Kbal Spean Trekking Tour with Banteay Srei and Landmine Museum
Description
Venture beyond the main temples of Angkor and experience a mix of nature, history, and culture on this private full-day tour. Begin with a scenic trek through the jungle to Kbal Spean, known for its ancient riverbed carvings, then explore the exquisite Banteay Srei Temple, visit the Cambodia Landmine Museum, and end your day at the peaceful Banteay Samre Temple. ✅ Kbal Spean (River of 1000 Lingas): Hike through lush forest to reach a sacred river where linga carvings and bas-reliefs lie beneath flowing water, believed to bless the land. ✅ Banteay Srei Temple: Marvel at the detailed pink sandstone carvings of this 10th-century temple, often called the “Jewel of Khmer Art.” ✅ Cambodia Landmine Museum: Learn about Cambodia’s modern history and the ongoing efforts to remove landmines and support survivors. ✅ Banteay Samre Temple: Explore this serene and less-visited temple, known for its elegant design and well-preserved structure.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Kbal Spean is not as breathtaking as other ancient Khmer heritage sites, but is evocative and charming. It can not at all be called a landmark, but it is one of those attractions that are unique to Cambodia, a place of magic beyond imagination. Surprisingly, Kbal Spean was found and explored not before 1969. What makes the "1000 Lingas" exceptional is that they are underwater carvings. The Lingams are at the bottom of the river bed, a few centimetres below the water level. Works of art under flowing water that is the hallmark of Kbal Spean, one more incomparable appeal of Cambodia, Kingdom of Wonder.
Most visitors asked which was the most beautiful temple they saw in Cambodia, will answer: Angkor Wat was great, but we love Banteay Srei most. And Cambodians will tell you: As long as you have not seen Banteay Srei you have not seen Cambodia. Indeed, Banteay Srei is a top candidate for a competition: Which is the nicest temple in the world? What is special about Banteay Srei, is its abundance in carvings and the perfect harmony of architectural and sculptural art. Actually, at Banteay Srei building and ornamentation is nearly undiscernable, as in the case of the best examples of fine arts in India. But in contrast to Indian masterpieces Banteay Srei is not over-ornate. It's design is discreet, more delightful than impressive. Its dimensions are modest. Most visitors are surprised, how small Banteay Srei is.
Cambodian Landmine Museum Relief Fund, founded by Canadian filmmaker Richard Fitoussi had been raising money to build a new facility.
Banteay Samre is one of the most beautiful temples in Siem Reap, Angkor. The temple boasts exquisite carvings of Hindu deities, celestial dancers, and mythical creatures adorning its entrance towers
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We offer free pick up and drop off from hotel located in Siem Reap. If your hotel is not listed please provide us your hotel name and your hotel address.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(14)
Ram was an excellent guide. He took us to several temples and the Kbal Speen trek. The temples and jungle were absolutely stunning. Ram taught us about the history of the area, the religious significance, and about Cambodian culture. He is a natural teacher and speaks English very well. I highly recommend this tour...ask for Ram!!
Our guide, Mr Ram was excellent, friendly, knowledgeable and interesting about temples as well as things we saw on the way and aspects of Cambodian life, and superb at identifying birds. The driver was careful and considerate and the car cool and comfortable. We stopped at a lovely restaurant for lunch (cost not included but was very reasonable). And then there were the sights themselves :-)! First we went to Banteay Samre which was pleasantly uncrowded. It was the first temple we visited so we can't really compare but it was nonetheless very impressive and Mr Ram explained its construction, history and the mythology behind the carvings. We then did the hike up to Kbal Spean. The walk through forested paths was lovely and the river carvings at the top interesting. Then lunch and on to Banteay Srei, a smaller temple with beautifully intricate carvings but also much more crowded with tourists. Finally we went to the Landmine Museum. It's not a smart museum presented in a modern way but none the less brings home the message of the awfulness of landmines and with a visit. Altogether the tour was a fascinating insight into Cambodian life and history.
Mr. Art who was our driver and Mr. Leap who was our tour guide were excellent. In particular, Leap holds a heap of knowledge about the Angkor period, and answered all our questions about Cambodia. I’m not much of a hiker myself, however I surprisingly enjoyed the trek to Kbal Spean. If you’re interested in seeing more Cambodian culture and history, other than what’s viewed at Angkor Wat this tour is a great option.
I had a wonderful time with Va. He was very kind, knowledgeable, and a lot of fun to be around. We had a long day with many great sights in store, and Va always kept the atmosphere light and fun. He was able to share so much information about the temples, their art and Khmer history, and not one second was boring. Plus, he’s just a very friendly guy. I would wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone in need of his services— 10/10!
We booked a Kbal Spean Trekking Tour with Banteay Srei and Landmine Museum, with Mr Sara as our guide and Mr Art as our driver. Both of them are very polite, welcoming and took good care of us. Mr Sara is very knowledgeable and patient in explaining the history and characteristics of the visit sites, and my son has a good time hiking with him at Khal Spean. He is also our kind photographer and videographer to capture the beautiful moments for memories. Strongly recommend to have them to colour your day in Siem Reap!
Interesting tour with a nice short hike to see more history of Cambodia with less tourists. The tour guide and and driver were very kind and helpful during the very hot temperatures. Pity that I forgot their names :(
Awesome temples, lots of them, reconstruction is ongoing as some are quite damaged and collapsed. Entry ticket is not so cheap, 75€ for 3, one of us kid 8yo. We had tuktuk from hotel waiting for us all the time. Sunrise tour started at 4:30 hotel pickup.
Very comfortable and nice day trip to explore Kbal Spean, Banteay Srey and its surroundings with nature features and people with temples. Our tour guide, Thiara is awesome with introducing us Cambodian history and attractions. If you're the kind of tourist who's addicted to discovering nature and immerse in history, this tour is highly recommended!
Dear Sunane C We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you very much for choosing About Cambodia Travel & Tours for holiday in Cambodia and It was such our great pleasure and honor to have our professional tour guide and driver to accompany you around all the spectacular of Tours in Cambodia. We can’t wait to serve you in the next future trip for you and your family and your friends. Thank you so much once again for spending your time to write your travel experiences with us. We commit to offer our customers valuable tour services at affordable prices in order to make their trip with unforgettable experiences with us. Have a wonderful day and stay in touch. With Best Regards, About Cambodia Travel & Tours
What a wonderful experience, Chany the tour guide was great and funny, his jokes really make my day! He was also very informative in explaining in every places. This trip is good for people who like hiking. We get to see the amazing underwater craving of the linga. Moreover we visit many deferent temples, Banteay Srey and some at grand Angkor circle. It is an unforgettable trip.
Dear Francesco We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you very much for choosing About Cambodia Travel & Tours for holiday in Cambodia and It was such our great pleasure and honor to have our professional tour guide and driver to accompany you around all the spectacular of Tours in Cambodia. We can’t wait to serve you in the next future trip for you and your family and your friends. Thank you so much once again for spending your time to write your travel experiences with us. We commit to offer our customers valuable tour services at affordable prices in order to make their trip with unforgettable experiences with us. Have a wonderful day and stay in touch. With Best Regards, About Cambodia Travel & Tours
Highly recommend this tour! Our tour guide, he was very friendly and knowledgeable. His English is great and gave us a lot of interesting facts and history throughout our tour. He never rushed us and took us to extra places, such as a stand where they make palm sugar. He was the best tour guide I had in Siem Reap. Extra bonus, he takes great pics of you!
Dear Wayne We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you very much for choosing About Cambodia Travel & Tours for holiday in Cambodia and It was such our great pleasure and honor to have our professional tour guide and driver to accompany you around all the spectacular of Tours in Cambodia. We can’t wait to serve you in the next future trip for you and your family and your friends. Thank you so much once again for spending your time to write your travel experiences with us. We commit to offer our customers valuable tour services at affordable prices in order to make their trip with unforgettable experiences with us. Have a wonderful day and stay in touch. With Best Regards, About Cambodia Travel & Tours
