Cambodia at a Glance

📍 Phnom Penh Airport - Phnom Penh (10 km): 30 mins

Upon arrival in Phnom Penh, you will be welcomed by your local English speaking guide, who will accompany you to your hotel for check in (Normally the check-in time is at 14:00).

Phnom Penh was once considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Orient, and despite its turbulent history and recent development, it still retains a colonial charm. Cambodia’s capital is a bustling city, majestically located at the confluence of the mighty rivers of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap. Wide tree-lined boulevards and many colonial-era buildings reflect the glorious days and add to the allure of the city, where Asian and Western traditions meet in a fascinating way.

1600 Set out late this afternoon for an unforgettable Phnom Penh evening tour. Meet with a knowledgeable guide and travel to Preah Ang Dong Ker, a sacred riverside pagoda. Witness locals as they gather at the shrine to worship, making offerings and saying prayers at the end of the day. Then cross to the Royal Palace, home to Cambodia’s monarchy to see this resplendent building in the late afternoon light. 

Then take a walk along the riverfront area. The atmosphere at this time of day is particularly lively, with city residents gathering along the wide promenade to exercise or enjoy a picnic with friends. The guide will give more insight into what local life is like in Phnom Penh while strolling down this vibrant part of town. 

Continue walking past several French-colonial era buildings on the way to Wat Phnom. Climb to the top of this hilltop temple for fantastic views over the city and the surrounding rivers. Then return to the riverside where a boat is waiting. Climb aboard and cast off onto the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers for a sunset cruise. Admire the views of the city as the last light of day casts brilliant colours across the skyline.

Return to the shore of the river at dusk, just in time for dinner. Head to the nearby local Restaurant to enjoy a delicious meal before wrapping up the evening with a nightcap at one of the capital’s most stylish bars. Gaze upon the city and riverside from the rooftop of Le Moon Bar while sipping a cocktail, enjoying the views and reflecting back on this evening tour of Phnom Penh. 

Note: Walking distance along the riverfront is 2km

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Inclusions:

🍗 Dinner

0800 Get to know Phnom Penh, a vibrant city steeped in history. On first appearance it appears to be a busy, soulless capital, but through carefully-selected tours the soul of Phnom Penh reveals itself.

Commence the sightseeing in Phnom Penh with a visit to the Royal Palace located in the city center. Explore the majestic compound and step back in time to when the Kingdom flourished. See the spectacular reception halls and historic royal costumes. The elegant Silver Pagoda, with its solid-silver floor, is a reminder of the prosperity of the former royal families. 

Continue to the adjacent National Museum. Housed in a beautiful old building surrounded by tropical gardens, the museum is a tranquil oasis in the busy city center. Go inside to see seemingly endless displays of art and artifacts dating back to the pre-Angkorian era. 

Lunch on your own account. 

1400 Explore the more recent history of Cambodia this afternoon. Visit Tuol Sleng Prison (S-21) and the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek, sites used by the Khmer Rouge regime when they ravaged the country in the 1970s and 80s. The lasting effects of this tragic period are still being felt. Although the visits are sombre, studying this era is important in helping to understand present-day Cambodia. 
 

Note: All visitors to Toul Sleng Genocide Museum are required to wear modest clothing: no short pants or short skirts (knees must be covered) and no sleeveless shirts (shoulders must be covered). See-through clothing will also not be allowed.

Evening on your own leisure time. 

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Phnom Penh – Siem Reap (320 km): 6 hrs

Depart from Phnom Penh and travel through the Cambodian countryside and small villages towards Kampong Thom. Stop en route at Skun Market to buy a bag of the ch’ngain (tasty) eight-legged creatures. The spiders are caught in the soft ground of the surrounding countryside and dug out of their burrows. 

Also make a stop at Sambor Prei Kuk, one of the most important pre-Angkorian sites in the country that has recently been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sambor Prei Kuk was built in the Chenla period between the 6th and 7th centuries and there are over 100 well preserved temples scattered in the forest. The three main sites are linked by small and shady tracks. Enjoy a beautiful walk through the jungle with breathtaking views. Your visit supports a community-based tourism project.

The villages around the temple complex still practice the ancient art of craft making, using materials such as bamboo and rattan. Stop at one village to observe the local production. The community runs the Isanborei Craft Hut next to the temples and sells their products there as part of a community based tourism project. You will have the chance to contribute to the sustainability of the people’s livelihood as the local community will prepare a simple but tasty lunch for you near the temples.
Continue to Siem Reap.

Siem Reap nestled between rice paddies and stretched along the Siem Reap River, the small provincial capital of Siem Reap Town serves as the gateway to the millennium-old temple ruins of the Khmer Empire. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Angkor Archaeological Park encompasses dozens of temple ruins including Bayon, Banteay Srey and the legendary Angkor Wat.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Siem Reap – Banteay Srey (36 km): 50 mins

Beginning from 07:30, the entire Angkor Park is open to visitors but many are still strolling around Angkor Wat. Consequently, this is the best time to experience the temple you most wish to see with the fewest number of other visitors. Consider Ta Prohm, the temple made famous by the Angelina Jolie film Tomb Raider, which is otherwise best known for the trees and vines growing atop the temple walls. The temple is a perfect example of how nature has crept in and reclaimed its land after the fall of the Angkorian Empire. Enter from the east, just as the temple opens, to avoid the crowds.

Then continue to visit Banteay Srey. Banteay Srei is made of pink sandstone and is one of the smallest temple you can visit but one of the most beautiful as well. Built in 967 AD by a guru to Jayavarman V, it showcases the most exquisite, deep and complex carvings in all Khmer architecture. As well the carvings and bas relief are in a perfect condition although being here for more than millenary. 

Continue on to the Landmine Museum. This remarkable project was established by Mr Aki Ra, who is reputed to have served as a child soldier during the Khmer Rouge regime. Having seen the tragic effects of landmines first hand, he has since dedicated his life to de-mining the country and helping those affected by them. The museum has incredible, thought-provoking displays about Cambodia’s tragic wartime history and the damage caused by landmines. It also has a positive side, with many stories of landmine victims who have gone on to have successful jobs and normal lives. 

Lunch will be in a local khmer house in the nearby village. 

After lunch return to Siem Reap town, on the way head to the APOPO visitor’s center for an exclusive tour of this fascinating and life-saving organization. Welcome to APOPO Center’s guide and spend up to an hour learning about the devastating impact of explosives that lie buried in the Cambodian countryside and get first-hand experience about this creative solution to the problem.
In a simulated minefield built for training purposes, help guide the rats as they sniff their way along the ground in search of explosive material. Visit the room where the rats live and pose for a photo with the furry rodents and their handlers. Watch an informative video and take the opportunity to learn more about landmines, Cambodia, APOPO, and the HeroRATs through a Q&A session. Every guided tour is led by a mine action professional with real-life experience of humanitarian demining.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Siem Reap – Temples (06 km): 10 mins

0430: early wake-up call
0500: Pick up at hotel lobby
0530: sunrise at the temple
0630: Then explore on a sightseeing tour of the famous Angkor Wat Temple. Built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, Angkor Wat is constructed following the model of the temple mountain symbolizing Mount Meru, the home of the gods. Inside the temple, the walls are covered with stone carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Hindu mythology and the wars Suryavarman II fought during his reign. 

Angkor Wat is well known for the more than 2,000 Apsara dancers decorating the temple. Construction is thought to have taken around thirty years of intensive labor. Today, Angkor Wat is figured on Cambodia's national flag as the temple symbolizes the soul of the Khmer people.
Then return to the hotel for breakfast and take a short break.

In the afternoon, we continued our tour by Remork (a local form of transportation) to the ancient city of Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8 m high wall, drawing a perfect square. Enter the city through the ancient South Gate, an impressive stone gate carved with Elephants and four giant faces. On each side of the entrance path a row of 54 gods or demons is holding the sacred Naga snake. 

From here, continue to Bayon Temple in the exact center of the city. This 12th century masterpiece is a study in grandeur and is well-known for its 54 towers with enigmatic faces representing the 54 provinces of the Great Khmer Empire. The Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King are also must-visits as they are both known for their intricate bas-reliefs.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap – Temples (06 km): 10 mins / Siem Reap – Kompong Kleang (50 km): 1 hrs

0800 Take a drive through the countryside to the Rolous Group on this half day Siem Reap temple tour. Located amid rice paddy fields and sugar palm tree plantations, the setting is quintessentially Cambodian.
Upon reaching the entrance, leave the car behind and travel on foot to appreciate the beauty of the land and the pagodas. Admire the three monuments of the Rolous Group from afar while the guide provides a brief introduction of their history. Dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries these are the oldest ruins in the region and, yet, are still remarkably well preserved.
Take a closer look at the temples, named Lolei, Bakong and Preah Ko, with a three-kilometre walking tour. Step inside one of these ancient monuments for a special blessing ceremony. Seated in front of a Buddhist monk, receive wishes of good luck and good health while gaining a deeper understanding of Khmer culture and customs.
Following this special ceremony, climb into an ox cart for a short ride around the area. Soak up the beauty of the surroundings and enjoy the tranquility of the countryside as the cart slowly makes its way through the fields. See typical scenes of rural farming life set amid Cambodia’s iconic sugar palm trees.
Afterward, take a break from temple touring to experience authentic rural lifestyles. Drive past expansive rice fields and through local villages where rice and fish can frequently be spotted drying alongside the road. 

In one of the local houses, a delicious packed lunch box will be prepared for you. This is a unique opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the way of life of the local people- sitting inside a stilted house while watching the boats pass outside. 

Next, board a private wooden vessel for a boat trip along a canal that leads to the Tonle Sap Lake. 
Cruise along the canal with houses on either side: depending on the time of the visit, the houses will either have immediate access to the water or stand perched on stilts high above the ground, a phenomena caused by the annual rising and receding waters of the Tonle Sap Lake, Southeast Asia’s largest lake. Pass by the boats and nets used by local fishermen, some of whom will be fishing in the waters through which the boat passes. Nearing the lake, see floating houses that move location with the annual ebb and flow of the lake’s waters. 

(Note: Due to fluctuating water levels on the lake and canals, the village visited will depend on the date and water levels at that time. We recommend the visit between September and December).

Then return to your hotel for a short refreshment. 

1930 Enjoy an evening of culture at Phare Cambodian Circus Show. Set up by refugees of the Khmer Rouge era, Phare promotes performing arts as a way to cope with trauma. Over the years they have not only helped hundreds of Cambodians but also helped to promote traditional Khmer culture.
The lights will dim and the performers will take to the stage. The hour-long show tells stories of modern life in Cambodia through a rich spectacle of song, dance and acrobatics. The performers combine traditional Khmer theatre with modern influences resulting in an entertaining and enthralling show.
Following the show there is an opportunity to take photos with the cast, a spectacular memory of the evening’s performance.

After the show, we can drop you off at the night market, Pub Street or return to hotel as per your choice. 

Overnight in Siem Reap

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Siem Reap - Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (52 km): 1 hrs

Depending on your flight departure time, you may spend the morning exploring Siem Reap’s colorful markets (on your own) or explore the Khmer cuisine by joining the Half day Cooking class:

Optional: Cooking Class (L)
0900 Discover the secrets of authentic Khmer cuisine in a half-day cooking class. The tour starts with a guided trip to the market where you will learn everything about Cambodian vegetables, herbs, spices and other ingredients of which you will later be shown how to prepare these delicious dishes. At lunchtime, indulge yourself in your self-prepared meals.

Transfer to the airport for your individual onward flight. (Note: based on midday/afternoon departures)
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast