Khmer Rouge Reveal

In the early morning, our guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel in Siem Reap and transfer you to the War Museum which is just 2km away from Siem Reap. It is a unique and insightful view of the perils that Cambodia faced during the last 3 decades of the 20th century. It also gives you an excellent opportunity to learn more about what actually occurred during Cambodia’s ‘war years. We then drive to Anlong Veng (2 hours). There we visit Ta Mok’s house; Ta Mok was a Cambodian military chief and soldier who was a senior figure in the Khmer Rouge. We’ll enjoy a home-cooked meal with a local family who prepared Pol Pot. During the meal our guide will assist in interaction with this family, translating questions and answers about their life with Pol Pot.

After lunch, we’ll walk through the village to visit with different families, learning what they knew of the Khmer Rouge soldiers and they survived the civil war in 1980-the 1990s. Later we drive to the Thailand border to see Pol Pot’s tomb and return to Anlong Veng to visit a local school to learn about the Cambodian people now. Dinner will be with a local family in the village.

The next morning after breakfast, we visit the UNESCO world heritage temple of Preah Vihear (60 minutes driving). Preah Vihear Temple is a Hindu temple predating Angkor Wat for 100 years. Built in the time of Suryavarman I and devoted to the god Shiva. Perched atop a 525-meter cliff in the Dangrek Mountains near the border of Thailand, the temple offers a commanding view of its surroundings from one of the most spectacular settings of all the temples in Cambodia.

Lunch at the local restaurant and then we drive to Koh Ker, to explore these ancient temples built in the 11th century. The temple complex at Koh Ker, northeast of Siem Reap, represents the remnants of the capital of the Khmer Empire from 928 AD. – 944 A.D. under the then King Jayavarman IV and his son Hasavarman II. The Koh Ker site is dominated by Prasat Thom, a 30-meter-high mountain temple, rises above the plains and the surrounding forest. An adventurous climb rewards the visitor with great views at the end. Across the site of Koh Ker, there are many Prasat or tower sanctuaries, including several Lingas. Dinner and overnight at the campsite.

We will have an authentic breakfast at the campsite, then drive to Siem Reap. On the way, we will visit Poeung Kamnoun, where ancient statues of Hindu gods are carved on the rocks of Kulen Mountain. We will reach Siem Reap by noon, and end of services!