Blog
- By: Nicky Sullivan / Phnom Penh Post
Date:Friday, 11 May 2012
A consortium including the Apsara Authority, University of Sydney, the Ecole Français d’Extrême Orient, and five other partners, is waiting excitedly for the results of a three-dimensional topographical survey of the Angkor Conservation Park and sites at Koh Ker and Phnom Kulen.The survey was conducted using a light detecting and ranging machine (Lidar) strapped to a helicopter that spent 20 hours in the air flying in a grid over the target sites. It is the first survey like this performed in Southeast Asia, and the largest carried out in the world.
According to the project coordinator, Dr Damian Evans from the University of Sydney, the data that will come back from the survey would have taken a lifetime to acquire using traditional methods, and as a result archaeologists will have an immensely improved understanding of the site.
Flying one kilometre up in the sky and using laser technology, the machine is able to “see through” forest cover and overcome other hurdles.
Evans said, “This means that in areas like Phnom Kulen and Koh Ker, which remain heavily mined and densely forested, we can create very precise and very detailed archaeological maps for the first time, looking particularly at things like canals, dams, urban enclosures and these kinds of features.
“For each square metre of the landscape we get upwards of a dozen height measurements, with in-credible precision down to centimetre level. These kinds of measurements are incredibly important because we use subtle variations in surface topography to identify the traces of the urban fabric of Angkor – roadways, canals, occupation mounds, village temples, and so on.
“These things have long disappeared and are often buried just beneath the ground, but all of them leave very subtle traces in the surface of the landscape, even a thousand years later. The Lidar data will help us to identify and map those traces with great precision, even where they are completely overgrown with jungle.”
The survey method is so precise that it generated 3D profiles of the people walking around Angkor Wat, and can tell if the people were standing still, walking, or pointing.
The project itself had its own hurdles to overcome, including negotiating exemptions for the importation of a US$2 million machine, and authorisations for flying over Angkor, which is technically a no-fly zone.
The information generated by the survey will not just help to understand the structure of Angkor, but also how it was managed.
Evans said, “These days, most archaeologists acknowledge that the success of the Angkorian civilisation was intricately tied to their ability to effectively manage water. Having this very precise elevation data allows us not only to identify where dams, canals and reservoirs were located at places like Koh Ker, but also how they functioned, if they functioned effectively, and so on.”
The data will also help with management of the site today. Im Sok Rithy, the head of the Land Department at the Apsara Authority, is looking forward to seeing the results.
He said, “The new information is very important for the management and development of the area as well as understanding the history. For example, we hope that we can use the data to help us prevent the kind of flooding that we saw last year from happening again.”
The consortium is expecting the results at the end of May. The consortium also includes the World Monuments Fund, Japan-Apsara Safeguarding Angkor, The Archaeology and Development Foundation Kulen, Hunincor Ltd (Hungary), and the Société Concessionaire d’Aéroport (SCA) / Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives (Inrap) team.
From left to right: Francisco Gonçalves, president director of Southeast Asia operations for McElhanney; Tann Bou Suy, deputy director general, APSARA Authority; Dr Ea Darith, deputy director, Department of Conservation of the Monuments outside the Angkor Park; Dr Damian Evans, project coordinator, University of Sydney.
Photograph: Nicky Sullivan/Phnom Penh Post
It’s your personal tour!
Discover remote temples, escape the crowds and experience ancient Khmer culture.
Itinerary: Siem Reap – Banteay Chhmar – Preah Vihear – Koh Ker – Boeng Mealea – Siem Reap
Booking Now!Tour No. 6, Group price: US$5,424.25 (6 pax max)
Banteay Chhmar:
Banteay Chhmar is a large temple complex in Banteay Meanchey province in northwest Cambodia. It is located 63km north of Sisophon and fairly close to the Thai border. Banteay Chhmar was constructed during the reign of Jayavarman VII in the 12th and 13th century. The complex resembles Angkor Thom and other contemporary structures in many ways, from the causeway flanked by giants holding a snake to the towers with four faces. It is one of the least visited, studied, and protected temples from Cambodia’s Angkor period.
