Published on Nov, 2024
Highly recommend a private tour with Kriss and Tom vs a group/small group tour. We were a group of three friends and the private Sunrise Angkor Wat one day tour provided the perfect experience and personal touch away from the crazy crowds.
Kriss was my main point of contact and driver. He was very responsive and got us to each location on time and safely. He made sure we were comfortable and provided us with complimentary cold water throughout our full day tour.
Tom was our licensed/certified tour guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about history and culture. He took us to secret spots and steered us away from the crowds throughout the entire tour. He is also an amazing photographer!!! He captured some of the most memorable pictures and videos of us! Tip: We learned that tour guides are required to be licensed/certified so Tom was a legitimate tour guide!
They both speak English very well and are very personable. We got to know them both personally and had so much fun throughout the day. We also stopped off at a delicious noodle breakfast spot and Khmer restaurant for lunch.
You can customize your tour but both Kriss and Tom provided the perfect itinerary and are willing to make any accommodations. Unlike some guides, Tom escorted us everywhere and made sure we were not lost (including getting our Angkor Wat Tickets), provided us with great historical information, answered all our questions, made it fun, adjusted based on our needs (we spent as long or little time at each spot and took breaks when needed) and gave us tips to prepare us on what to expect at each stop.
Our schedule included:
1. Sunrise at Angkor Wat with multiple viewpoints and secret spots for great pictures!
2. Angkor Wat Temple Tour with more secret spots
3. Angkor Thom South Gate
4. Bayon Temple
5. Ta Prohm Temple (Tomb Raider Temple) - they coordinated the timing perfectly. There were rarely any crowds when we went there which allowed us to walk around and take pictures without lines and tons of people!
6. Banteay Srei Temple (Lady Temple) - most tours do not include this or separate this onto a second day since it’s further out (you’ll need to buy a second Angkor Wat Temple ticket if you go a separate day). It’s worth the drive as it’s BEAUTIFUL and much more intricate than Angkor Wat. We also arrived at the perfect time with very little crowds.
Tip: Kriss is a private driver and offers services to Kulen Mountain and Airport/Hotel Transports as well. I wished we used him for our private Kulen Mountain day trip.