Full-Day Tour Of Koh Ke & Preah Vihear Temples In Siem Reap

Preah Vihear temple

Highlights

Visit Koh Ker Temple

See Preah Vihear Temple

Take a look at Ta Mok's house

Siem Reap

rural, cultural, historical

Group Tour

1 Day

Easy

English

Description

Marvel at the remote temples of Koh Ker and Preah Vihear on this full-day tour. Koh Ker is a seven-tiered pyramid-style temple unlike any other temple built by the Angkor Kings, and see Preah Vihear Temple sits on top of a 500m cliff. Also, visit the house of Ta Mok, the Cambodian military chief and a senior figure in the Khmer Rouge.

Itinerary

Koh Ke & Preah Vihear Temples
- Start this adventurous tour with a drive to Koh Ker, about 120km from Siem Reap town and the famous Angkor archaeological site. Koh Ker is a 10th-century temple complex located in the northern jungles of Cambodia. The former capital of the Khmer Empire, this fascinating temple complex was built during the reigns of Kings Jayavarman IV and Harshavarman II. There are about 40 temples partly overgrown by the forest to explore within the complex. The most impressive of these is Koh Ker Temple’s, a 7-tiered pyramid temple that stands 36 meters high.
- After a short break, continue the tour to Preah Vihear Temple. This ancient Hindu temple was built during the 9th century and was dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. The temple is situated on top of a 525-meter cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains. Until recently, Preah Vihear was not accessible to tourists. This was due to a conflict of ownership between Cambodia and neighbouring Thailand. After many years of fighting between the two countries, it was eventually decided by the International Court of Justice in the Hague that the temple complex belongs to Cambodia.
- Have lunch and head to the house of Ta Mok. Ta Mok was born in 1926 and was a Cambodian military chief and a senior figure in the Khmer Rouge. He was well known at the time as “Brother Number 5” and is believed to have orchestrated many massacres during the Khmer Rouge period, earning his nickname “The Butcher”. Ta Mok died in 2006, but his house has become a tourist attraction to remind people of the atrocities caused during the reign of terror caused by the Khmer Rouge.