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Days
12
Price from
1950EUR
Map of Cambodia in Depth including Cambodia

Delve deeper into Cambodia on this unforgettable journey from Phnom Penh to Angkor.

From the wondrous temples of Angkor to the dark legacy of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia is a country that exudes history from every angle. Between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, this journey takes you away from the well-worn tourist trails and into the provinces, where the heart and soul of the country is found in smiling Khmer villagers, hidden temples and sun-kissed fields of rice and bamboo. Taste and cook traditional culinary delights, witness farmers on their daily rituals and join Buddhist monks in their sacred blessings on this inspiring 12-day journey.

Start
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Finish
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Destination
Cambodia
Style
Peregrine
Code
PACE
Physical rating
Trip rating
29 reviews
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1, Max 12

Why you'll love this trip

  • Bond with fellow travellers over dinner at the Friends restaurant, combining an excellent local cause with a memorable (and delicious) dining experience

  • Your four-night feature stay at Navutu Dreams Resort & Wellness Retreat will allow you to relax and rejuvenate whilst exploring stunning Siem Reap, Angkor Wat and surrounds.

  • Relax on a sunset cruise along the Kampot River and discover local tastes and sights in rural Battambang on a remork (tuk-tuk) ride.

  • Witness the magic of Angkor – the legendary Khmer temple complex. Two days at the site allows for in-depth viewing of marvels such as Bayon, Ta Prohm and the renowned Angkor Wat.

  • Learn kitchen secrets of local Khmer, with a Cambodian cooking class and three-course meal out in the countryside around Siem Reap.

Is this trip right for you?

  • The bloody rule of the Khmer Rouge is a painful but important part of Cambodian history to confront. If you would rather not visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21) and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, just let your leader know.

  • You will visit a number of temples which requires a level of modesty. You will need to bring clothes that cover the shoulders and pants or skirts that go past the knees. A light scarf is also a good idea for covering shoulders and arms when it is hot.

  • It is important to prepare for hot and sticky temperatures during the day and cooler climates in the evening. Layers are the best way to tackle this disparity in weather.

  • Please note that sometimes the order of your included activities in Siem Reap may change due to weather, season or other factors. The changes are made to give you the best possible experiences and to get you to places at the best time. Your leader will advise of any changes to the order of your included activities on day one at your group meeting

  • Please ensure you bring sturdy walking shoes and comfortable clothes. There are a number of days when you’ll spend time walking around sites or on tours.

  • You will visit a number of temples on this trip, and this requires a level of modesty. Be sure to bring clothes that cover the arms and pants or skirts that go past the knees. A light scarf is also a good idea for covering shoulders and arms when it’s hot.

Itinerary
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Sua s'dei! Welcome to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. You'll be transferred to your hotel, and in the evening, there will be an important group meeting where you will meet your group leader and fellow travellers. If you have free time in the afternoon, perhaps stroll the streets of Phnom Penh and explore the city, taking in the interesting French colonial architecture. The National Museum, with its collection of classic Khmer craftsmanship, is well worth a visit. Dinner tonight will be at the restaurant run by social enterprise Friends International. Afterwards, perhaps go for a drink at the Foreign Correspondents' Club – a bar overlooking the Tonle Sap River.
Accommodation
  • Patio Hotel or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Complimentary Airport Arrival Transfer
  • Phnom Penh - Dinner at Friends-International
Meals Included
  • Dinner
Special Information
The arrival transfer is only valid if arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-trip accommodation through us. Please provide your flight details at the time of booking, or at a minimum 14 days prior to travel, as we may not be able to confirm a request made within 14 days of travel.

It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

The restaurant run by Friends International is closed on public and school holidays. Alternative dinner arrangements will be made at these times.