Preah Vihear:
Preah Vihear is a Khmer temple situated atop a 525-metre cliff in the Dangrek Mountains in Cambodia close to the Thailand border, but most notably in Cambodian territory. As a key edifice of the empire’s spiritual life, it was supported and modified by successive kings and so bears elements of several architectural styles. Affording a view for many kilometers across a plain, it has the most spectacular setting of all the temples built during the six-century-long Khmer Empire. Long been the subject of intense ownership disputes between the two neighbouring countries, Cambodia was officially awarded control of Preah Vihear in 1962 by the International Court of Justice and it is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Koh Ker:
Koh Ker is 100 km northeast of Angkor Wat. It was briefly the capital of the Khmer empire between 928 and 944 under king Jayavarman IV and his son Hasavarman II. 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. Currently, access to the top is closed. Koh Ker is very attractive for anyone who would like to experience lonely temples partially overgrown by the forest and inhabited only by birds, calling to each other from the trees above.
Boeng Mealea:
Boeng Mealea is a temple located 40 km east of the main group of temples at Angkor Wat and built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century. Its primary material is sandstone and it is surrounded by moats. The basic layout is three enclosing galleries around a central sanctuary. There is extensive carving of scenes from Hindu mythology, including the Churning of the Sea of Milk and Vishnu being borne by the bird god Garuda. Causeways have long balustrades formed by bodies of the seven-headed Naga serpent. Smaller in size than Angkor Wat, the king’s main monument, Boeng Mealea nonetheless ranks among the Khmer empire’s larger temples.
- 48 hour cancellation required for full refund
- All helicopter flights are subject to pilot discretion, weather conditions and availability
- Helistar Cambodia will not accept liability for failure to make connections with any other service
- Prices quoted are per helicopter and include all local taxes and are in US dollars
- All flights are covered by passenger liability insurance
- Flight routes and times may vary with weather conditions and passenger weights
- Flights operate daily on demand.
Flight time: 2 hrs 30 mins + ground: 7-8 hours
Tour No. 6, Group price: US$5,424.25 – AS350B2 or B3+
It’s your personal tour!
Discover remote temples, escape the crowds and experience ancient Khmer culture.
Itinerary: Siem Reap – Preah Vihear – Koh Ker – Boeng Mealea – Siem Reap
Booking Now!Tour No. 5, Group price: US$4,020.25 (6 pax max)
Preah Vihear:
Preah Vihear is a Khmer temple situated atop a 525-metre cliff in the Dangrek Mountains in Cambodia close to the Thailand border, but most notably in Cambodian territory. As a key edifice of the empire’s spiritual life, it was supported and modified by successive kings and so bears elements of several architectural styles. Affording a view for many kilometers across a plain, it has the most spectacular setting of all the temples built during the six-century-long Khmer Empire. Long been the subject of intense ownership disputes between the two neighbouring countries, Cambodia was officially awarded control of Preah Vihear in 1962 by the International Court of Justice and it is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Koh Ker:
Koh Ker is 100 km northeast of Angkor Wat. It was briefly the capital of the Khmer empire between 928 and 944 under king Jayavarman IV and his son Hasavarman II. 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. Currently, access to the top is closed. Koh Ker is very attractive for anyone who would like to experience lonely temples partially overgrown by the forest and inhabited only by birds, calling to each other from the trees above.
Boeng Mealea:
Boeng Mealea is a temple located 40 km east of the main group of temples at Angkor Wat and built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century. Its primary material is sandstone and it is surrounded by moats. The basic layout is three enclosing galleries around a central sanctuary. There is extensive carving of scenes from Hindu mythology, including the Churning of the Sea of Milk and Vishnu being borne by the bird god Garuda. Causeways have long balustrades formed by bodies of the seven-headed Naga serpent. Smaller in size than Angkor Wat, the king’s main monument, Boeng Mealea nonetheless ranks among the Khmer empire’s larger temples.
- 48 hour cancellation required for full refund
- All helicopter flights are subject to pilot discretion, weather conditions and availability
- Helistar Cambodia will not accept liability for failure to make connections with any other service
- Prices quoted are per helicopter and include all local taxes and are in US dollars
- All flights are covered by passenger liability insurance
- Flight routes and times may vary with weather conditions and passenger weights
- Flights operate daily on demand.
Flight time: 1 hr 54 mins + ground: 6 hours 30 mins
Tour No. 5, Group price: US$4,020.25 – AS350 B2 or B3+
It’s your personal tour!
Discover remote temples, escape the crowds and experience ancient Khmer culture.
Itinerary: Siem Reap – Preah Vihear – Koh Ker – Siem Reap
Booking Now!Tour No. 4, Group price: US$3,836.25 (6 pax max)
Preah Vihear:
Preah Vihear is a Khmer temple situated atop a 525-metre cliff in the Dangrek Mountains in Cambodia close to the Thailand border, but most notably in Cambodian territory. As a key edifice of the empire’s spiritual life, it was supported and modified by successive kings and so bears elements of several architectural styles. Affording a view for many kilometers across a plain, it has the most spectacular setting of all the temples built during the six-century-long Khmer Empire. Long been the subject of intense ownership disputes between the two neighbouring countries, Cambodia was officially awarded control of Preah Vihear in 1962 by the International Court of Justice and it is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Koh Ker:
Koh Ker is 100 km northeast of Angkor Wat. It was briefly the capital of the Khmer empire between 928 and 944 under king Jayavarman IV and his son Hasavarman II. 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. Currently, access to the top is closed. Koh Ker is very attractive for anyone who would like to experience lonely temples partially overgrown by the forest and inhabited only by birds, calling to each other from the trees above.
- 48 hour cancellation required for full refund
- All helicopter flights are subject to pilot discretion, weather conditions and availability
- Helistar Cambodia will not accept liability for failure to make connections with any other service
- Prices quoted are per helicopter and include all local taxes and are in US dollars
- All flights are covered by passenger liability insurance
- Flight routes and times may vary with weather conditions and passenger weights
- Flights operate daily on demand.
Flight time: 1 hr 48 mins + ground: 4 hours
Tour No. 4, Group price: US$3,836.25 – AS350 B2 or B3+ (6 pax max.)
It’s your personal tour!
Discover remote temples, escape the crowds and experience ancient Khmer culture.
Itinerary: Siem Reap – Banteay Chhmar – Siem Reap
Booking Now!Tour No. 3, Group price: US$2,577.25 (6 pax max)
Banteay Chhmar:
Banteay Chhmar is a large temple complex in Banteay Meanchey province in northwest Cambodia. It is located 63km north of Sisophon and fairly close to the Thai border. Banteay Chhmar was constructed during the reign of Jayavarman VII in the 12th and 13th century. The complex resembles Angkor Thom and other contemporary structures in many ways, from the causeway flanked by giants holding a snake to the towers with four faces. It is one of the least visited, studied, and protected temples from Cambodia’s Angkor period.
- 48 hour cancellation required for full refund
- All helicopter flights are subject to pilot discretion, weather conditions and availability
- Helistar Cambodia will not accept liability for failure to make connections with any other service
- Prices quoted are per helicopter and include all local taxes and are in US dollars
- All flights are covered by passenger liability insurance
- Flight routes and times may vary with weather conditions and passenger weights
- Flights operate daily on demand.
Flight time: 1 hr 12 mins + ground: 2 hours
Tour No. 3, Group price: US$2,577.25 – AS350B2 or B3+
it’s your personal tour!
Discover remote temples, escape the crowds and experience ancient Khmer culture.
Itinerary: Siem Reap – Koh Ker – Beong Mealea – Siem Reap
Booking Now!Tour No. 2, Group price: US$2,433.25 (6 pax max)
Koh Ker:
Koh Ker is 100 km northeast of Angkor Wat. It was briefly the capital of the Khmer empire between 928 and 944 under king Jayavarman IV and his son Hasavarman II. 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. Currently, access to the top is closed. Koh Ker is very attractive for anyone who would like to experience lonely temples partially overgrown by the forest and inhabited only by birds, calling to each other from the trees above.
Boeng Mealea:
Boeng Mealea is a temple located 40 km east of the main group of temples at Angkor Wat and built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century. Its primary material is sandstone and it is surrounded by moats. The basic layout is three enclosing galleries around a central sanctuary. There is extensive carving of scenes from Hindu mythology, including the Churning of the Sea of Milk and Vishnu being borne by the bird god Garuda. Causeways have long balustrades formed by bodies of the seven-headed Naga serpent. Smaller in size than Angkor Wat, the king’s main monument, Boeng Mealea nonetheless ranks among the Khmer empire’s larger temples.
- 48 hour cancellation required for full refund
- All helicopter flights are subject to pilot discretion, weather conditions and availability
- Helistar Cambodia will not accept liability for failure to make connections with any other service
- Prices quoted are per helicopter and include all local taxes and are in US dollars
- All flights are covered by passenger liability insurance
- Flight routes and times may vary with weather conditions and passenger weights
- Flights operate daily on demand.
Flight time: 1 hr 6 mins + ground: 2-3 hours
Tour No. 2, Group price: US$2,433.25 – AS350 B2 or B3+
See the lot!
This complete package covers all the must see locations making it the total flight experience. See the amazing sights of the Angkor Temples, Phnom Bok, Roluos Group, Tonle Sap Floating Village as well as the town of Siem Reap. And if that’s not enough, we’ve even included another hilltop temple – Phnom Krom – rarely seen by visitors!
What’s included:
- Bakheng Mountain
- Angkor Wat
- Srah Srang
- Prasat Pre Rup
- Eastern Mebon
- Prasat Ta Som
- Banteay Srei
- Kulen Ranges
- Phnom Bok
- Roluos Group
- Tonle Sap Floating Village
- Phnom Krom
- Siem Reap town
Flights depart Helistar Cambodia Helipad, the Military Apron, Siem Reap International Airport.
- Minimum passengers required for all flights
- 48 hour cancellation required for full refund
- All helicopter flights are subject to pilot discretion, weather conditions and availability
- Helistar Cambodia will not accept liability for failure to make connections with any other service
- Prices quoted are per person (pp) and include all local taxes and are in US dollars
- All flights are covered by passenger liability insurance
- Flight routes and times may vary with weather conditions and passenger weights
- Flights operate daily on demand.
Angkor Wat + Temples + Kulen Ranges
After a tour of Angkor Wat and nearby temples, we fly north-east to the Kulen Ranges, 40 km from Siem Reap town. Historically, Phnom Kulen is revered amongst all Cambodians as a sacred place of pilgrimage. It was the site that Jayavarman II chose in 802 to proclaim himself a divine universal ruler and marked the beginning of the Angkor period in Khmer history. During the flight you will see spectacular waterfalls and majestic sandstone cliffs.
What’s included:
- Bakheng Mountain
- Angkor Wat
- Srah Srang
- Prasat Pre Rup
- Eastern Mebon
- Prasat Ta Som
- Banteay Srei
- Kulen Ranges (Waterfall)
- Phnom Bok
Flights depart Helistar Cambodia Helipad, the Military Apron, Siem Reap International Airport.
- Minimum passengers required for all flights
- 48 hour cancellation required for full refund
- All helicopter flights are subject to pilot discretion, weather conditions and availability
- Helistar Cambodia will not accept liability for failure to make connections with any other service
- Prices quoted are per person (pp) and include all local taxes and are in US dollars
- All flights are covered by passenger liability insurance
- Flight routes and times may vary with weather conditions and passenger weights
- Flights operate daily on demand.
Angkor Wat + Temples + Roluos Group + Floating Village
Your flight will take in all of the must see sights, including Angkor Wat and the Tonle Sap making it a truly special experience. During this flight you will also take in views of Phnom Bok and the Roluos Group including the 9th Century Bakong Temple with its magnificent architecture and picturesque moat.
What’s included:
- Bakheng Mountain
- Angkor Wat
- Srah Srang
- Prasat Pre Rup
- Eastern Mebon
- Prasat Ta Som
- Phnom Bok
- Roluos Group
- Tonle Sap Floating Village
- Phnom Krom
- Siem Reap town
Flights depart Helistar Cambodia Helipad, the Military Apron, Siem Reap International Airport.
- Minimum passengers required for all flights
- 48 hour cancellation required for full refund
- All helicopter flights are subject to pilot discretion, weather conditions and availability
- Helistar Cambodia will not accept liability for failure to make connections with any other service
- Prices quoted are per person (pp) and include all local taxes and are in US dollars
- All flights are covered by passenger liability insurance
- Flight routes and times may vary with weather conditions and passenger weights
- Flights operate daily on demand.
Siem Reap Scenic Flights SR20
Angkor Wat + Temples + Tonle Sap Floating Village
After experiencing the remarkable Angkor Wat complex, we make our way across Siem Reap to the unique floating village on the shores of the Tonle Sap Lake. During the wet season (June-October) the lake swells from 2500 sq km to over 12000 sq km. The Tonle Sap is one of the most abundant resources for freshwater fish and a major source of food for the local area.
What’s included:
- Bakheng Mountain
- Angkor Wat
- Srah Srang
- Prasat Pre Rup
- Eastern Mebon
- Tonle Sap Floating Village
- Phnom Krom
- Siem Reap town
Flights depart Helistar Cambodia Helipad, the Military Apron, Siem Reap International Airport.
- Minimum passengers required for all flights
- 48 hour cancellation required for full refund
- All helicopter flights are subject to pilot discretion, weather conditions and availability
- Helistar Cambodia will not accept liability for failure to make connections with any other service
- Prices quoted are per person (pp) and include all local taxes and are in US dollars
- All flights are covered by passenger liability insurance
- Flight routes and times may vary with weather conditions and passenger weights
- Flights operate daily on demand.