Siem Reap to Phnom Kulen Sacred Mountain Private Day Tour

Phnom Kulen is where the Khmer Empire began: in 802 AD Jayavarman II declared himself universal monarch on this plateau, four centuries before Angkor Wat. It is two hours north east of Siem Reap on rough road, so your English speaking driver/guide handles the drive and the park formalities. You climb into Phnom Kulen National Park and up to Preah Ang Thom, a mountaintop pagoda where an eight metre reclining Buddha is carved from a single sandstone boulder and pilgrims still come to worship. Below it runs the River of a Thousand Lingas, where the riverbed under shallow water is covered in eleventh century carvings cut to bless the water flowing down to Angkor. Then the Phnom Kulen waterfall, a two tier fall dropping into a forest pool you can swim in. The day ends at a viewpoint over the plateau. Entrance fees are paid on the day. Return to your Siem Reap accommodation in the evening.