AUTHENTIC CAMBODIA

AUTHENTIC CAMBODIA

BRIEFING AND TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

DETAILED TOUR ITINERARY 

Day 1
PHNOM PENH ARRIVAL

You will meet your guide on arrival Phnom Penh, transfer and check-in to your hotel. During the drive your guide will provide an introduction to Phnom Penh, answer any questions you have, and make arrangements for the following day. Enjoy free time for the remainder of the day.

The riverside capital of Phnom Penh, once known as “The Pearl of Asia” and long considered the most beautiful French-built city of the Orient, is a charming and captivating city. The old French ochre-coloured colonial buildings are now being filled with trendy cafes, boutiques and art galleries and many traditional ornate temples still remain. The bustling squares and frangipani-lined boulevards create an atmosphere that is unlike any other city in South East Asia. Rich in history, Phnom Penh has a number of cultural and historical sites including the National Museum, Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, and offers an insight into its darker past with the haunting Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Museum.

Phnom Penh has many great restaurants and bars including the rooftop bar of the iconic Correspondent’s Club, an ideal spot to sit and watch the sun descending over the Tonle and Mekong rivers. Ask your guide for personal recommendations.

Included meals: None
Accommodation in PHNOM PENH

Day 2
PHNOM PENH – HIGHLIGHTS CITY VISIT

Breakfast at hotel.

Set out with your guide to visit the National Museum, designed in traditional Khmer style by a French archaeologist and painter in 1917. The museum houses Khmer art and sculptures from different periods of Cambodian history. Next visit the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, built in 1866 by the French for King Norodom, two of the most striking buildings in the capital and amongst the finest examples of Khmer architecture. The Royal Palace stands on the site of the former citadel dating back to 1813 and is home to the current King Sihamoni. The Silver Pagoda owes its name to its floor made up of 5,329 solid silver tiles. The building houses many gold and jewelled Buddha statues including the 17th century Baccarat crystal Emerald Buddha. Other important buildings found within the compound include Wat Preah Keo Morokat where Royal ceremonies are performed, and the King Ang Doung Stupa – the burial site of former King Norodom. The palace has been inhabited by kings at all times with the exception of the period when the radical Khmer Rouge party took control in 1975.

Learn about the turbulent years of the Khmer Rouge on your visit to the infamous Tuol Sleng Museum. Tuol Sleng, a high school prior to 1975, became an interrogation prison known as S-21 during the Khmer Rouge era and today it is a genocide museum. It tells the sad story of the thousands of innocent Cambodian people who were tortured on its grounds. Walk the narrow corridors and former classrooms as you read the stories of the victims and witness the torture devices on display. Photographs were taken of each prisoner passing through the prison and hundreds of the black and white photos are now on display in the museum. Although a haunting experience, the museum is a sobering reminder of the Khmer Rouge’s brutality and a testament to their crimes.

Return to your hotel or to one of the riverside cafes or bars to watch the sunset over the Tonle and Mekong rivers.

Included meals: Breakfast
Accommodation in PHNOM PENH

Day 3
PHNOM PENH – DRIVE TO KEP

Situated 17 kilometres (11 miles) from Phnom Penh town, Cheung Ek was made famous by the movie “The Killing Fields”. The seemingly peaceful stretch of green fields of Cheung Ek does not allude to the horrors that took place here. A large memorial commemorates the 17,000 men, women and children, who died here under the reign of Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot. The skulls and bones inside the memorial stupa and the mass graves that dot the area are a reminder of the terrible suffering that occurred here. This journey into Cambodia’s past will provide you with a background to the cruelty of the Khmer Rouge regime. Besides the tragic past, it will also give you an appreciation of the struggle that Cambodian people have faced and their tremendous courage to move on and rebuild their nation.

This afternoon travel from Phnom Penh to Kep. On arrival in Kep you’ll check-in to your hotel. Your guide will provide you with a quick introduction to Kep and provide you with restaurant recommendations. Enjoy free time for the remainder of the day either exploring the area or lying on the beach.

The fishing village of Kep is located on a small headland on the Gulf of Thailand and is a former retreat for the French elite living in Phnom Penh during the colonial days. Abandoned villas dot the area and a former palace of King Sihanouk sits on a hill near the beach as testament to Kep’s former glory. Slowly Kep is re-emerging and now offers resort accommodation and recreational activities.

Included meals: Breakfast
Accommodation in KEP

Day 4
KEP VISIT

After breakfast at hotel, transfer to boat pier for departure to Rabbit Island, is a Cambodian island located off the south western coast of Cambodia. It is located 4.6 km south of Kep and can be reached by boat from Kep port. Tourists are drawn to the beautiful white sand beach overlooking the sea. The sea here is shallow and the sea bottom has a long gradual slope, making Rabbit Island excellent for swimming. At the sea bottom are a variety of corals, sea animals and plants which attract researchers and ecologists. Rabbit Island is 2 square kilometers in area. During Norodom Sihanouk’s Sangkum Reastr Niyum regime, it was used as a place to rehabilitate criminals, who were also used to defend the island. Horse cart paths and wooden, thatch roofed motels were also constructed during this time. Most of this infrastructure has been destroyed by weather and decades of war. Today, there are new bamboo guest houses on the main beach, visited by Cambodian and foreign tourists. In addition, fishermen and their families live on the island, occupying other beaches around the shoreline.

Transfer back to hotel in late afternoon.

Included meals: Breakfast
Accommodation in KEP

Day 5
KEP – DRIVE TO SIHANOUK VILLE

This morning depart from Kep to Sihanoukville stopping en route at Kampot. Kampot is regarded as one of Cambodia’s most beautiful provincial towns. Stroll along the riverfront, which is lined with frangipani trees that blend harmoniously with the well preserved French colonial buildings.

After that, visit Phnom Chhnork, is a Hindu cave temple in Kampot Province, southern Cambodia, located about 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Kampot. The temple was built in the 7th century from Funan brick, dedicated to Shiva. It is accessed view stone steps and Phnom Sorsia, is a Buddhist hill complex in Kampot Province, southern Cambodia. It contains Buddhist cultural features approached by a staircase and a complex of karst caves. One cave Rung Damrey Saa (“White Elephant’s Cave”) has a stalagmite resembling the head of an elephant; another has a bat colony. The gateway to the caves is marked by a pagoda, approximately 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the main road before continue the journey to Sihanoukville.

Upon arrival Sihanoukville, transfer to hotel for check in. Your guide will provide you with a quick introduction to Sihanouk Ville and make plans for your trip tomorrow. Your guide can also provide you with restaurant recommendations. Enjoy free time for the remainder of the day either exploring the area or lying on the beach or besides your pool.

Included meals: Breakfast
Accommodation in SIHANOUK VILLE

Day 6
SIHANOUK VILLE VISIT

Breakfast at hotel.

This morning, you will be picked up and transfer to boat pier and take a speedboat (share boat) to Koh Rong with your guide (Departure time is 08:00AM). This trip takes about 45 minutes.

Koh Rong is the second largest island of Cambodia. It’s about 25 kilometers off the Sihanoukville’s coast in the Gulf of Thailand. The Island is nearly 70 sq. kilometers in size, that’s almost the size of Hong Kong! However, unlike the great H.K, Koh Rong has no skyscrapers, no cars, no concrete streets, it’s just beach, and jungle, lots and lots of jungle. In fact almost all 70 sq kilometers of this incredible island is covered in jungle, or damp rain forest. There are 28 beaches on the island almost all of them snow white sands and one that is close to 7 kilometers long with just a tiny few huts along it and a beautiful small local village at one end. A must see when you come to the island.

Upon arrival, walk about 5-10 minutes to High Point Adventure Park (Open at 10:00AM) is the first and the best zip-line canopy tour in Cambodia, which is located in the rain forest of a beautiful island Koh Rong. Include: safety equipment, High Point T-shirt, water, bandana and a lot of fun.

Enjoy simple picnic lunch.

After that, free at leisure time for swimming and relaxation on Kaoh Touch Beach with your tour guide or you can enjoy zip line as much as you can.

14:30PM – Transfer back to boat pier and take a speedboat (share boat) to Sihanouk Ville (Departure time is 15:00PM). This trip takes about 45 minutes.

Upon arrival in Sihanouk Ville mainland, meet your driver and transfer to hotel.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation in SIHANOUK VILLE

Day 7
SIHANOUK VILLE – FREE DAY

Relax on the beaches or by the pool of your hotel on your free day in Sihanoukville.

Included meals: Breakfast
Accommodation in SIHANOUK VILLE

Day 8
SIHANOUK VILLE > FLY TO SIEM REAP

After breakfast, free at leisure until  you will be picked up and transfred to the airport for your departure flight to Siem Reap.

Meet your guide on arrival Siem Reap, transfer and check-in to your hotel. During the drive your guide will provide an introduction to Siem Reap, answer any questions you have, and make arrangements for the following day. Enjoy free time for the remainder of the day.

Siem Reap, situated in the north west of the country, is an enchanting town with Chinese-style shop houses, French colonial architecture and tree lined boulevards. It is the gateway to the World Heritage ancient temple ruins of Angkor, eighth wonder of the world and spectacular ancient capital of the powerful Khmer Dynasty. As well as the myriad of awe-inspiring temples and Khmer relics to explore, Siem Reap and its rural outskirts offers craft villages, silk farms, Khmer cuisine cooking classes, traditional Cambodian “apsara” dance performances and the floating villages on the tranquil waters of Tonle Sap Lake.

Siem Reap has many restaurants and bars. Ask your guide for personal recommendations.

Included meals: Breakfast
Accommodation in SIEM REAP

Day 9
SIEM REAP VISIT

Accompanied by your guide start exploring the stunning temples this afternoon by tuk-tuk. Visit Angkor Thom, the ancient fortified royal city and former capital of the Khmer Empire. The city has five monumental gates and consists of several temples including the Bayon, Baphuon, Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King. Enter Angkor Thom through the impressive South Gate and drive towards the centre piece, the Bayon Temple. At first glance the temple may seem like a shapeless mass of stone, but further scrutiny reveals the enigmatic faces of former King Jayavarman VII looking in every direction. There are over 200 huge carved faces that stare down from fifty four gothic towers. Continue your exploration with a visit to the 350 metre (1155 feet) long Terrace of the Elephants, which served as a platform from where the King viewed the victorious return of his army. Then visit the Terrace of the Leper King with detailed carvings winding along a narrow passage that leads to the Baphuon, a pyramidal representation of mythical Mt Meru.

In the afternoon, explore temples of the World Heritage Angkor complex with your guide. Start with a visit to the picturesque and atmospheric Ta Prohm, built in 1186. This fascinating jungle-clad temple is one of Angkor’s most impressive and most beautiful structures. Over centuries the fig tree roots have engulfed the temple’s huge stone blocks, crumbling towers and walls. The living jungle is reclaiming this Buddhist temple, shrouding the courtyards and corridors in dappled sunlight, and creating a haunting and exotic atmosphere.

After that, you will visit one of the world’s most impressive archaeological sites, the iconic temple of Angkor Wat. The largest and most breathtaking of Angkor’s monuments, this vast temple was constructed between the 9th and 13th centuries and is the largest Hindu structure in the world. Angkor Wat is orientated towards the west, symbolically the direction of death. It is home to hundreds of beautiful carvings of Apsara and Hindu mythology and boasts some of the most well preserved carvings in the region. As you stroll the massive hallways you discover small shrines still in use today by the local people. Return to one of the grass terraces in front of the five massive towers of Angkor Wat to watch the sun setting over the temple complex. Afterwards, return to your hotel in Siem Reap.

Included meals: Breakfast
Accommodation in SIEM REAP

Day 10
SIEM REAP VISIT

Depart with your guide and drive through the Cambodian countryside to Beng Mealea, located in the beautiful rural hinterlands of Siem Reap. Beng Mealea is a sprawling jungle temple built by King Suyavarman II in the early 12th century and thought to have served as a prototype for Angkor Wat. The temple is enclosed by a huge moat and largely reclaimed by jungle with its stone walls crumbling, adding to the atmosphere and charm of the site.

Enjoy a simple lunch in a traditional Cambodian wooden house (own account) before heading to Banteay Srei temple, the jewel of Khmer art, built in the 10th century and dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. This red sandstone temple is one of Angkor’s most significant structures. The temple walls are covered in elaborate and well preserved carvings that provide an insight into the Angkor people and their beliefs. In the late afternoon, return to your hotel in Siem Reap.

Included meals: Breakfast
Accommodation in SIEM REAP

Day 11
SIEM REAP DEPARTURE

Breakfast at hotel. Free at leisure.
Your guide and private car will meet you at the hotel and transfer you to the airport for your departure flight.

Included meals: Breakfast

TOUR PRICE(S):

Standard 3*    : from US $ 1,294
Superior 4*     : from US $ 1,542
Deluxe 5*        : from US $ 1,789

* Prices are based on twin/ double share for group of at least 02 passengers travelling together and depend on availability and season.

All our itineraries can be customised. For questions or further information, Enquire Now!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION