Today, meet your personal guide and driver and travel to the lost temple of Beng Mealea, the titanic of temples, a slumbering giant lost for centuries in the forests of Cambodia. It is the most accessible of Angkor’s lost temples, a mirror image of Angkor Wat, but utterly consumed by the voracious appetite of nature. Constructed by Suryavarman II (1113-1150), the builder of Angkor Wat, the forest has run riot here and it is hard to get a sense of the monument’s shape amid the daunting ruins. Here it is possible to enjoy an Indiana Jones experience clambering about the vast ruin. For those who want a more gentle adventure, there is also a sturdy wooden walkway running right into the heart of the temple. It is also possible to visit a nearby Angkor-era quarry from where stone was cut to build these massive monuments.

We then head into the bush to the remote Angkor capital of Koh Ker is an Angkorian site in northern Cambodia 70 miles northeast of Siem Reap; it was briefly the capital of the Khmer empire between 928 and 944 under king Jayavarman IV and his son Hasavarman II. After the Khmer empire had been established in the Angkor area (Roluos), Jayavarman IV moved the capital in 928 to Koh Ker. Here a vast number of temples were built under his reign, until his successor returned to the Angkor area about twenty years later. The Koh Ker site is dominated by Prasat Thom, a 30-meter-tall temple-mountain raising high above the plain and the surrounding forest. Great views await the visitor at the end of an adventurous climb. The area was only recently de-mined and the road improved. This makes Koh Ker very attractive for anyone who would like to experience what Angkor must has been like half a century ago. Picnic lunch at Koh Ker.

After exploring Koh Ker through the afternoon, begin the drive to Sro Em 1.5hrs, 100km, arriving this evening for a well-deserved shower and good night's rest. Accommodation: Stay 1 night at the Preah Vihear Boutique Hotel (Deluxe Room)

This morning drive further north to Preah Vihear (25km). At the foot of the mountain, change to a pickup truck which will bring you to the mountain top to the most breathtaking temple of Prasat Preah Vihear. The temple, an important pilgrim place during the Angkorian period, was built by a succession of seven Khmer Monarchs. Like other mountain temples, it was designed to represent Mount Meru and was dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. Breath in the astounding views from the cliff stretches as far as the eye can see. Drive about 2 hours to Anlong Veng.

For almost a decade this was the ultimate stronghold: home to Pol Pot and other notorious Khmer Rouge leaders. For those with an interest in contemporary Cambodian history and human being’s capacity for evil, the area’s Khmer Rouge sites are an important part of the picture. Anlong Veng, a poor dusty town today was the last territory under the Khmer Rouge rule and, to this day, the regime remains a presence in the area. Visit the house of Ta Mok, Pol Pot’s second in command, Ta Mok’s Stupa and Pol Pot’s grave. It is, rather, the life stories of local residents that offer the starkest insight into the area's dark history. Then drive back to Siem Reap 2-hours and transfer to your hotel.