Angkor’s Secrets and the Siem Pang Wilderness

Arrive at Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, welcomed by an English-speaking guide and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free at leisure. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Board a vintage army-style jeep for a guided visit to Angkor Wat, the twelfth-century temple built by King Suryavarman II as a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, home of the Hindu gods. Explore its intricately carved galleries and more than 2,000 apsara carvings. Continue with an exclusive, expert-led experience into parts of the temple not usually open to visitors, guided by a specialist from the German Apsara Conservation Project, active since 1997 in partnership with the APSARA Authority to preserve Angkor Wat's carved devatas and bas-reliefs. After a safety briefing, access selected restricted areas and scaffolding for a close look at ongoing restoration work, with your participation directly supporting the project's conservation materials and tools. Lunch is served at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, continue to Ta Prohm, its walls entwined with centuries-old trees and vines, and Bayon, recognised for its 52 towers and enigmatic carved faces looking out over the former Khmer Empire. As the day winds down, board a private gondola paddle boat for a sunset cruise on the moat of Angkor Thom, with champagne, soft drinks and canapes on the twenty-minute paddle to the ruins of Prasat Chrung temple, before returning to the South Gate as evening settles in. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Board a private wooden boat for a canal journey to Tonle Sap Lake, Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake, observing daily life in its floating and stilted communities along the way. Continue to the Angkor Wildlife and Aquarium, where a welcome drink and a behind-the-scenes tour with one of the centre's marine biologists reveal the threats facing Tonle Sap's ecosystem, from habitat loss to illegal fishing and disrupted migration patterns. A donation supporting the centre's conservation work is included. Return to the hotel in the afternoon. As the sun sets, transfer to Villa Chandara, a private villa just west of Angkor Thom, for a candlelit dinner among landscaped spice gardens and surrounding rice paddies. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Depart Siem Reap for the wilds of Siem Pang, stopping en route at Koh Ker, the remote and little-visited former capital of the Khmer Empire. Explore its monumental structures, including a towering linga and the seven-story, pyramid-shaped Prasat Thom, its style a striking contrast to Angkor's temples, then climb to the top for panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. Enjoy a picnic lunch before continuing on to Siem Pang. Overnight at a wildlife lodge deep in the forests near Siem Pang, purpose-built around the conservation of Cambodia's rarest species.

Spend the day exploring the sanctuary's forests and river with the lodge's own English-speaking guide. Join a specialised outing to observe critically endangered giant and white-shouldered ibises, and watch vultures gather at a feeding site from a hide built for the purpose. In the afternoon, cruise the Sekong River, before a bush dinner under the stars. A portion of your stay supports the NGO Rising Phoenix's conservation work in the area. Overnight at the forest lodge.

Set out on a guided expedition to track some of Cambodia's rarest mammals, the endangered banteng and Siamese crocodile, through the surrounding forest and riverbanks. In between, spend time with local communities to learn about the culture and livelihoods of the region. Round off your stay in the sanctuary with a spa treatment and a session of yoga in the forest, a peaceful close to your time in Siem Pang. Overnight at the forest lodge.

After breakfast, transfer by private driver back to Siem Reap Airport for your evening flight departure, bringing your journey through Cambodia's temples and wilderness to a close.