Thanks for all your previoius tips and suggestions. Trying to put it all together here. Still a little confused about a good flow of events and effcient movement from place to place. Too much? What did I forget? Please add some "take a peek since you are already there" comments.

DAY ONE

Arrive early evening on night before

MORNING: 0730 START
South Gate of Angkor Thom
Central Angkor Thom
- Bayon - Giant Face Carvings
- Baphuon
- Phimeanakas
- Terrace of the Elephants
- Terrace of Leper King - notable artistry/carvings

LUNCH: Return to Hotel at 1200 for lunch/Swim/massage

AFTERNOON: 1500 start
- Victory Gate
- Thommanon
- Ta Keo (short visit)
- Ta Prohm - Trees growing from temple ruins

- Sunset at Angkor Wat

DINNER: Dead Fish Tower with free Apsara show (not a huge one).

After Dinner Drink: Molly Malone's?

DAY TWO

MORNING: 0730 Start

- Landmine Museum
- Banteay Srey: notable artistry/ carvings
- Banteay Samre
- East Mebon

LUNCH: Blue Pumpkin or Khmer Kitchen

AFTERNOON:
Explore and Shop at Old Market Area

- tour/visit at Artisans d'Angkor
- visit Colors of Cambodia
- visit Carnets d'Asie

- Sunset at Phnom Bakheng
*** Make reservation for Elephant Ride to top?

DINNER: Red Piano
After Dinner Drinks
Massage: Frangiapani(alley off pub street).

DAY THREE

MORNING: 0730 START

Prasat Kravan
Banteay Kdei - Trees growing from temple ruins
Srah Srang

AFTERNOON

Boat trip on the Tonle Sap

Sunset at Angkor Wat

DINNER: FCC

DAY FOUR

Suggestions? Last minute shopping?

- visit government schools with Khmer teachers
Ponheary Ly Foundation

LUNCH: Butterfly Garden
Sunset?
DINNER?
Pub Street?

Have you booked a guide?

I think that Day One has waaaay too many temples. It's too much for one day, especially your first day.

IMO spend 1/2 of each day at the temples, and the remainder either at a school with the PLF, Tonle Sap, shopping, etc., maybe returning to Angkor Wat or to Pre Rup for sunset at the end of the day.

It all depends on your level of interest in the temples. We were there for a week, and spent both mornings and afternoons at the temples with a half day at Tonle Sap and stops at various other places.

I recommend you plan, but that you allow yourself to be flexible. So, if one day, you are "done" with temples after half a day, then fill in the afternoon with other activities. If you find a temple that fascinates you, or a place where you can be alone in the silence of the ruins, allow yourself to enjoy it.

I'm not sure the first day is too much. You can walk to all the other places from the Bayon. However, on my last trip, I visited these sights in the late afternoon, very close to sunset, and it was magical. It was also almost deserted, since most people visit in the morning, like you.

I thought I had heard somewhere that they were stopping elephant rides up to Bakeng - it's getting too degraded.

Have you considered sunrise at Angkor Wat? Also I got very frustrated with tourists wanting to be photographed in front of every tree at Ta Prohm so next time I'm planning a very early visit.

Also I would recommend a trip to Beng Mealea which can be done in conjunction with Banteay Srey. (It was the site for the recent film "Two Brothers".)

Depending on what time of the year you are going, don't be afraid of starting earlier than 7.30. Some days it does get hot!

There are two Artisans d'Angkor's. One is the carving, painting, handicraft place in Siem Reap itself and the other is the silk farm about 16 kms out of town. Both worth a visit and, if you are like me, will probably be an opportunity to shake the dust off the credit card!

Day one is a lot, but it depends on you and your stamina and what you like. My daughter (25 at the time) and I had a day similar to that - I think it was our second day. When we came back for lunch, she said she was "done" for the day, had gotten "templed out", and wanted to just hang around the hotel/pool while I went back out for more temple touring and sunset. Worked fine for both of us! So, regarding whether day 1 is too much... depends on you. If you think you can do it, go for it - you can always cut back at the time if you get tired.
Karen

Woof! What a schedule! I vote for the approach that says: "Life is what takes place when you're busy making other plans":

In my opinion 3-days is just about right for seeing all the temples of interest. Hire a driver (possibly the same driver who takes you to your hotel from the airport), and let him take you around -- according to his discretion. A good, local driver knows when to arrive at places AGAINST the flow of the tour buses; so that you get to see the sights without have to fight the hoards -- something the rest of us can't possibly orchestrate from the comfort of our home countries. He also knows where to eat right there in Angkor, how to maximize your time, and what to do in your off hours after you've seen the temples.

