Page 63 - Asia 2021 Catalog

is no longer the case, but there is in any case the possibility of meeting the Irrawady river dolphins. The town
is large enough to have a couple of acceptable hotels and good restaurants with European cuisine. At the
time of the colonies it was the capital of the whole north of the country and the traces of this period are visible
everywhere in the form of streets and residences of the rubber lords and markets with all the goods that
remind us a little of our emporiums of a time But also many traditional Khmer houses remind us of the ancient
glories of this river market. We leave to visit the part of the river where the greatest number of dolphins are
grouped and a boat ride to be able to better approach and admire these rare mammals, if the weather does
not allow it, the excursion will take place the following morning. Visit the Phnom Sombok Temple until
sunset on the Mekong River.

Day 4 – Kratie – Pre Vihear.
Breakfast in Hotel..
We head towards the Pre Vihear area. The territory on which the temple stands was long disputed between
Cambodia and Thailand until, in 1963, an international court attributed it
to Cambodia. The location of the temple, exactly on the crest of the
mountain, from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Cambodia,
Thailand and even Laos, places it in a category absolutely separate from
all Khmer temples. The temple consists of a large complex built on four
levels that includes five entrance pavilions (Gopura) and a royal residence
with two wings, which probably also served as a refuge for pilgrims.
Between one Gopura and the other there are long courtyards flanked by
the Nagas and next to one of them is the large water cistern that served
pilgrims and the inhabitants of the temple. The construction of the whole
complex lasted for over two hundred years starting from the end of the ninth century, a period in which Ko
Ker was the capital of the Khmer kingdom (921-942). In 2004, the government of Phnom Phen
inaugurated a new road from the valley floor that joins the old road built by the Khmer Rouge in the mid-
1980s in the middle of the civil war, making access to the temple relatively easy even from the Cambodian
side. The excursion to the Prasat Phre Viher Temple will be truly unique and unforgettable.
Lunch in a local restaurant and free dinner. Overnight.

Day 5 - Pre Vihear – Ko Ker – Beng Melia – Siem Reap.
Breakfast in Hotel.
Departure and continuing, we then arrive at Ko Ker, which is another complex consisting of many temples
and monasteries, the most important of which contains a large
pyramid with seven steps that leaves us very perplexed by the
similarity with other sites, of the same period , many thousands of
miles away. Ko Ker was the capital of the Khmer empire for about
twenty years, in the 9th century. Now many of the ruins are
immersed in the jungle and being still little visited, they manage to
convey that particular charm that astounded visitors a few decades
ago. Another seventy kilometers from Siem Reap is the large
Complex of Beng Melea: a temple with an adjoining monastery immersed in the jungle, covering an area
of over one square kilometer. Built in the same style and by the same king who built Angkor Wat, according
to many it may even have been a prototype of the great temple. Since it has no bas-reliefs, it is believed that
it may have been all frescoed both inside and outside. With the exception of the Ta Phrom, this complex
offers the best shots of greenery and large trees integrated into the temple. We then continue towards Siem
Reap. Lunch during the excursion.
Free dinner and overnight stay.

Day 6 – Siem Reap.
Breakfast in hotel.
Departure for the visit to the pre-Angkorian structures of the Rolous complex, located about 15 km from
the town, towards the south-east. The temples of Prae Ko, Bakong and Lolei are the main and the first to
have been built in the area in the ninth century, they represent the link between the Kingdom of Chenla,

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