin, Germany
