Today in Phnom Penh

Millennium Tour

29 December 1999  -  02 January 2025

29. December 1999

After arriving at Pochentong airport you will be escorted to the historic Hotel Le Royal where a welcome drink will be served at the Elephant Bar. You will have lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon you will start to explore Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh.

The Tour starts with a visit at  the magnificent Royal Palace, home to Cambodia�s King Sihanouk. The palace has only recently been opened to the public and its imposing golden spires and glittering throne room make it an impressive spectacle. Adjoining the palace is the silver pagoda, which is fronted by Italian marble and houses an emerald Buddha.  You can spend as much time as you wants at  the palace complex, marveling at the buildings, walking through the landscaped gardens or studying a vast mural depicting the ancient Hindu epic the Ramayana.  Afterwards you'll see the National Museum. Built in traditional Khmer style in 1917 it houses some fine sculpture and an extensive collection of artifacts from the Angkorian period.

If time allows you may have time to explore one of the city�s markets where you can find intricately carved opium pipes and old indochinese coins among the piles of exotic spices, fruits and vegetables.

In the evening it's about time to explore one of the local restaurants on the Mekong River where you can experience the great taste of the local food.

30. December 1999

After breakfast you will fly to Siem Reap, the ancient Angkorian capital. Our experienced guide will escort you to the beautiful Grand Hotel D�Angkor. This historic hotel first opened in 1929 to serve the increasing number of tourists traveling to see the mysterious Angkor Wat. Enjoy a drink at the conservatory Bar and then begin by visiting some of the earliest surviving temples in Cambodia.

Hariharalaya (last Kingdom before Angkor 9^th century):

• Preah KO, 879 AD: King Indravarman I. The funerary temple of king Jayavarman II and his predecessors, enclosed within a moat of 400 by 500 meters. The foundation stele (an inscribed monolith) tells of the genealogy of Indravarman I, with reference to the cult of the king, and the foundation date of three statues of Shiva and Devi in 879 AD. The other face of inscription dates from 893 AD under the reign of Yasovarman I and describes certain dedications. The temple still has a large area of moulded stucco remaining intact.
  

• Bakong, 881 AD: King Indravarman I. A temple mountain enclosed by a laterite wall and two moats, the outer of which measures about 900 by 700 meters. The third such a temple after Ak Yum and Rong Cheng and the first to make extensive use of sandstone. The stele tells of the foundation of the linga (a stone phallus, representative of Shiva) in 881 AD. The brick towers have finely detailed sandstone elements and some remnants of stucco moulding. The central sanctuary in the Angkor Wat style, which was probably built two centuries after the main temple, was resurrected from a pile of rubble between 1936 and 1943.
  

• Lolei, 893 AD: King Yasovarman I. Lolei is worth a visit just for its exquisite carvings and inscriptions which some consider to be the finest of the Roluos Group. To appreciate the setting of this temple you must imagine that the temple was originally located in the center of a great Baray (water reservoir). According to an inscription found at the temple, the water in this pond was for use at the capital of Hariharalaya and for irrigating the plains in the area.

Return to the hotel and have lunch at the Le Caf� d�Angkor.

Afternoon

• Angkor Wat, first half of 12^th century: King Suryavarman II. The largest of the Angkor group and one of the most intact, is an architectural masterpiece. Its perfection in composition, balance, proportions, relief's and sculpture make it one of the finest monuments in the world. This temple is an expression of Khmer art at its highest point of development. Some believe Divakarapandita, the chief adviser and minister of the king, who was a Brahmin with divine honors, designed Angkor Wat. The Khmers attribute the building of Angkor Wat to the divine architect Visvakarman. Construction probably began early in the reign of Suryavarman II and because his name appears posthumously in the bas-reliefs and inscriptions it is believed that Angkor Wat was completed after his death. The estimated time for construction of the temple is about 30 years. Enjoy the serenity and the sunset at Angkor Wat.

 First Angkor capital (King Yasovarman, 889-900):

	Phnom Bakheng, end of 9th century: Soon after Yasovarman I became king in 889 AD, he decided to move the capital northwest from Roluos, where his predecessor reigned, to the area known as Angkor. He named his new capital Yasodharapura, and build Bakheng as his state temple. The temple was cut from the rock that formed the natural hill and faced with sandstone.
Enjoy the sunset with a great view over the surrounding landscape.

31. December 1999
Morning: Breakfast

Kingdom of Jayavarman VII (1181-1219):

• Southern Gate of Angkor Thom: The stone causeway across the board moat surrounding the city of Angkor Thom with their unique gopuras, are one of the great sights at Angkor. The Southern Gate is flanked by a row of 54 stone figures on each side - gods to the left and demons to the right - to make a total of 108 mythical beings guarding the gate to the city.

• Bayon, late 12^th century: The Bayon vies with Angkor Wat as the favourite monument among visitors. The temple was build nearly 100 year after Angkor Wat. While its basic structure and earliest part of the temple are unknown, it is clear that the Bayon was built on top of an earlier monument, that the temple was not built at one time, and that it underwent a series of changes. The Bayon of today with his huge central tower dates to the 13^th century and belongs to the third phase of the art style.

Third Angkor capital (11^th century):

• Baphuon, middle of 11^th century: The massive size and grandeur of the Baphuon is unrecognizable today because much of the temple has either collapsed or been dismantled.
  

• Phimeanakas, early 11^th century: King Rajendravarman II. The temple, located inside the Royal Palace compound, was the temple where the king worshipped. It must originally have been crowned with a golden pinnacle, as the Chinese traveler, Zhou Daguan, described it as the "Tower of Gold". This temple is associated with a legend that tells of a gold tower inside the Royal Palace of Angkor the Great, where a serpent-spirit with nine heads lived. The spirit appeared to the king disguised as a woman and the king had to sleep with her every night in the tower before he joined his wives and concubines in another part of the palace. If the king missed even one night it was believed he would die.
  

• Northern & Southern Khleang, beginning 11^th century: It is mainly believed that the two buildings have been storehouses. But other sources are saying that these buildings have been reception halls for receiving foreign dignitaries.
  

• Kingdom of Jayavarman VII (1181-1219):

• Elephant Terrace & the Terrace of Leper King, end of 12^th century: These terraces probably supported wooden pavilions from where the king and his court sat and viewed the activities and the people assembled below. 

Afternoon

Relax and enjoy for a well-deserved rest at the hotel�s swimming pool.

In the late afternoon you start to prepare for the gala New Year�s Eve celebration and the historic beginning of a new millennium. Enjoy cocktails while being entertained with Khmer music and cultural dances. A lavish gastronomic feast awaits you along plenty of champagne to propel you into the 21st Century. The gala Dinner will be served dinner at Angkor Wat. 

1. January 2000

Celebrate the dawn of the new millennium with a special breakfast at the Preah Khan temple. Treat your self to champagne and breakfast while watching the sunrise over the temple�s beautiful moat. Enjoy the richly decorated bas-reliefs depicting Buddhist motifs and Hindu epics, while being entranced by Apsara dancers and traditional music. Return to the hotel and relax or visit one of the most beautiful temple of...

•  Banteay Srei, 967 AD: The enchanting temple of Banteay Srei is nearly everyone's favorite site. The special charm of this temple lies in its remarkable state of preservation, small size and excellence of decoration. It was build by a Brahmin of royal descent who was a spiritual teacher to Jayavarman V. A special feature of the exquisite decoration was the use of hard pink sandstone. Return to the hotel for lunch.

Afternoon

• Afternoon boat trip on Tonle Sap Lake. Driving south from Siem Reap you pass rice fields and small villages, where you can see waterwheels being used pump water into the fields and pound rice.   Arriving on the shores of Tonle Sap Lake, you board a small boat to explore the floating Vietnamese fishing villages complete with schools, restaurants, shops and even a hospital, all moored in the middle of this massive lake.  Giant fish cages (where fish are reared by the million) dot the waterscape as the lake acts as a giant overflow for the Mekong River expanding to cover twice its normal area in the height of the monsoon season. This occurs when the Tonle Sap River, which normally flows into the Mekong, actually reverses its flow filling the lake.  The villages surrounding the lake support their houses on stilts and then physically move them to the waters edge according to the season.

2. January 2000

After breakfast and checking �out of the hotel, you will be accompanied to Siem Reap airport. You will fly back to Phnom Penh and take the connecting flight to...

Included: Hotel accommodation in twin room with full board as mentioned in program; excursion and transfers by private vehicles with English specking local guide; entrance tickets on site; domestic flights Phnom Penh-Siem Reap r/t; airport-tax domestic flights.

Gala dinner at Angkor Wat temple; Champagne breakfast at Preah Khan temple at New Year�s day; all cocktails as mentioned in program.

Not included: Visa fee ($US 20); international airport tax ($US20); video/camera fee; drinks and personal expenses, insurances; international flight.

Accommodation: Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh & Grand Hotel D�Angkor in Siem Reap (both hotel are owned by Raffles International).

Price:

Deposit Requirement & Payment:

60% of the total price of the package for each room is required for confirmation. 
Rest of payment 30 days before arrival (29 November 2024).

Cancellation Policy: 
1. If the cancellation is due to the political situation and you advice us 90 days prior arrival (29. December 1999) � full refund.
2. If LOLEI TRAVEL (CAMBODIA) is advised of the cancellation 30 days prior arrival (29. December 1999) � 50% refund.
3. If LOLEI TRAVEL (CAMBODIA) is advised of the cancellation less than 30 days prior arrival (29 December 2024) � deposit is forfeited.