Classic Cambodia: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap

Morning
After breakfast, meet your guide again and head out to visit the most remarkable sights of Phnom Penh in a Cyclo (a three-wheeled bicycle taxi), an original Phnom Penh means of transportation and a fun way to explore this lively city.

The first stop is at the Pshar Kandal, Phnom Pen’s oldest market, to enjoy yummy local delicacies such as fried noodles, BBQ beef with papaya salad, and delicious rice and coconut treats. Then it’s a walk through the French Quarter, which will open your eyes to Phnom Penh’s colonial-era architecture. Admire Belle Epoque and Art Deco design, a train station built during colonial times as wells as the Buddhist Temple, Wat Phnom, the tallest religious structure in the city.

Next, proceed to visit the Royal Palace Compound built-in 1866 by the Predecessors of King Norodom, the most conspicuous feature and also one of the most impressive colorful Khmer-style Palaces. Nearside the Royal Palace is the Silver Pagoda (The Emerald Buddha temple), which displays plenty of Buddha Statues that were decorated and made by diamond, emerald, gold, and silver.

Continue to visit the National Museum, the distinctive red building with a beautiful Khmer architecture was built since 1917 containing more than 5000 art objects made of sandstone, bronze, silver, copper, wood, and others. Pass through the River Front Park whose scenery is much worth shooting.

Return to the hotel for a relaxing break during the midday heat.

Afternoon
Gain insight into Cambodia’s recent dark history on a visit to the infamous Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as Prison S21) and listen to English commentary en route. The prison comprises 4 buildings with exhibitions in several rooms. During your visit, you will barely meet a single person who didn’t lose a member of their family during these years, yet they are all willing to talk openly about it with you. They wish you to hear about it and see these places, to ensure that it never happens again.

After an hour and 15 minutes at the museum, take a 40-minute drive to the Killing Fields, see a documentary on the Khmer Rouge regime. Under the leadership of Pol Pot, his government caused the deaths of more than two million people. There will be around 1 hour and 15 minutes to explore the site. An audio guide is available in 15 languages along with a map of the fields.

Overnight in Phnom Penh
Meals: (B/L/_)

Morning
You can sleep in and enjoy late breakfast. After that, spend the rest of the morning at your leisure relaxing at the hotel’s swimming pool.

Afternoon
Get picked up by a Remork (Cambodia tuk-tuk) and venture out of Phnom Penh by crossing the historic Japanese Friendship Bridge before sailing across the Mekong River to Koh Oknha Tey – a beautiful Silk island by ferry.

Along the way, you will visit the majestic Bakhaeng temple with stunning architecture, statues, carvings, and artwork.

Upon arrival, you will set out to explore these islands commonly known as the “silk islands” due to their longstanding tradition of silk weaving. Visit one of these villages where the weavers allow us to wander among their looms, admiring their skills at this knotty art form.

You will have a chance to witness the entire silk weaving process, learning how silk starts with the silkworms, see silk thread being looped and dyed, then admire and purchase the beautiful Cambodian silk fabrics, the final shimmering Khmer silk accessories.

Afterward, enjoy Khmer snacks at a local family’s house while admiring the surrounding scenery. Aboard a boat back to Phnom Penh. Marvel at the unique architectural wonders around the area such as the Wat Ounalom, Royal Palace, and the Silver Pagoda as the sun sinks into the horizon.

Evening
Meet your food expert guide and zoom past the streets of Phnom Penh aboard a tuk-tuk again and see the city’s famous landmarks by night. Spice up the ride with unlimited beer and drinks you can enjoy as you go from one destination to another.

You will first fill yourself up with the best noodles in town, delight in the rich taste of roasted chicken and ribs, and wrap your own lettuce and rice noodle rolls. Continue to discover the taste of Cambodian cuisine by visiting family-run restaurants that serve authentic Khmer dishes.

Head to a local rooftop bar and enjoy the stunning views of the city as you sip on delicious craft beer or cocktails. Sit among the locals and see how they spend their night with family and friends.

Overnight in Phnom Penh
Meals: (B/_/D)

Morning
After breakfast and late checkout, you are driven back to Phnom Penh airport to board a short flight to Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor Archeological Park. On arrival, you will be met by a new private guide and driver and transferred directly to your hotel in downtown for check-in.

Afternoon
Head out to visit the excellent Angkor National Museum. The visit serves as an excellent primer to the gems of Angkor before visiting the temples. The museum provides a potentially large collection of relics, texts and audiovisual presentations relating to the Angkorian era. With even a basic knowledge of the history and symbolism of the architecture, you will have a much richer and engaging experience visiting the temples.

Evening
Indulge in a scrumptious Cambodian dinner with the classical Apsara dancers depicting scenes from Khmer mythology at Angkor Village Theater.

Overnight in Siem Reap
Meals: (B/_/D)

Today with the help of your private and driver you will embark on a full day’s sightseeing around the Angkor Archaeological Park which stretches over some 400 square kilometres, including forested area. The park contains the magnificent remains of several capitals of the great Khmer Empire of the 9th to the 15th centuries.

Morning
Begin your day with an early visit (avoid the crowds) to the 13th-century Ta Prohm, a hauntingly beautiful temple where the roots of giant banyans and strangler figs enfold much of the stonework, creating scenes little changed since the French Adventurer Henri Mouhot re-discovered Angkor in the 1850s.  This temple makes the ‘Tomb Raider Temple’ one of the most picturesque and memorable of the Angkor temples.

Continue your explorations by visiting the ancient capital city of Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire that once ruled much of Southeast Asia. This city is surrounded by an 8 m high wall drawing a perfect square. You will enter the city from 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.

For lunch, you’ll visit the Sala Bai Hotel School where disadvantaged local youth learn skills that enable them to find gainful employment in the hospitality industry.

Afternoon
Your exploits will continue as you visit Banteay Kdei (“Citadel of Chambers”), a Buddhist monastery from the late 12th Century, and Sra Srang, also known as the “pool of ablutions”. From here, move onto the Bayon Temple in the exact centre of the ancient 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.

You will also visit the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King as they are both known for their intricate bas-reliefs. Stroll through the grounds of the former Royal Palace to discover some small hidden temples that are rarely visited.

Finish your day sightseeing with a leisurely gondola boat ride through the moats of Angkor Thom. In the tranquil solitude, visualize the royal city when it ruled over two million people nearly 800 years ago. As the sun approaches the horizon, make your way to Prasat Chrung, a small temple built in the style of Bayon, and climb an iron staircase to a quiet spot for excellent sunset views over the ruins.

Overnight in Siem Reap
Meals: (B/L/_)

Today, you’ll continue to experience the temple relics but in a way that will really let you feel like you’ve escaped the 20th century and traveled a thousand years back to a time when life was simple and nature was surreal.

Morning
As first light dawns, you will be at the most important religious monument in the country, admiring the extraordinary Temple of Angkor Wat across a reflecting moat.

When the sun rises behind the triple towers, the crowds will thin out as most people return to bed or a hotel breakfast. We will make use of the cool temperatures and soft morning light to explore Angkor Wat in a more peaceful atmosphere.

After enjoying your takeaway breakfast (prepared by your guide) near the temple, you will start exploring one of the Seven Wonders of the World: Angkor Wat. At this point, you most probably have gotten glimpses of the towers over treetops and the gates in front of passing. But now you’ll finally get to satiate that curiosity that’s grown in the last few days.

Enter Angkor Wat and learn about the stories and amazing architecture that has stunned archeologists leaving more questions than answers. Angkor Wat possesses some of the most intricate and longest stone carvings in the world. This complex is four times the size of the Vatican City making it the largest religious site in the world. Spend the rest of the morning adventuring through the many passages, levels, and exploring chambers that once housed one of many treasures of the ancient world. It will be an experience you will never forget.

Leaving Angkor Wat behind you will travel to the countryside to see the “gem” of the Angkor area, the pretty temple of Banteay Srey. The so-called “Citadel of the Women” remains the best-preserved temple in Cambodia. It displays some of the finest examples of classical Khmer art as this small temple is noted for its truly remarkable fine bas-reliefs. Banteay Srey is unique in that it is constructed of pink sandstone, which is seen nowhere else in Angkor.

Continue your day by driving up north to Kbal Spean, one of the earliest Hindu pilgrimage sites in Cambodia. Upon arrival, you will take a short trek up the hill through dense jungle with excellent views over the plains and the Kulen hills. At the top, be surprised about the “River of 1000 Lingas” with some remarkable stone carvings of Hindu gods, animals, and other symbols in the river bed.

Afternoon
After enjoying a picnic lunch you can take a refreshing bath in the nearby waterfall, which is extremely popular with the local families.

On the way back to Siem Reap, make a quick stop at the Land Mine Museum which promotes mine awareness. Mr. Aki Ra, the museum founder, was trained as a child soldier during the Khmer Rouge regime and is working today as a de-miner. The museum serves also as a rescue centre for a number of land mine amputee children that Aki Ra has brought off Phnom Penh’s streets or from impoverished rural communities.

Overnight in Siem Reap
Meals: (B/L/_)

Today you will explore the unique communities and traditional villages dot the rural countryside near Siem Reap and promise an escape to another world.

Morning
After breakfast, you will be picked up by your private guide and driver, and transferred in a Tuk Tuk southeast to one of the largest and least-visited villages on the Tonle Sap Lake, Kompong Khleang, about 55km from Siem Reap having a population of about 10,000 people, all of whom make a living from the fishing industry. On the way, you will stop for hot sticky rice and then take a detour off the main highway into the countryside. You’ll wind through dirt roads and, in the rainy season, witness families working their rice paddies.

Upon arrival board a private motorized boat to visit the Kompong Khleang,  the two other floating villages, and the Great lake. Explore the canals (wet season) or streets (dry season) of this incredible town. In the wet season, the houses appear to be floating, as water laps at the verandas, but in the dry season towering stilts are revealed, the houses almost like wooden skyscrapers.

During the boat ride, you will make stops to see where Bridge of Lifeworks, visit a Cambodian pagoda and a stilted home in the village to learn a little more about local life. Cruise into the open water of the lake to see a small floating village and learn some more about this incredible natural flood barrier.

You’ll end your tour with a boat ride back to the harbor where your driver is waiting to take you back to your hotel.

Afternoon
Spend your time to relax and chill out at the hotel swimming pool. Enjoy your last day in Cambodia before going back home.

Suggested Activity: Attend the Phare – the Cambodian Circus, an amazing blend of traditional and modern theater, music, dance, acrobatic, juggling and contortion beautifully choreographed and performed in a story about Cambodian lives and society.

Overnight in Siem Reap
Meals: (B/_/_)

Your private transfer greets you at the hotel after breakfast and escorts your family to Siem Reap International Airport where you board your flight home or travel on to more adventures, we will help you with the planning.

Meals: (B/_/_)