Category: Phnom Penh

Day 1: Arrival into Siem Reap City, Flight to be determined.

Greeting with your appointed local guide on arrival with private transfer to your hotel of choice.

Day 2: Temple of Forest and Angkor Complex

Morning:

By road to Explore Srah Srang and then Ta Prohm (The Tomb Rider Filmed) (11km), take your time to walk through the temple from the East entrance to the West entrance.  [to meet again with our driver (walk 1–2 km)].  From the Northwest of Ta Prohm, we shall walk (15 minutes) through the forest to the lightly visited temple of Ta Nei.  There is a reasonable chance of having this beautiful Angkor temple to yourself to explore.

Then continue at Ta Keo temple, known as the “mountain with bronze peaks”, and admire its five-tiered pyramid structure.

Return by road to Siem Reap for lunch (own cost). We can recommend a wide selection of excellent eateries to suit all tastes and budgets. Please ask for more details.

Afternoon:  Angkor Thom – the world’s largest city in the 12^th Century

Travel by road to the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom.  You have the choice of either walking along the path along the 8m high laterite city wall (500m) to the Death Gate or continuing around by road.

En route to the Terrace of the Leper King, you can stop briefly to see an imposing statue found in Bayon which is now displayed at Vihear Prampeilveng.

Visit Wat Tang Tok to get a water blessing ceremony by the monks, said to bring good fortune for the journey ahead.

Begin again at the atmospheric Preah Palilay and walk (1km) through the shaded parkland behind the terraces, pass Phimeanakas  (Royal Palace) with its beautiful lakes, and the imposing Baphuon to finally reach to Bayon Temple (Jayavarman’s state temple) at the center of the city.  Explore this important temple with its many captivating giant stone faces.  Your guide will point out the most interesting of the detailed bas reliefs illustrating everyday life in the Angkorian era.

Day 3: Angkor Wat Sunrise and Tonle Sap Exploration

Early morning:

Early morning start for a sunrise tour at pre-dawn to witness the breathtaking view of Angkor Wat temple, the best place for photography. Continue to explore the central complex and bas-reliefs of Angkor Wat [AD1113], one of travel’s remaining great adventures, before returning to the hotel for a late breakfast.

Hunter/gatherers on Tonle Sap

Explore Tonle Sap Great Lake the richest fresh water fishing ground in the world, a national treasure producing an ever-changing landscape. The communities that live around the margins of the lake cope with huge seasonal variations in water levels by building their homes on floating bamboo rafts or 30ft stilts. It is well worth the extra effort to get away from the touristy village of Chong Kneas to the more genuine stilted villages – Kompong Khleang or Kompong Phluk (dependent on water levels) – for an understanding of contemporary lake life.

Continuing from the lake you will drive on to explore the remote temple of Beng Mealea, often described as the blueprint for Angkor Wat. Built under the control of Suryavarman II, this 12^th century temple, overgrown with roots and vines, is in a much-collapsed state retaining a very atmospheric feel. Venture into darkened doorways skirting crumbling pillars and walk down the long promenades lined by naga balustrades. Take advantage of the walkways to traverse the ruins and scramble over tumbled stones in the less-explored courtyards.

Day 4: Siem Reap to Battambang by Road 

After your breakfast start your journey by road to Battambang and check in at your chosen hotel.

Afternoon: Experience the Bamboo Train (French word lorry) the way of local transportation during the late 80s to 90s. It will take about 1 hour take you to see the rice farm, local villages with the green scenery. It’s quite exiting of an unforgettable experience in Battambang. Then continuous to travel out of Battambang town about 12 km to Phnom Sampov Mountain. It is quite spectacular to stay there until the thousands of bats exiting the cave.

Evening: Dinner at local restaurant (own costing)

Day 5: Full day explore Battambang and Surrounding    

Morning: Taking a tour to visit Bannon Temple [late 12^th century] by climb up the ancient stairs with 358 steps to see the distinctive five towers on the mountain with the nice view of the country on the top. The temple is best preserved in Battambang. And continuous to visit the former Battambang provincial and now transform to the museum with its charms of colonial architecture collecting the artifacts of Angkorian and Pre-Angkoria potteries statues from the ancient temples.

Afternoon: Visit an over 300 years old Samrong Khnong monastery. The monastery found in 1707 AD and a short time served as a prison during Khmer Rouge and continuous to visit the ruins of Ek Phnom temple [11^th century] with well sandstone carvings distance 9 km north east of Battambang town. 

Day 6: Battambang to Kampot by Road

After your breakfast start your journey by road to Kampot provincial city and check in at your chosen hotel. The city is quiet welcoming and quiet destination for the tourists rich in colonial architecture. The whole city is quite difference from Sihanoukville as it is a small old town ambiance with its character of quiet and welcoming atmosphere.

Day 7: Kampot Pepper Farm, Salt Farm and Kampong Trach Mountain Cave

Morning:

Visit Kampot Pepper Farm a social and sustainable family farming project. Grown traditionally and harvested by hand and the perfect combination of traditional and modern processing produces Black, Red, White Kampot pepper and the exclusive Fresh Salted Kampot Pepper, Red Long Pepper, Turmeric, Bird Chili and local fruits. Presentation, tasting and free guided tour in English French.  

And continuous to see the salt field where salt is produced in Cambodia where boasting the serenity and beautiful landscape that leave the visitor inspiration. Cambodia can produce enough salt to in the country and also for export.

Afternoon Continuous to visit Phnom Kampong Trach Water Caves are located in the South Damnak Kuntuot commune about 38 kilometers east of Kampot provincial town. The site includes caves at the foot of the mountains, as well a number of hills which local people of Cambodian, Chinese and Vietnamese descent use for worship.  The limestone caves are relatively big. Inside of the cave you find a big reclining Buddha as well as some smaller statues. There is a “Swimming Cave” with a small lake inside the cave located about a 10-minute drive from the main cave. And continuous to see the Salt Farm

Day 8: Bokor National Park and Kampot Old Twon Tours

Morning:

Venture by car to Bokor Mountain part of the Elephant Mountain range of Cambodia which is remain the historical and calm and relaxation atmosphere. There are attractions sacred statue of Yay Mao and on the corner, you will see Damnak Sla Khmao Palace an abandoned of King Sihanouk in the 50s and 60s and now ruins by natures. Old Catholic Church build in 1920 during French Colonial combined with a myriad of other various abandoned architectures in the complex of Bokor Hill Station. Wat Sampov Pram Monastery an old Buddhist temple that is a place of worship of Cambodian. The Pagoda has five oddly shaped boat rocks and much unique architecture.

And Le Bokor Palace is the “heaven” for French. It was the famous summer escape for the French elites and royal family. Le Bokor Palace on the edge of the cliff which steeply overlooks the maritime coast of Cambodia, so called “Opal Coast”. Enjoying a moderate climate and unusually picturesque location. François Marius Baudoin, Résident-supérieur, to decide creates a “health resort” on in 1912.

Afternoon: Explore the local market in old Kampot Town that built in 1930s that still opening nowadays. The old town is nestling a long Kampot River that remain the historical and charms of French colonial buildings. Evening you will enjoy the river cruise with stunning sunset with relaxation a long the river.

Day 9: Kampot to Phnom Peny by Road

After your breakfast start your journey by road to Phnom Penh Capital and check in at your chosen hotel.

Evening: Private sunset boat cruise along Sisowath Quay (weather permitting!) on the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers. A river view gives possibly the best view of Phnom Penh and its ever-evolving skyline, lit up in the twilight sky.

Day 10: Phnom Peny City and Surrounding  

Morning: Khmer Rouge.

A tough beginning to understanding Cambodia. You will make more sense of modern Cambodia with a familiarity of the events of the late 1970’s and how the country continues to recover from this tragedy.  Visit the Killing Fields and Toul Sleng (S21), where only 7 survived from 1,000’s incarcerated.

Visit Russian Market the tourist shopping attraction with most variety souvenirs and clothes.

Afternoon: We continue to the Royal Palace built in 1866 by King Norodom and the Silver Pagoda with a floor of over 5,000 silver tiles.  Then continues to the National Museum, which houses the world’s foremost collection of Khmer fine art.  You can then opt to explore the shops and boutiques in Street 240 area or visit the small hill within the city, Wat Phnom and learn how the city got its name.

Day 11: Transfer for your out-bounce flight

Meet with your local guide with private transfer for your out-bounce departure flight. Chhum Reap Lear The Kingdom of Wonder – Good bye