Cambodia Past & Present 11 days (ATD-C03)

You will arrive at Siem Reap International Airport and from there you will be taken by private transfer to your hotel in the city centre. You’ll be free to spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

Overnight in Siemreap

After breakfast, start your day by a guided tour to 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, you will head back to town.

Time is 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. You 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. The rest of the day will be on your own.

*** 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

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Battambang, Cambodia’s second-largest city and, not so long ago, was within the target range of a stronghold of the erstwhile Khmer Rouge and was therefore off-limits to most travelers. However, like the remainder of this beautiful gentle country, Battambang has recently re-opened to the outside world. One fortuitous result of its isolation and lack of development is that Battambang has some of the most well preserved colonial French buildings in the country. You will find local people here to be extremely friendly. They have not been exposed to many foreign visitors and they will be as interested in you as you are in them!

Arrive in Battambang around noontime, after check into your hotel and a short rest, start to explore the town. You will have a chance for one of the highlights and a unique experience- a fun ride on the famous Bamboo Train, an original means of transportation on the old train tracks. A true rollercoaster ride without loops!

The next stop is Phnom Sampeau, meaning “Ship Hill” in Khmer, due to its distinctive shape, and one of the few hills standing out in this otherwise pancake-flat plain. From the small temple on the top, you will have a fantastic view of the typical landscape of paddy fields and sugar palm trees. Phnom Sampeau is home to the notorious killing caves, which are cruel reminders of Cambodia’s troubled past. Serenity and inhumanity represented in one place make this an interesting visit.

Finish the tour and get back to the hotel where the balance of the day will be at your leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Battambang

*** Alternative Option: Take a boat trip from Siemreap to Battambang (instead of overland driving)

This is on one of the most stunning boat trips in Cambodia, packed lunch on board. (Note: This boat trip is only possible in the high-water period from July to December as water levels are too low during the dry season and transfer times extremely long. From January to June alternative transfer by road. (Duration 6-7 hours).

Battambang’s countryside is what makes this pleasant river town a real treat. The town is situated along the Sangker River, a quiet and small body of water that finds its way through Battambang Province.

This morning, your guide will lead you through local villages and farms on the way to Wat Banan, an 11-century temple on a mountain-top situated between lush paddy fields and beautiful lotus ponds. Climb up the top and enjoy the views over the beautiful countryside and wander around the ancient temple, which is also home to finely scented flowering trees.

Then, you will be taken to some of the many cultural villages around Battambang, where you will learn how the locals produce rice paper, Prahoc (typical Cambodian fish paste), Grolan (sticky rice stuffed in bamboo), and other Cambodian treats. You will also visit a weaving and handicraft center.

The afternoon will be at your leisure to relax by the hotel pool or stroll through the charming town center.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Battambang

Depart from Battambang in the morning you will head to Kampong Chhnang, known for its traditional pottery, with many kilns at work in this province. In a village near Kampong Chhnang, you will be able to see the different aspects of pottery making and also experience the production of traditional rice wine.

Continue on to Oudong, the former royal capital of Cambodia. The drive passes through many rural villages and pagodas, and you will see the temple mountain with its dozens of stupas from afar. Upon arrival at Oudong, enjoy a traditional Khmer lunch at a picnic hut at the foot of the hill.

After lunch, you will climb the stairs to the top of Oudong Mountain and enjoy magnificent views over the plains below. Your guide will explain the history of the area and its buildings as well as the religious culture of the Cambodian people. Take your time to soak in the magnificent views over the plains below.

Stop to take a look at the spectacular Vipassana Dhura Buddhist Meditation Center, also located in Oudong. Your guide can explain more about the school of Vipassana (Insight Meditation) as you tour the center. Don’t forget to see the impressive jade Buddha, the mummified monk and the brightly painted walls telling the story of the Ramayana, the epic Sanskrit poem that decorates many pagodas seen around the country.

On the way to Phnom Penh, you will visit Koh Chen, an island in the Tonlé Sap River that you can reach via a new bridge. Koh Chen is known as the ‘Silver Village’ for its production of silver crafts and jewelry. Stroll through the village to see the many silver workshops in the local families’ houses. From here, it is not far to Phnom Penh where you will reach by the late afternoon.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight in Phnom Penh

After breakfast, 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. Then 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 is 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!

Continue to visit 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 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

Start early today and head to Wat Botum. Originally founded in 1422, Wat Botum is one of Phnom Penh’s five original wats. It is known as the ‘Temple of the Lotus Blossoms’ and the compound displays many beautifully decorated stupas, some of which contain the ashes of royalty. Wat Botum is the seat of the Thammayut (royalist) Buddhist sect, the smaller of the two main Buddhist sects in Cambodia. Here, Buddhist monks will celebrate a private blessing ceremony for you, wishing you health and a safe journey – a very special experience!

Continue southwards to Takeo, a small town that is truly Cambodian in every sense. Observing the small city life is quite interesting, as basically anything beyond your imagination happens here in terms of transportation, market life, and business, and little children are lined up along the road to welcome everyone with a “Hello Mister”.

Board a fiberglass motorboat in Takeo that will zip you along an ancient canal to the archaeological museum of Angkor Borei and the temple ruins of Phnom Da. On the way, you will have the chance to see rural life in Cambodia. (Note: Due to low water levels during the dry season, so in the dry season we can access that site by car, the boat trip is only possible from June to March)

Your next destination is Phnom Chisor, where you can climb up to the top of the mountain to explore the well-preserved ruins of a 10th-century Angkorian temple. Enjoy an amazing view of the typical Cambodian countryside.

Continue to drive to Kep, Cambodia’s prestigious seaside town of the 1960s is now awakening to its former glory. The small town offers reminders of the past and a growing choice of activities including island trips, a national park, and the famous crab market.

Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight in Kep

After breakfast, you will embark on a short boat trip (25 mins) to scenic Koh Tonsai, also called Rabbit Island. Spend the morning at leisure exploring the island and relaxing on the island’s beautiful tropical beach. A seafood barbecue lunch will be prepared for you on the island.

Mid-afternoon, return to Kep and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight in Kep

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

Meals included: Breakfast

*** Optional: From Kep, you can extend a beach relax in Sihanoukville or Koh Rong island (about 1.5 hrs driving from Kep).