Journey along Tonle Sap Lake 8 days (ATD-C01)

Upon arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport, you will be met by your driver and guide and chauffeured to your accommodation for check-in. Evening at your own leisure to relax after your long haul flight.

Overnight in Phnom Penh

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be greeted by a tour guide who will take you on a tour to the most remarkable sights of Phnom Penh. First, head to Wat Phnom Temple, the founding place of the city on a small hilltop. Continue along the riverfront to the Royal Palace. This palace dates back to 1866 and houses the Silver Pagoda, named for the over 5,000 heavy silver tiles that cover its floors. Its original name is Wat Prakeo, meaning Temple of the Emerald Buddha. In this temple, view a collection of Buddhas in gold, silver, crystal, and bronze.

The next stop will be the National Museum, built in traditional Khmer style, considered as the house of the world’s foremost collection of ancient Khmer artistic, archaeological, and religious artifacts from the 4th to the 13th centuries. Over 5,000 pieces are on display, constituting a repository of the Kingdom’s cultural wealth. In addition, the roof space is home to a large bat colony!

Proceed to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, where you will be told stories from survivors and liberators of the camp. A grim, but important visit that will allow you to dig below the surface and understand Cambodia better.

Late in the afternoon, enjoy an atmospheric sunset river cruise and watch how Phnom Penh’s popular riverfront comes to life in the early evening. Enjoy fresh coconut juice onboard. After the cruise trip, head to the riverside area of Phnom Penh, a pleasant French style promenade that is great for people viewing. In the early evening (and morning), various activities will take place include exercise classes, Khmer dancing and plenty of snacking on local food. You can participate in a Khmer dance class which is a lot of fun for all! From here you can either be taken back to your hotel or left to explore this bustling area independently and have dinner at one of the many great restaurants at the riverfront.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Phnom Penh

After breakfast, you will depart Phnom Penh for Kampong Thom, with the first stop at Skuon town to see (or even try) famous local food “sautéed spiders”. The road condition to Kampong Thom is fairly basic, but in return, you will get a great journey with temples, rainforests, and Khmer traditional villages.

Upon arrival in Kampong Thom, check into your hotel and enjoy a leisurely afternoon cycling tour along the river or relaxing by the beautiful hotel pool.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Kampong Thom

An early morning departure to the archeological site of Sambor Prei Kuk, which is dotted with hundred Pre-Angkor styled temples. The site, part of the Chenla Kingdom, includes an area of nearly 1000 acres enclosed by double walls, and hundreds of temples and towers, its construction predates Angkor Wat by several centuries. The road conditions are a bit poor, but the spectacular scenery, with a mixture of temples and forest, makes the hardship all worthwhile.

On arrival you will enjoy a beautiful walk through the jungle with breathtaking views. Your visit supports a community-based tourism project. The villages around the temple complex still practice the ancient art of craft making, using materials such as bamboo and rattan. Stop at one village to observe the local production. The community runs the Isanborei Craft Hut next to the temples and sells their products there as part of a community-based tourism project. You will have the chance to visit and contribute to the sustainability of the people’s livelihood as the local community will prepare a simple but very tasty lunch for you near the temple.

After seeing this landmark, you will wind your way towards Siem Reap and passing through various Khmer traditional villages. On the way, you will visit the archeological “Naga Bridge” at Kompong Kdei.

Arrive in Siemreap in the late afternoon and check into the hotel. The rest of the day will be free at your leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight in Siemreap

An early departure (to avoid the crowds) to visit 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 8m high wall, drawing a perfect square. Enter the city through 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. Continue on to the incredible Ta Prohm temple, built in the mid-12th to early 13th centuries. 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.

In the afternoon, you will visit the legendary Angkor Wat. 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.

End the day with a beautiful sunset view from the top of Phnom Bakheng hill. Once the sun has set (6:30 pm) and your legs have gone sore, we’ll head back to town.

You will be on your own in the evening.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Siemreap

In the morning, you will embark on an interesting boat trip on Tonlé Sap Lake (Kampong Phluk area), where you will have the opportunity to learn about life on the lake. Tonle Sap is South East Asia’s largest freshwater lake with its size varying greatly depending on the season, as it swells to about four times its size during the wet season.

Continue your boat trip to visit Kampong Phluck, a village where you will see houses on stilts that are submerged when Tonlé Sap Lake swells. On the way, you will pass floating houses and impressive flooded forests, portraying life on the water.

In the afternoon, you will be taken on a drive through the countryside to a local village, a beautiful small farming village where life revolves around the seasons and family, located approximately 15 minutes outside of Siem Reap. Here you will be taken on an incredible walking tour through the village and the local community, learning about their simple way of life, meet local people and you will probably want to chat with them or help them with gardening works or help grow vegetables in the gardens. The village tour guide will explain to you about Cambodian daily lifestyle, customers, cultures, and superstitions. Then we will also stop at a local pagoda for an intimate monk blessing (water blessing), wishing you good health and a safe journey – a very special experience!

This is a wonderful village tour that provides a lot of photo opportunities and local experiences. End of the trip, you will enjoy seasonal fruits & fresh coconut juice at a host family’s house before transferring back to the hotel where the balance of the day is free at your leisure.

*** Note: Today we recommend you to have proper clothes if you want to join the monk blessing at the local temple.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Siemreap

Enjoy your free day in Siem Reap or you can consider joining one of our recommended optional experiences below.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Siemreap

Your private transfer greets you at the hotel after breakfast and escorts you 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 included: Breakfast