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The glorious temple of Angkor Wat was rediscovered in 1908. Since that time, thousands have flocked to Siem Reap, the center of the former Angkor Empire and home to hundreds of temples and lost cities. They have discovered as you will, the mysteries that this spot on the planet holds for many. Experience a traditional floating villages and markets as you make your way on the Tonle Sap, Asia's largest freshwater lake. There will be time to stop and shop, too!...

The glorious temple of Angkor Wat was rediscovered in 1908. Since that time, thousands have flocked to Siem Reap, the center of the former Angkor Empire and home to hundreds of temples and lost cities. They have discovered as you will, the mysteries that this spot on the planet holds for many. Experience a traditional floating villages and markets as you make your way on the Tonle Sap, Asia's largest freshwater lake. There will be time to stop and shop, too!...

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Sprawling jungle temple covering over one square kilometer, the temple is largely overrun by vegetation and very lightly touristed, giving it an adventours, ‘lost temple’ feel. Photographers: trees growing from the broken towers and galleries offer some of the best ‘tree in temple’ shots aside from Ta Prohm. Constructed in a distinctly Angkor Wat style under the same king that built Angkor Wat, Beng Melea preceded and may have served as a prototype of sorts for Angkor Wat. Though there are some lintel and doorway carving, there are no bas-relief and the carvings are comparatively sparse....

Jayavaraman II was the first king of the Angkorian era, though his origins are recorded in history that borders on legend. He is reputed to have been a Khmer prince, returned to Cambodia around 790AD after a lengthy, perhaps forced stay in the royal court in ‘Java’. Regardless of his origin, he was a warrior who, upon returning to Cambodia, subdued enough of the competing Khmer states to declare a sovereign and unified ‘Kambuja’ under a single ruler. He made this declaration in 802AD in a ceremony on Kulen Mountain (Phnom Kulen) north of Siem Reap, where he held a ‘god-king’ rite that remain more than hundred decades....