Angkor, A Photographer’s Paradise

📍 Siem Reap Airport – Siem Reap (8 km): 15 mins Siem Reap – Temples (06 km): 10 mins

Welcome to Siem Reap, the charming gateway to the famed Temples of Angkor. You will be greeted by your local English speaking guide, who will accompany you to your hotel for check in. Settle in and enjoy some time at leisure to refresh.

And later this evening, Dutch fine art photographer and photojournalist Eric De Vries, will meet with you over drinks to talk about your artistic and photographic desires, questions and goals for your incredible photography tour the following day. Depending on your interests, Eric will personally tailor your excursion to certain temples or villages that will yield opportunities to create strong images, taking into account the weather and time of year. 

Eric first came to Siem Reap in 1990 and has been inspired by Cambodia and the temples of Angkor ever since. The private photo consultation and excursion around Angkor with Eric is designed for enthusiastic amateurs as well as experienced photographers and will easily be the highlight of your trip to this astonishing area. 

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

📍 Siem Reap – Temples (06 km): 10 mins

After breakfast, Eric will pick you up at your hotel by tuk tuk and take you on a full day tour of the majestic temples and countryside like no other. During the excursion, Eric will discuss different ways to think about photography and the concepts of creating powerful images, as well as answering any technical questions you might have. Eric has worked with photographers of every level from beginner to professional.

Depending on your preferences, you will explore a number of the most famous temples including Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom and the majestic Angkor Wat as well as some of the lesser known temples.

Ta Prohm, built in the mid-12th to early 13th centuries, is unique in that it has been left largely overgrown by jungle trees and vines, with many parts of the temple crumbling to the ground. This makes Ta Prohm one of the most picturesque and memorable of the Angkor temples.

The ancient city of Angkor Thom was the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8m high wall, drawing a perfect square. From here, continue to Bayon Temple in the center of the city. This 12th century masterpiece is a study in grandeur and is well-known for its multitude of towers featuring the enigmatic faces of the either the Buddha, the Bodhisattva Lokesvara, or a deified representation of King Jayavarman VII.

Built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, Angkor Wat is constructed following the model of the temple mountain symbolizing the Mount Meru, home of the gods. The divine residence of Vishnu, the King himself was to reside here after his death. Inside the temple, the walls are covered with stone carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Hindu mythology and the wars Suryavarman II fought during his reign. Moreover, Angkor Wat is well known for the more than 2,000 Apsara dancers decorating the temple. Construction is thought to have taken around thirty years of intensive labor. Today, Angkor Wat is figured on Cambodia's national flag as the temple symbolizes the soul of the Khmer people.

After your incredible photography tour of the temples you will be dropped back at your hotel to freshen up and have a little free time before being taken on an incredible evening tour by Vespa. After your pick up at the hotel you will meet in the main tourist area to show you briefly what you won’t be experiencing this evening, so that you can later on appreciate what is out there for those with a taste for adventure.

From the Pub Street comfort zone and after a refreshing Vespa ride, night has fallen and you will find yourself in the middle of the hustle and bustle of street vendors inviting you to taste a seemingly endless variety of unusual foods and fruits that offer a spectacular diversity of flavors and colors. Not all is for the fainthearted, but then of course you are not…

The next stop of the tour is at a typical local grill and drink stand where tasty snacks and drinks are served. When you look around you will see only local customers enjoying the great food that is freshly prepared right in front of your eyes.

Into the night you move to yet another part of Siem Reap town with numerous night spots that are frequented by local clientele. Our destination is a special restaurant that is hidden in plain sight between the bars and nightclubs. This restaurant boasts a local menu that stands out in quality and variety. A selection of their best specialties will be served, accompanied by drinks and local music performances.

Just when you think that this is the end of the tour you are again in for a refreshing after dinner ride on the way to the desert of the tour. Located in again another part of town you will enter a typical Cambodian style house to be introduced to the magic art of rice wine infusion with special herbs and spices. You will taste these tropical concoctions, which will be complemented by a selection of local sweets.

The presentation of a special souvenir marks the end of the tour and your driver will bring you safely to your hotel or, at your choice, drop you off in the city centre of Siem Reap. (Please note the tour is based on a shared basis with other passengers. Private tours are also available for a supplement. Please enquire with your consultant for more information.)

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Siem Reap – Tonle Sap Lake (20 km): 30 mins Siem Reap – Temples (06 km): 10 mins Siem Reap – Phnom Bok (20km): 25 mins

After an early breakfast depart for an interesting boat trip on the Tonlé Sap Lake, where you will have the opportunity to learn about life on the lake. Tonlé Sap is South East Asia’s largest freshwater lake with its size varying greatly depending on the season, as it is swelling to about four times it size during the wet season. Board a local boat and visit a village where you will see houses on stilts that are submerged when Tonlé Sap Lake extends. On the way out to the lake, you will pass impressive flooded forests and/or floating houses, portraying life on the water. (Note: Due to fluctuations in the water levels between the low and high water seasons, the village you visit will depend on the date of your visit).

On your return to Siem Reap visit the Roluos Group temples. The Roluos is the site of an ancient center of Khmer civilization known as Hariharalaya and as such the oldest temple complex of this area, dating back to the 8th and 9th century. Explore the three main temples Bakong, Preah Ko and Lolei on a short 3 km walking tour. The surrounding countryside with its paddy fields and sugar palm trees is very typical for Cambodia – enjoy the beauty on a cow cart ride to Roluos Pagoda, a great and fun way to get in touch with rural Cambodia and its friendly people. Here, in a small contemporary pagoda, Buddhist monks will celebrate a private blessing ceremony for you, wishing you health and a safe journey – a very special experience!

Return to hotel at late afternoon and free at leisure.

This evening enjoy a traditional Apsara dance performance along with dinner at the stunning Por Cuisine restaurant.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Siem Reap – Banteay Srei (37 km): 45 mins

After breakfast depart for the village of Preah Dak to explore the quiet, local market. Continue on to see the “gem” of the Angkor area, the pretty temple of Banteay Srei. The so-called “Citadel of the Women” remains the best preserved temple in Cambodia. It displays some of the finest examples of classical Khmer art as this small temple is noted for its truly remarkable fine bas-reliefs. Banteay Srei is unique in that it is constructed of pink sandstone, which is seen nowhere else in Angkor.

Lunch will be in a traditional Khmer wooden house at Bong Thom homestay, before this afternoon heading through more beautiful countryside to Chau Srei Vibol. The hilltop temple has collapsed upon itself and sees few visitors. Another great location for photography!

Later this afternoon you will head out of Siem Reap to Phnom Bok where a short trek up the mountain to the small temple at the summit provides you with incredible sunset views of the surrounding plains. Note: during green season (June-October) the trek up to the summit of Phnom Bok may not be feasible due to weather conditions, but it will be evaluated on the day to see if it will be possible.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Siem Reap - Siem Reap Airport (8 km): 15 mins

Depending on your flight departure time enjoy some time at the huge local market of Psar Leu. The food hall and surrounding is full of interesting photogenic sellers and products.

Then it’s time to wish ‘chum reap lear’ (goodbye) as you bid farewell to the Kingdom of Wonder, Cambodia.

Transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast