Cambodia Culture & Cuisine

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

Welcome to this comprehensive 9 day tour through Cambodian culture and cuisine! An English speaking guide will be waiting at Phnom Penh International Airport for a welcome greeting on your morning arrival, followed by a hotel transfer in the city.

Phnom Penh was once considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Orient. Despite its recent turbulent history, it still retains much of its former 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.

This afternoon, take a closer look at Phnom Penh, discovering its heritage through its architecture. Start with an excursion around the city. Travel by Remork (Cambodian tuk-tuk) and explore the capital with an expert from the Khmer Architecture organization. 

The tour will focus on edifices from the 1950s and 60s. Learn about the political and cultural situation of Cambodia at that time. International influences were reaching the country and architects fused traditional design with aspects of European, Russian and American styles. The guide will explain how the architects adapted the buildings based on the materials available in Cambodia and the tropical climate. Although overlooked at the time, this style has now been dubbed ‘New Khmer Architecture’ and is recognized as a milestone in Khmer culture.

Armed with this background information, it is easier to see the influence of cultural shifts on the landscapes of Phnom Penh. See an eclectic mix of structures built during various eras of recent history.

Following the architecture tour of Phnom Penh, head to a heritage building for dinner. Enjoy the colonial atmosphere of Khema La Poste, opposite the Post Office in the heart of the old French Quarter. After dinner, move on to another historic building for a night cap. This atmospheric bar is the perfect place to wind down and appreciate the rich heritage of Phnom Penh’s architecture and history.

Overnight in Phnom Penh.
     

Inclusions:

🍗 Dinner

Gain insight into the art of Khmer cuisine with a hands-on Phnom Penh cooking class. Start the day with a guided tour through the local food market alongside a professional chef who will explain the Cambodian fruits, vegetables and spices. Using a shopping list provided by the chef, help select the best ingredients to be used in your dishes. Be amazed at the vast array of colors, smells, and tastes for sale - from the ubiquitous, smelly fish sauce to the sweet, fragrant mangoes.

After loading up on fresh ingredients, return to the restaurant and explore the secrets of Khmer food preparation. Under the chef’s guidance, use traditional techniques to create delicious home-style dishes. After your meal has been prepared, enjoy the freshly-prepared lunch, tasting the subtle flavors of local cuisine. 

Say goodbye to the chef and wrap up the Phnom Penh cooking class with a full stomach and a recipe book of Khmer dishes.

In the afternoon, visit the most remarkable sights Phnom Penh has to offer. First, head to the National Museum, which houses the world's foremost collection of ancient Khmer artistic, archaeological, and religious artefacts from the 4th to the 13th centuries. Over 5,000 pieces are on display, constituting the repository of the Kingdom's cultural wealth. In addition, the roof space is home to a large bat colony!

Continue along the lively riverfront to the Royal Palace. This palace dates back to 1866 and houses the Silver Pagoda, named for the over 5000 heavy silver tiles that cover its floors. Its original name is Wat Prakeo, meaning Temple of the Emerald Buddha. In this temple there is also a brilliant collection of Buddhas in gold, silver, crystal, and bronze on display.

Then continue 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 at Sombok restaurant. Sombok is a celebration of Khmer cuisine, ingredients and the strength and creativity of Khmer women. All of their cuisine is born from the best local produce alongside the finest international ingredients. The menu has been carefully crafted by the Kimsan Twins, internationally trained chefs who have run a successful well-known Embassy Restaurant in Siem Reap.

Overnight in Phnom Penh.
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Phnom Penh - Oudong Hill (40 km): 01hour / Oudong – Battambang (290km): 4hr 30mn

Travel by private vehicle over scenic backroads to Cambodia’s former capital, Oudong. Pass rural villages, local pagodas, and scenic rice paddies before reaching the main hill of Oudong. 

Stop for a short visit the Vipassana Dhura Buddhist Meditation Center, also located in Oudong. Learn about this form of meditation with a short tour of the centre and stop to admire its impressive Jade Buddha. 

Then climb 509 steps to the top of Oudong Mountain for magnificent views over the plains below. From this vantage point it is easy to understand why the Cambodians built their capital on this strategic hilltop. Learn more about its history and the local culture before descending down a different path to the base of Oudong Mountain.

After working up an appetite, it is time for lunch. Enjoy a meal of local dishes served at a popular picnic site. There are hammocks strung around the site so there is the option to be truly Khmer and enjoy a post-meal nap! 

Continue to Battambang and head directly to the hotel for check in. Despite being Cambodia’s second largest city, Battambang offers a unique atmosphere that’s both laid-back and charming; a relaxed river town full of fine examples of French-colonial architecture.

Overnight in Battambang.
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

Begins with a fun morning cycle ride around the local villages surrounding Battambang with SoksaBike, a social enterprise set up to provide scenic and informative bike rides through the local countryside. During the 30km cycle tour there are plenty of stops to learn how the locals produce rice paper, prahok (typical Cambodian fish paste), grolan (sticky rice stuffed in bamboo), and other Cambodian treats.

Take a break back at your hotel.

In the afternoon, head to take a short walk to main market, Psar Nath. Explore the colourful array of produce for sale and stop to taste a cup of local coffee at one of the busy drink stalls. Then continue to Phnom Sampeau, meaning “Ship Hill” in Khmer, due to its distinctive shape, and one of the few hills standing out in this otherwise pancake-flat plain. From the small temple on the top, you will have a fantastic view over the typical landscape of paddy fields and sugar palm trees. Phnom Sampeau is home to the notorious killing caves, which are cruel reminders of Cambodia’s troubled past. Serenity and inhumanity represented in one place make this an interesting visit…Your visit will last until dusk – a time when millions of bats emerge from a cave and create patterns as they fly in tandem across the sky – a nightly spectacular show of nature!

Dinner this evening is at the stylish Jaan Bai (meaning ‘rice bowl’ in Khmer), a social enterprise restaurant established by the Cambodian Children’s Trust to provide training and employment for disadvantaged youths, with all profits going to support the activities of the Trust. The restaurant was set up with the expertise and ongoing support of Asia’s best chef, David Thompson, of Nahm Restaurant in Bangkok, and restaurateur John Fink, owner of Australia’s best restaurant Quay in Sydney.

Overnight in Battambang.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Battambang – Siem Reap (174 km): 03 hours

Depart from Battambang by road in your private vehicle, traveling through the beautiful Cambodian countryside and past rural villages to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, you will be taken directly to your hotel for check in.

Arrive in Siem Reap mid to late afternoon, the gateway to the majestic temples of Angkor and a charming little city. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Enjoy dinner this evening at the stunning Chanrey Tree. One of the best fine dining restaurants in town, the Chanrey Tree offers traditional Khmer cuisine in a lush contemporary setting. Located on the riverside in heart of Siem Reap, the Chanrey Tree combines the amazing taste of only seasonal traditional Khmer ingredients, with a relaxed but lavish environment to provide a unique Cambodian dining experience.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

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

Begin the morning temple explorations at the most illustrious of the Small Circuit Temples: the 12-13th century Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm is unique in that it has been left largely as it was found: overgrown by jungle trees and vines, with many parts of the temple crumbling to the ground. This makes the ‘Tomb Raider Temple’ one of the most picturesque and memorable of the Angkor temples. 

Next pay a visit 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. Continue to Bayon, a temple sitting in the exact centre of the city. This 12th century masterpiece is well-known for its 52 face-carved towers. The nearby Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King are also must-visits for their intricately carved reliefs. 

Return after the visit to the hotel for some refreshment. 

In the afternoon, visit the legendary Angkor Wat. Built in the early 12th century, the complex follows the model of the symbolic Mount Meru, the home of the gods. Inside the temple, the walls are covered with Aspara dancers and stone carvings/bas-reliefs depicting Hindu mythology. Construction of Angkor Wat, which is also found on the Cambodian flag, is thought to have taken around thirty years of intensive labor to complete. 

Then head to enjoy a relaxing cruise in a gondola paddle boat at the moat of Angkor Thom compound while watching a spectacular sunset at Prasat Chroung temple. Champagne, canapés and soft drinks will be available on the boat. 

1930 This evening, attend a performance of "Phare", the Cambodian Circus’. Starting at 8pm, professional artists of Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS) will perform a show choreographed by themselves. Set up in Battambang in 1994 by young returnee Cambodians from the refugee camps who learned about using art as a means of coping with trauma, PPS has played an influential role in promoting and developing Khmer culture over the years after the Khmer Rouge genocide. The hour-long show mixes traditional and modern theatre, music, dance, acrobatics, juggling and contortion performed in a story about Cambodian lives and society. 

Afterward, return to your hotel or local restaurant (own account).

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap – Floating village (31 km): 58 mins

Today, head to experience authentic rural lifestyles. Drive to the outskirts of Siem Reap, past expansive rice fields and through local villages where rice and fish can frequently be spotted drying alongside the road. We will stop at a small but vibrant local market along the way. 

Next, board a private, local wooden vessel for a boat trip along a canal that leads to the Tonle Sap Lake. As we cruise along the canal you will see 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. 

Along the way, gain a better understanding of the local lifestyle with lunch in a family house. 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. 

With a full belly and a camera-full of remarkable images, return to Siem Reap in the afternoon.  
(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. As it’s a local community experience, the boats are older wooden boats).

1800 Pickup from the hotel by remork (a Cambodian “tuktuk”) and drive to the first restaurant, where follows a different business model, directing their profits to various organizations. You may order any drink from the menu (they make some special cocktails and fruit mix using local ingredients) and any one appetizer (try different ones and share with each other) while exploring the large selection of second-hand books donated by their supporters in the UK.

Next, enjoy a Khmer classic dishes at a restaurant where is another social enterprise restaurant providing disadvantaged youths, and underprivileged adults, professional training and employment in the hospitality industry. Learn about its efforts while dining. 

After dinner, go to a tropical garden restaurant run by an organization that operates a hospitality training school where all the restaurant workers learned (or are currently learning) their trade. Learn about how the program runs and its achievements while enjoying a creative cocktail, a glass of wine, beer, or coffee.  This stop will mark the end of your tour and your driver will bring you safely to your hotel or, at your choice, drop you off at Pub Street or in the city center of Siem Reap.

Overnight in Siem Reap.
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Siem Reap – Kulen Elephant Forest Camp (40 km): 55 mins

Depart from the hotel at 7:00 for a one-hour drive by a jeep to the plains surrounding Kulen Mountain, the birth-place of the Angkorian civilization. After an introductory briefing, head down to the pond for a meet and greet with the elephants. The program at the Kulen Elephant Forest will join with other guests (Not Private).

After feeding the elephants some treats (and posing for selfies with them), follow the elephants as they wander around the area, snacking on leaves from nearby trees. Gradually the elephants will wander down a shady forest path where a guide will explain how indigenous flora is used by the local population as you walk along with the elephants.

After the trek (~2km), prepare some additional snacks in the shade as the elephants splash around in the pond. At noon, retire to base camp and enjoy a traditional Khmer meal, family-style. 

After a half day in the fantastic outskirts of town, the tour concludes with a drive back to Siem Reap.

On the way back, visit a local enterprise, Satcha, where craftsmen and women find a safe and clean space to work as well as receive training to further hone their talent and grow themselves into artistic entrepreneurs. 

Walk through the serene, natural gardens and watch the artists carve stone, wood, weave baskets, paint and more while your guide explains some specific traits about each field of work and how the enterprise supports the Cambodian artists. We will enjoy a cup of coffee while you will also have the opportunity for a little retail therapy if you wish to do so”. 

Return to hotel for some refreshment.

Pick up by Remork from your hotel and head to enjoy this final night in Cambodia with a dinner at the renowned Embassy restaurant. An exclusive fine dining experience, Embassy is headed by executive chefs Pol & Sok; the “Kimsan Twins.” Having trained under Michelin-star chefs, they have created one of the most unique five-star quality cuisines that can be experienced in Siem Reap. With a constantly changing menu based around seasonality, guests can savour skilfully prepared masterpieces from multiple-course set menus, paired with a selection of fine wines.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Siem Reap - Siem Reap Airport (53 km): 1 hour

After breakfast, enjoy some time at leisure until the transfer to the airport for the departing flight. 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast