Family Fun in Cambodia

📍 Techo International Airport - Hotel (26 km): 60 mins

Upon arrival in Techo International Airport, you will be welcomed by your local English speaking guide, who will accompany you to your hotel for check in and free at your leisure (Normally check-in time is at 14:00).

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Inclusions:

In the morning at 8am, drive to a leafy suburb for the start of the local Phnom Penh walking tour. Wander down residential streets, catching a glimpse of the daily activities of the people. Stop for a visit to Wat Langka. In the pagoda, Buddhist monks will celebrate a private blessing ceremony for you, a very special experience! Meander down small alleyways getting a glimpse of local communities, small pagodas, shops and businesses before venturing through a bustling local market. Resume the walk with a trip to the waterfront to see the picturesque Wat Botom Park. Wander along the riverside which is busy throughout the day with locals, street vendors and the occasional group of monks. Then visit the spectacular Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. 

Note: All visitors 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.    

Lunch in a local restaurant before returning back for some leisure time in your hotel.

In the afternoon, if you prefer to continue to explore the tragic recent history of Cambodia, our guide can accompany you to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, also known as S-21. Originally built as a school, the compound was taken over by the Khmer Rouge and used as its main detention and torture centre. 

Or come and discover the unique Pepper Museum. The pepper mill plays a crucial role in the taste experience to reveal the aromas of peppers and, in particular, to discover the aromatic richness of Kampot pepper. Embark on a flavor adventure with a guided tasting of various pepper varieties. Experience the explosion of flavors and aromas that each pepper offers. Also learn to eat fruit with a unique and popular accompaniment to Cambodians. At the end of the visit, you will have the opportunity to take a tour of the shop and make some purchases.

Overnight in Phnom Penh.
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

This morning, continue to the National Museum. The museum is housed in a traditional Khmer-style building and surrounded by lush, tropical gardens. There are nearly 5,000 items on display dating back to the 4th century. 
Then Wat Phnom. The hilltop temple is located on the site where the city was originally established many years ago. 

Then return to your hotel for refreshment. 

In the afternoon, if you prefer to explore the Russian Market. This bustling bazaar earned its name in the 1980s as the expat Russian population often shopped here. These days the market is filled with everything from souvenirs to local handicrafts, silver jewellery to electronic goods. 

In the evening at 5pm, enjoy a cruise on the mighty Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers: the perfect opportunity for a different perspective of the Cambodian capital. Appreciate scenic landscapes along the contrasting riversides of the Tonle Sap, and the Mekong River, where a rural Cambodian lifestyle and landscape still remain. Whether comfortably seated on the aft deck or standing on the foredeck, enjoy the breezy evening atmosphere with local beer and soft drinks. Enjoy the spectacular views of the city during the sunset hour.  After the cruise, return to the riverfront and continue to dinner in a local restaurant before returning to the hotel. 

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Phnom Penh Hotel – Oudong (40 km): 1hrs / Oudong – Smiling Gecko (20 km): 30 mins

After breakfast, pickup from your hotel and head to Oudong Mountain. Just a short distance from the city, the buzz of the modern world disappears and small villages and farms come into view. Continue on to Oudong and 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.

Then head to Farmhouse Smiling Gecko Resort which is on the same National Road to Kampong Chhnang Province. After a half an hour drive, we will reach the Farmhouse Smiling Gecko which is surrounded by paddy fields and rolling hills. The boutique bungalow resort is a training hotel and part of the holistic social organisation Smiling Gecko. The resort is located in the very heart of the agricultural area of the project.
You will stay in stilt houses built in the traditional local style. These beautifully furnished stilt houses combine the charm of traditional Cambodian architecture with modern sanitary facilities and are available in three comfort levels.

By staying at the Farmhouse Smiling Gecko, you support the sustainable Smiling Gecko cluster project and contribute to its success.

Upon arrival, check-in, free at your own leisure to enjoy reading, or relaxing by the pool. 

Lunch & Dinner on your own account.

Overnight in the Farmhouse resort.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

Today you can enjoy the relaxing time in your khmer house, by pool, or cycling around the resort.
The Resort also offers complimentary Smiling Gecko Project Tour around the campus as well, you can discuss with the resort the time to start.

The rest of the day at your leisure or you can choose any available tour around the village with resort directly with extra charge. 

Lunch & Dinner on your own account.

Overnight in the Farmhouse resort.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Smiling Gecko – Siem Reap (319 km): 5hrs 30mn

In the morning around 8am, head to Siem Reap 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. 

Upon arrival at Siem Reap town, transfer to check-in.

Starting at 17:00, begin the introduction at the Shrine to Yay Tep: Beneath a tree on an island in the middle of the road leading into Siem Reap sits a sandstone image believed by locals to contain the spirit of Yay Tep, a Neak Ta (ancestral spirit) that is believed by locals to protect the town of Siem Reap. Just beside Ya Tep lies Preak Ang Chek and Preak Angchom, a popular Buddhist shrine surrounded by stories of power and indestructibility. Preak Ang Chek and Preak Angchom have also come to fame because of the fortune teller at the shrine. 

Continue onwards and learn about Spirit Houses. The Royal Crusade for Independence Gardens are beautiful to walk through, and host a colony of giant fruit bats. Finish the walking tour along the riverside opposite Psar Chas, the Old Market. While the south side of the market has largely been given over to stalls selling souvenirs to tourists, much of the market still caters to a local clientele who shop here for everything from fresh produce and household supplies to motorbike parts. Along the riverside are a number of stalls selling various street foods. Grab a snack if you wish, enjoy a stroll around the market, or ask the guide to hail a Remork to return to the hotel. 

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap - Temple (6km): 10 mins

This morning at 8am, head to the ancient city of Angkor Thom for a photography scavenger hunt, picked up by a local ‘Remork’ (tuk tuk). Upon arrival, receive a map and a set of clues. Armed with these items and a camera, set off into the sprawling complex in a quest to capture a dozen unique pictures. Start with a visit to the South Gate, where remarkable statues depicting mythological demons and gods line the fifty-metre walkway. Start unlocking the answers to the clues, being led past other smaller monuments and into the heart of Angkor Thom.

During the game, discover interesting facts about sites such as the historic Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King. Explore ancient Bayon Temple and admire the enigmatic faces that cover the temple’s 54 towers. Finish with an exploration of the forested temple complex of Preah Pithu in search of hidden statues, carvings, and chambers! After collecting all the photos, meet up with the guide. Discuss the answers to the quiz and share the picture clues with the group of participants, receiving a magnificent prize for completing the scavenger hunt successfully. 

Return to your hotel for some refreshment. 

In the afternoon 15:00, will take you on a journey to Angkor Wat, 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. 

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap – Kulen Elephant Forest (39 km): 57 mins

Today depart from the hotel at 7:30am for a one-hour drive to the plains surrounding Kulen Mountain. 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, follow the elephants as they wander around the area, snacking on leaves from nearby trees. Lunch is provided in family-style.

Afterward, return to your hotel and free at your leisure. 

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Siem Reap - Ta Brak village (19 km): 36 mins

Today embark on an authentic rural Cambodia tour to learn about life in a typical village. Meet friendly locals and discover traditional village customs and cultures.

Like most villages in Asia, Ta Brak is busiest in the morning hours. Sit down with a local family and enjoy breakfast (take-away from the hotel) while observing the activities of the village.  By foot, visit the local market. Explore the colourful displays of vegetables, herbs and other locally-grown produce, and mingle with the shoppers who come every morning to buy the fresh ingredients. Continue through the village, providing ample opportunities to stop and chat with locals and to observe their activities. 

Before leaving the village, head to Khmer smokehouse and meet a warm family. Learn the process of smoking fish, discover Cambodian rural life through stories shared amidst fragrant smoke. Over a fresh coconut juice, get to know the family, engage in discussions, and gain a better understanding of the countryside lifestyle in Cambodia. 
Conclude this morning, partake in a special Buddhist tradition. Local monks will impart wishes of good luck and success in a solemn, age-old ceremony.

Lunch in a local restaurant.

Then return to Siem Reap and stop by at the APOPO visitor’s centre for an exclusive tour of this fascinating and life-saving organization (Join with other guests). Welcome by 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. 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. 

Afterward free at your leisure in the hotel.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Siem Reap – Tonle Sap Lake (20 km): 30 mins

Hop on a local wooden boat for a private journey through a canal, all the way to Tonle Sap Lake. See what life is like on Southeast Asia’s largest lake. Take a boat trip on Tonle Sap Lake, cruising past quiet waterways. This is a unique opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the way of life of the local people living on stilt houses. 

After a tour of Tonle Sap Lake, visit the Angkor Wildlife and Aquarium (AWA) for a closer look at the lake’s marine ecosystems. The AWA, in cooperation with NGOs and the Cambodian government, plays an active role in conservation by providing educational content about different species and operating an important breeding project.

On arrival, enjoy a welcome drink and meet with one of the AWA’s marine biologists for a behind- the-scenes tour of the marine exhibit. During the visit, learn about the environmental threats faced by the Tonle Sap, including habitat destruction, illegal fishing and disrupted migration patterns.
This insightful visit includes a donation that supports vital conservation efforts for endangered species in Tonle Sap lake.

Return to your hotel for some refreshment. 

In the afternoon if you prefer around 15:00, unveiling Cambodia's chocolate secrets! Join the tour and discover WAT Chocolate, Cambodia's first bean-to-bar factory. Learn the fascinating journey of cocoa, from bean to bar, and savor delicious chocolate. You'll even leave with a chocolate treat of your choice! This experience is perfect for families and promotes ethically sourced Cambodian cacao from Mondulkiri.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap – Siem Reap airport (52km): 60 mins / Sihanoukville – Sihanoukville airport (18 km): 25 mins / Sihanoukville - Koh Rong / Koh Rong Sanloem: 35min

Breakfast at the hotel. 

You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Sihanoukville (approx. 45-60 mins).  

Current Schedule: Siem Reap - Sihanoukville by K6131 (1130-1240) - see separate price

Upon arrival in Sihanoukville, direct transfer to the pier of the hotel on your selection list.
 
If your destination is Koh Rong/Rong Sanloem, take the boat scheduled at 13:30. The duration of the boat is approx. 45-60 mins according to the weather conditions. On arrival at the island, check-in at the resort.

Overnight on Koh Rong/Rong Sanloem. 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel. 

Day at leisure. 

Overnight on Koh Rong or Koh Rong Sanloem.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel. 

Day at leisure. 

Overnight on Koh Rong or Koh Rong Sanloem.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Koh Rong – Sihanoukville Port: 45-60 mins / Sihanoukville – Phnom Penh (217km): 2 hrs 30 mins

Breakfast at the hotel. 

Take a shared-speedboat to the mainland. Then you will be transferred directly via expressway to Phnom Penh airport for your departure flight (3hrs).
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast