Private Banteay Srei and Kbal Spean Day Trip from Siem Reap

Banteay Srei is the most finely carved temple in Cambodia, and Kbal Spean is the strangest: a riverbed in the forest where the rock itself has been carved. Both sit north of the main Angkor circuit, an hour and a half from Siem Reap, so your English speaking driver/guide handles the drive and the park formalities. You start at Banteay Srei, consecrated in 967 AD and built by a Brahmin counsellor rather than a king. Its pink sandstone holds detail that would crumble elsewhere, and its lintels carry the most intricate relief carving in Khmer art. Then Kbal Spean, where a forest trail of about 1.5 km climbs to the Stung Kbal Spean river. Craftsmen carved the riverbed itself: hundreds of lingas under shallow water, with Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma cut into the rock to bless the water running down to Angkor. The trail ends at a seasonal waterfall. Entrance fees are paid on the day. Return to your Siem Reap accommodation.