Sacred Stones & Jungle Ruins: Beng Mealea and Banteay Srei

5.0 (one review) 8–9 hours Free cancellation Private tour

out of 5

one review

5.0

Sacred Stones & Jungle Ruins: Beng Mealea and Banteay Srei — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

This tour starts after breakfast at 8:00am where we will start the journey to Beng Mealea Temple. Along the way, we’ll stop at Dom Dek market to see what a local market looks like and you can see how the locals do their grocery shopping! We’ll continue our journey to Beng Mealea which is known as the “hidden jungle” temple and shares remarkable similarities with Angkor Wat. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the Cambodian Landmine Museum where we will stop along the way to Banteay Srei temple, also known as the jewel of Angkor. It’s the only temple in Cambodia which was build from red sandstone blocks.

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At a glance

Duration: 8–9 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–8
Guide: English
Operated by: Join Me Cambodia

Ages: Adults (12–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Cool water and towels
Included: Experienced English speaking local guide
Included: Air-conditioned vehicle
Included: Pick up / drop off from / at your hotel

Not included

Not included: Accommodation
Not included: All expenses are not mentioned as above
Not included: Entrance fees: Angkor temples complex
Not included: Meals
Not included: Tipping and personal expenses
Not included: Entrance fees: Cambodian Landmine Museum

Itinerary

Prasat Beng Mealea

one hour Admission not included

We’ll come and pick you up from 8:00am at your hotel and start the journey to Beng Mealea along the national road No. 6 towards Phnom Penh. About halfway along the journey, we’ll stop at Dom Dek market which is one of the most popular local markets. After exploring the market, we’ll continue our journey to Beng Mealea temple which is a large jungle temple covering an area of around one square kilometre. This temple has been largely left in ruins which adds to the feeling of a “lost temple”.

Here, you’ll see many trees literally growing through the temple which makes it a perfect spot for photographers looking to get some detailed temple photos. The temple was built in the style of Angkor Wat and it was built by the same king. Many historians believe that Beng Mealea might have served as a prototype for the world-famous Angkor Wat.
Cambodia Landmine Museum

one hour Admission not included

We’ll then stop for lunch in a local restaurant and continue our journey to Banteay Srei temple. Along the way, we’ll stop at the Cambodia Landmine Museum. Here, you can learn about how the Cambodian people have been affected by landmines as a result of decades of conflict including the genocidal Khmer Rouge, a civil war, the Vietnamese occupation and extensive bombings from the USA.

Many of Cambodia’s landmines have been cleared but there are still millions which are still affected people all over the country. There’s still a lot of work to be done.
Banteay Srei

one hour Admission not included

Finally, we’ll head to Banteay Srei which translates into English as the “Citadel of the Women”. It refers to the delicate nature of the carvings which are so fine, it’s said that they could only have been done by the hands of woman.