Days #1 - #4: Relax, let someone else take the lead and enjoy the moment.

Samnang laor! (Good luck!)

take a tethered HOT AIR BALLOON at sunset over Angkor Wat $15pp, have guide make reservations...

Banteay Srei is LOADED w/ tourists, it's 1 hour away, so either go at 7 AM or at 4 PM... as the golden hour or dawn will bring out the pink of the sandstone.. and avoid the hordes of tourists.

Forget Tonle Sap, unless you go to Preak Toal Bird Sanctuary... that is ONE day.

We did 4 FULL days of temples & I would encourage a drive to KOH KER 3 hours each way to see this Mayan-like temple built in 938 AD by a renegade king that is still in the middle of nowhere, then Beng Melea on the way back.

That's what we did.

WARNING: off in the distance near Koh Ker is a deforested (nothing left) area that they have bulldozed to build (next year) a GIANT resort... It will destroy the tranquil beauty.

So, GO NOW, as in a year or so, there will be dozens of tourists climbing all over the KK temple.

KK was the one temple we visited when there were NO tourists...

We did not go to Ta Phrom due to about 100 tourist buses.

IMO, Angkor Wat is not the most interesting temple.. the HIDDEN RELIEFS near Leper King, Thomanon, Beng Melea & Banteay Srei are all better... and Koh Ker has trees growing from it too as does Beng Melea.

Tons of tourists at Bayon too, you can stop for a few minutes... or climb all over it. Prasat Kravan is excellent too.

Consider Bakong/Lolei & a visit to the LITTLE ANGELS school nearby... the poor kids/orphans carve leather into drawings for very little money to support themselves... Consider buying them as gifts or making a donation of supplies or food...

Also, please make a donation to Ponheary Ly's foundation... either $ or supplies while you are there.

Depending upon what time you go, you can do your schedule... ask your guide to take you at times to avoid crowds... which can be awful...
we were there in the end of Feb.

Thanks for your inputs. I will try hard take them to heart. However, telling me to relax is like telling my LW not to shop - it will not happen.

Planning to me is a fun and necessary activity. No, I'm not really a control freak, but I do like to know my options. How can you stay flexible unless you know what is availible to you to see and do. And I do usually modify things once I've got boots on the ground. Travel is an adventure and I like to grab it with both hands, and shake it good and hard. I can always relax back home.

I did plan the schedule based on reports off this site and a few publications. Having a guide will make it go smooth.

I am a planner too, no apologies needed. I do this kinda stuff for a living in the film biz. It does not make you a control freak, it makes you a smart traveler & an organized person.

Our guide Leng Tek was a gem. We adored him & he took such great care of me & we had an intense schedule. If you do not have a guide, he's at [email protected]

Tell him "J" sent you.

I strongly urge a day visiting Koh Ker & Beng Melea... they're the only temples where you can avoid tourists... you will be shocked by how many there are.

Sounds like a great trip. If you are planning to "visit government schools with Khmer teachers Ponheary Ly Foundation" and you are planning to go to Banteay Srei, they can be nicely combined, as Knar School is very near Banteay Srei which is good ways out of the main loop. Ponheary, can arrange it for you. I believe her email address is [email protected].

Pictures of the kids and foundation activities at Knar School can be seen at this url: http://www.jeffspeigner.com/PLF/6106.

BTW, That's heymo in the green top on pages 2 distributing treats to the kids, and on page 3 talking to Ponheary.

Oksana:

I visited Tonle Sap on my trip about 8 years ago. I thought it was a wonderful day trip. What was it about the boat trip on Tonle Sap that you did not like?

We had John Teng guide us in Siem Reap. Contact him at [email protected]. He will help you plan your visit.

With your guide and if you really want to get more than you one can get out of reading 2-3 good guide and history books I would let the guide modify your well thought out itinerary and rely on him by saying "what is really not worth doing or which temples are not really worth the time or are certain sites worth a half hour trip, etc. I think if they knock out 20% you will have a more exciting and informative trip.