Siem Reap - Kbal Spean, Banteay Srei & Banteay Samre

After one day of cycling tour around Angkor Wat, we decided to rest our legs and go for tuk-tuk service during our second day of temple hopping tour :P 

We are travelling away from town this time, around 50km away from town centre! Kbal Spean, well-known as "River with thousands lingas" where there are cravings on the river bank and beds! 

On the tuk-tuk :) From city centre, we passed by villages, go into jungles, before we got to breathe in air from Kbal Spean :P

Hello buffaloes! 

Lovely blue sky! We had good weather that day, best for hiking!

We had to complete a 1500m jungle walk before we got to see the amazing "River of thousands lingas". Oh ya, there is a mini waterfall in the jungle too! So it is better to bring along your swimsuit if you would like to dip into the refreshing cold water after the hike!

After around 1.5hours of tuk-tuk journey, we reached the trail entrance! 

Tips: There is a public toilet at the trail entrance, this is the ONLY public toilet in this area as there is no any public toilet in the jungle. 

Walked into the jungle and we once had a thought that we are entering into a butterfly farm! There are so many different kinds of butterfly flying around in the jungle!

We are here! Cravings on river banks really wowed us!

It is quite sad to notice that some cravings were stolen...

We had fun walking along the river, hunt for different cravings on the stones!

The hidden gem :)

There is only one trail up and one trail down (the same trail). So it is safe to hike and you don't need to worry about getting lost LOL :P

On the way down from the hill, there is a mini waterfall. When we were there, we bumped into a group of local kids, having fun splashing water at each other :) The best natural playground :)

After Kbal Spean exploration, our next destination was Banteay Srei! 

Banteay Srei, a temple built largely of red sandstones. It is famous among tourists despite its distance from the city centre.

Miniature cravings at Banteay Srei! Cravings here are so detailed that you can see expression of the characters clearly!

We are so blessed with the good weather :) 

Besides cravings, Banteay Srei is actually surrounded by paddy field! Just follow the signboard and we had great time walking on rural paths surrounded by paddy fields!

So green ~~

Banteay Samre :)

After Banteay Srei, our tuk-tuk driver dropped us at Banteay Samre, which is just some distance away from Banteay Srei :) 

Every temple carries their very own stories~~ we loved story about the sun and moon at Banteay Samre. Yes, it would be more fun if you found it out here by yourself!

Love this photogenic spot at Banteay Samre :)

We called it a day after Banteay Samre :) A leisure day for us, sitting on a tuk-tuk and let the driver brought us along :P 

We bumped into a group of cyclists at Kbal Spean! They cycled all the way from city centre! So nothing is impossible in this world LOL :P

Tips for Kbal Spean:

i) Sunblock and mosquito repellent is necessary since you would trek into the jungle.

ii) Pack along some snack and water to keep your body hydrated.

iii) Light attire :)

iv) A good trekking / gripping shoes.

Recommendation: 

Kbal Spean (Strongly recommended to pay a visit if you have time :) Kbal Spean is different with other temples. Cravings are made on real river beds and banks! Unlike other temples built by humans, Kbal Spean is "built" by mother nature).