It took a little doing but we managed to squeeze in a side trip to Siem Reap at the end of our trip. Angkor Wat gets all the love, but the temple complexes in this region are vast and varied.
Of course Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom are the most well-known. They've also been the best excavated and maintained, so, despite thousands of tourists each year, the incredible structures - and more impressively, stone carvings - remain.
We approached Angkor Wat from the back side. It's a small detail, but it meant that our first views were almost completely void of other travelers - an amazing feat at such a destination. It's little touches like this that let us know our guide was truly a pro.
The detail in the stone etchings is incredible, especially after so much time has passed. They still stand out with incredibly intricate detail. Banteay Srey, with its pink sandstone, was the most impressive to me. Just imagining the simple tools these were made with is enough to boggle the mind.
We also had the chance to see Ta Prohm, which is most well-known for being featured in the movie "Tomb Raider." I failed to watch the movie before the trip, but I could still appreciate the massive jungle trees growing up and around it. This particular site is notable because it is only just now really being excavated and, in some cases, rebuilt like a puzzle. There was an entire front lawn with pieces of stone laid out, each one painstakingly numbered as archaeologists attempt to rebuild the structure.
Temple fatigue is definitely a real thing though, and by our final afternoon, we decided to bow out of our last visit to relax by the pool and get a massage. We did, after all, have a long trip home still ahead of us.
Kassandra and the Adventure Life team have been incredible! Kassandra was very knowledgeable and attentive to our asks while making sure we kept within our budget. This was our first experience with a travel agent and we were blown away by the booking/initial exploration service. We will use Adventure Life again.
Shelby Oakes
19 hours ago
Great communication and service!
Larry Haisley
21 hours ago
We had an absolutely wonderful Seychelles cruise experience. I can’t imagine having seen all the beautiful islands we saw any other way. The entire Variety cruise staff was so friendly, attentive and professional. And all the meals were amazing. I highly recommend this cruise.
Patricia Toto
1 day ago
We have told everyone we know about Adventure Life. What a great company to work with and no detail is missed. Call them for your next adventure!!
Paul Rupert
2 days ago
We received an immediate response from Kassandra who reserved our cruise as soon as she got a confirmation from us. Maria and Jess also were in touch right away.