Responsible Travel in Cambodia

📍 Phnom Penh Airport - Phnom Penh (11 km): 30 mins

Welcome to Cambodia! Upon your arrival in Phnom Penh, you will be welcomed by your local English speaking guide who will accompany you to your hotel for check in. 

Overnight in Phnom Penh 

Inclusions:

This morning tour begins at 08:00. Get to know Phnom Penh, a vibrant city steeped in history. 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. 

Lunch at a local restaurant. 

This afternoon, visit the Royal Palace. Explore the majestic compound and step back in time to when the Kingdom flourished. The elegant Silver Pagoda, with its solid-silver floor, is a reminder of the prosperity of the former royal families. Then visit the National Museum. Go inside to see seemingly endless displays of art and artefacts dating back to the pre-Angkorian era. Continue to the hilltop pagoda of Wat Phnom. 

Note: All visitors to Royal Palace 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.

Overnight in Phnom Penh

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Phnom Penh - Battambang (330 km): 7 hours by train

Wake up early in the morning and you will be transferred to the train station. Train departure at 06:30 am. The train journey from Phnom Penh to Battambang offers a unique and scenic way to experience Cambodia. 

Upon arrival in Battanbang, you will be transferred to your hotel. 

Tour begins at 16:00, by visiting an ancient house at Wat Kor Village. This village has incredibly well preserved Khmer heritage houses, built more than 100 years ago. Explore the beauty of these historic buildings and the charm of rural village life. 

Take a walk around the old town. Getting a glimpse of the colonial heart of the city of Battambang. This walk allows you to experience how the city has evolved over its history and remains a peaceful and charming city, including visits to old colonial buildings, Psar Nat (a local market), the Chinese Pagoda, and an old cinema, to name a few.  

Note: Train departure from Phnom Penh at 06:40 am, and arrive at Battambang at 13:30. This is NOT a luxury train, no air conditioner available

Overnight in Battambang. 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Cycling distance 22 km

Fuel up with a good breakfast, begin the Battambang bike tour at 07:30. This half day cycle is arranged by Soksabike, a social enterprise aimed at preserving Khmer traditions through tourism activities. The ride around Battambang covers 22 km over mostly flat roads. Then head out of town and into the countryside. The ride is focused on showing the ‘real’ Cambodia so there will be plenty of chances to stop and see how the local people live. 

Pass through rural communities and see the process of creating local items such as rice paper, Krolan (sticky rice steamed in bamboo), and Prahoc (pungent Cambodian fish paste). Interact with the villagers and learn about their lives while watching them make these treats. 

Cycle through Battambang’s lovely countryside. The scenery is filled with vibrant rice paddies and orchards growing oranges and other fruits. Tucked amid the bucolic setting is Wat Samraong Knong, a charming Buddhist temple built in 1907 in a fusion of French colonial and Khmer architectural styles. Sadly, the temple functioned as an interrogation facility during the Khmer Rouge era: a memorial for the more than 10,000 victims has been built on site. 

Around 12.00 return to town and say farewell to the biking guide.

Afternoon at leisure. 

Overnight in Battambang

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Battambang - Banteay Chhmar (141 km) : 3 hrs

This morning you will have breakfast at a local restaurant named Lan Chov Khorko Miteanh 'Noodle Guy'. Then make a visit to the impressive Tep Kao Sol Gallery. The messages and cultural significance of the pieces on show include a presentation of the work of its main artist Lorn Loeum who specialises in photography and watercolour paintings. 

Drive through the Cambodian countryside to Banteay Chhmar community, check in your homestay. Accommodation for tonight will be at a traditional, local homestay. A memorable and intimate encounter, this will be the perfect means of experiencing daily life and learning the local customs of a typical Khmer village. 

Enjoy your lunch at the community’s restaurant.

Afternoon, visit the main temple compound of Banteay Chhmar, one of the largest built in the Angkor era that sees very few visitors. The carvings on the outside of the inner sanctuary walls are simply stunning. Sunset at Baray Mebon. 

Enjoy a torch-lit dinner under the stars, accompanied by the gaze of Bayon-style towers. A traditional Khmer music performance played by local villagers will conclude the amazing first night in the serene setting of rural Cambodia.

Overnight in Banteay Chhmar at a local homestay

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Banteay Chhmar - Siem Reap (160 km): 2 hrs 30 mins

Breakfast at the community’s restaurant. 

Start the morning with a walking tour through the Banteay Chhmar local market. The local guide will explain the traditional way of life in the area. 

Depart the village and travel 12 km by Kuyon (local tractor) through small villages, water reservoirs, and picturesque rice fields to Banteay Torp temple. The name of this 13th Century temple is thought to mean ‘Fortress of the Army’ and it was built during the same period as the Banteay Chhmar temple complex. 

After having a picnic lunch at this serene temple, continue journeying onwards to Siem Reap.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Siem Reap – Angkor Temples (06 km): 15 mins

Beginning from 07:30, travel by Remork (local transportation) to experience Ta Prohm temple. The temple was made famous by the Angelina Jolie film Tomb Raider. The temple is best known for the trees and vines growing atop the temple walls. Enter from the east, to avoid the crowds. Then continue to Angkor Thom, visit The Terrace of The Elephants and the Royal Palace enclosure. Next, take a stroll around the lower galleries of carvings of Bayon, which depict fascinating scenes of life from the late 11th century, then find a quiet spot on the exterior of the temple to appreciate the 54 towers featuring faces of the Buddha looking out into the jungle around you.

Return to your hotel. Lunch on your own account. 

Afternoon by Remork visit the magnificent Angkor Wat, a 12th-century temple built by King Suryavarman II. This architectural marvel reflects Mount Meru, the abode of Hindu gods. Inside, intricate carvings and reliefs showcase Hindu myths with over 2,000 Apsara dancers grace the walls. Angkor Wat remains a powerful symbol of Cambodia, even gracing the national flag.

Note: Should you wish to witness a sunset, there are limited options and they can be quite crowded. Consider finding a quiet place away from the crowds, such as atop the city wall beside the West or South gate of Angkor Thom, or Srah Srang. Be advised that a sunset will typically have you returning to town after 6:00pm. 

Overnight in Siem Reap

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap – Ta Brak Village (20km): 28 mins / Siem Reap – Kampong Khleang (51km): 60mins

Today the tour begins at 07:00. Start with an early morning! Embark on an authentic rural Cambodia tour to learn about life in a typical village, Ta Brak. 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. Then take an ox cart ride, a traditional countryside method of transporting people and goods. The 30 minute journey passes through the village on the way to 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 on foot through the village, providing ample opportunities to stop and chat with locals and to observe their activities. Before leaving the village, partake in a special Buddhist tradition. Local monks will impart wishes of good luck and success in a solemn, age-old ceremony.

Then take a road trip to the shores of Tonle Sap Lake. Cruise through the floating village of Kompong Khleang and see this unique way of living. For an even deeper understanding of life on the Tonle Sap, head to a local family house for lunch. 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. 

Then it is time to say farewell to the host family and return to Siem Reap. 

Overnight in Siem Reap

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.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Siem Reap – Kbal Spean (47 km): 1 hr 10mins

You will get an early start for the trip to Kbal Spean. This is one of Cambodia’s earliest Hindu sites. Take a 3-kilometre trek through the jungle. The trek ends at the ‘River of 1000 Lingas’, a riverbed featuring stone carvings of Hindu gods, animals and phallic symbols. (Note : Please note the trek is fairly easy going but as the walk is uphill and on uneven ground it is most suitable for those with average level of fitness and not suitable for those with mobility problems.) 

Then visit the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB). You will learn about the threats to Cambodia’s wildlife and the efforts of ACCB to protect the environment and promote wildlife conservation through education. 
Lunch at a local restaurant. 
After lunch you will explore the rarely-visited Banteay Srei temple, known for its pink sandstone and intricate carvings. This well-preserved gem is often overlooked due to its location, but you'll enjoy a peaceful visit with close-up views of the reliefs. 

Continue to APOPO Visitor Center. Learn about the critical work of APOPO's "HeroRATs" in clearing landmines from Cambodia's countryside. See a simulated minefield training, meet the hero rats, and participate in a Q&A with a mine action professional.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Siem Reap Hotel – Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (53 km): 1 hr

Depending on your flight departure time, you may spend the morning exploring Siem Reap’s colourful markets (on your own).

Transfer to the airport for your individual onward flight. 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast