Kbal Spean

Kbal Spean is in the jungle to the northeast of Angkor. The river over which the bridge head exists is also known as Stung Kbal Spean, a tributary of the Siem Reap River that rises in the Kulen mountain. The river bed cuts through sandstone formations, and the many architectural sculptures of Hindu mythology have been carved within the sandstone. The archaeological site occurs in a stretch of the river starts from 150 m upstream north of the bridge head to the falls downstream. The river, being sanctified by flowing over the religious sculptures, flows downstream, bifurcating into the Siem Reap River, which eventually flows into the Tonlé Sap Lake after passing through the plains and the Angkor temple complex. The archaeological site is in the western part of the Kulein mountains. Thereafter, it is a 40-minute walk through the forest for about 1.5 kilometers uphill along a path before reaching the first site, a water, where the carved sculptures start appearing in the riverbed

Prasat Beng Mealea

Visit the most interesting temple outside the Angkor area, King Suryavarman II’s the 11th century Beng Mealea temple – a prototype for the more famous Angkor Wat. Beng Mealea Temple stands almost forgotten in the jungle and getting to the site is quite an adventure in itself. It was isolated during Cambodia’s civil war. It is the largest temple outside the main Angkor complex and in places it is remarkably intact, but in other places it is utterly destroyed; tree roots envelop many of the temple walls and doorways. The atmosphere here is eerie but a welcome contrast to the more visited temples closer to Angkor Wat. Beng Mealea shares many characteristics with Angkor Wat, but on a smaller scale. It has three encircling galleries, the same four gates and entrances, and a pair of interior libraries. It differs from Angkor Wat in having only one central tower instead of the famous five towers of Angkor Wat.