Today, a full city tour introduces you to the sights of Phnom Penh, a city that lies near the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. The private quarters of the Royal Palace are home to King Sihamoni and are closed to the public. You will, however, be able to visit the Silver Pagoda that lies in the palace complex, which is the most sacred temple in the country. Confront Cambodia's tragic past today with a guided tour of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21), a former school which served as a Khmer Rouge torture centre. It's estimated that more than 20,000 people were held and tortured here. You will also head out to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, where a stupa made up of some 8,000 human skulls marks this infamous site, the execution ground for the torture victims of Tuol Sleng. Today you also travel out of town to a working monastery to learn more about the life of a monk and Theravada Buddhism. Meet the monks and hear about their daily life and why they joined the Pagoda, make merit by burning incense and offering lotus flowers, enjoy a sacred water blessing for good luck and prosperity, receive a red band around your wrist to keep you safe in your travels, and see the pagoda art depicting the life of Buddha and his teachings.
Accommodation
  • Patio Hotel or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Phnom Penh - Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21)
  • Phnom Penh - The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
  • Phnom Penh - Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda
  • Phnom Penh - Buddhist monastery visit
Optional Activities
  • Phnom Penh - National Museum - USD10
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Drive south along National Road 2 in a private minibus through the town of Takeo towards Kampot, one of Cambodia's most charming old towns (approximate travel time is 4 hours). During the drive, your group can choose to stop at one or two additional Angkor era sites. There is a small additional cost for these visits. Arrive in Kampot, where the afternoon is free for your own relaxation – perhaps enjoy some coffee on the riverfront. Then, in the late afternoon, you will take off on a local river boat up the Kampot River. See fishing boats returning home and people’s daily life on the banks of the river. As the sun sets over the Elephant Mountain Range, the engines will be turned off so the sounds of rural Cambodia can be enjoyed. As you head back to town you may be lucky enough to see fireflies in the bushes lighting up the night sky.
Accommodation
  • Kampot Boutique Hotel or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kampot - Sunset cruise
Optional Activities
  • Takeo Province - Phnom Chisor - USD2
  • Takeo Province - Ta Prohm - USD2
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Enjoy a day out in the countryside. You will visit the Kampot Pepper Project and learn why Kampot pepper has been acknowledged by international chefs as the world’s best. Also visit the Kampot salt field, the only salt field in Cambodia. A short walk through the rice fields, and a climb, provides a lovely outlook over the surrounding countryside. A few steps later and you enter the mouth of Phnom Chhnork limestone cave which has a small 7th-century brick temple inside it. You will also enjoy a walk along the beach at Kep, by the old buildings near the ocean front. The town was Cambodia's most popular and prestigious beach town from the early 1900s until the 1960s. During the Khmer Rouge years many of Kep's mansions and villas were destroyed, but the ghostly remains of many still stand as a silent reminder.
Accommodation
  • Kampot Boutique Hotel or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kep - Crab Market visit
  • Kampot - Countryside tour
  • Kampot - Phnom Chhnork
Optional Activities
  • Kampot - Khmer massage - USD5
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Enjoy some free time in the morning. Return to Phnom Penh by private vehicle (approximate travel time is 4 hours). After lunch, it's time for an essential Phnom Penh experience – a cyclo ride through the city's streets. This exhilarating activity allows you to see Phnom Penh from a different angle, through the eyes of the locals. The town is an interesting mix of romantic Indo-Chinese influences, modern bustle and friendly folk, and you will notice things on two wheels you wouldn't otherwise.
Accommodation
  • Patio Hotel or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Phnom Penh - Cyclo tour
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Travel by private vehicle through the countryside to Battambang (approximately 4.5–5 hours). There will be stops along the way to see local pottery-making and silversmithing. You will also gain an insight into claypot making in Kampong Chhnang en route. Cambodia's second-largest city, Battambang, (pronounced Battambong) is a riverside town with traces of French elegance, friendly Khmer people and well-preserved colonial architecture.
Accommodation
  • Battambang Resort or similar (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Battambang - Cooking class in a local home - AUD18
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

On a remork (tuk-tuk), ride into the countryside to see some cottage industries producing rice paper, dried banana, sticky rice cooked in bamboo, and fish paste (Cambodia’s equivalent of Vegemite or Marmite). In the afternoon, take a visit to a heritage house in the village; an interesting example of a traditional Khmer house, which the owner will show you around and explain some of the history surrounding these buildings. The village of Wat Kor is known for its historic stilted wooden houses some of which pre-date French colonial times. The large wooden floorboards are shiny from generations of feet walking across them and the owner’s small collection of antiques and agricultural tools paint a picture of Cambodia in the early 1900s. Be ready in the early evening to head to Phnom Sampov, also known as the Battambang Bat Caves. At around 5.30 pm each night, an incredible swarm of bats will spill out of the caves for around 30 minutes for their night of hunting. Enjoy a drink with a small crowd to watch the sunset over the valley, and this unusual sight.
Accommodation
  • Battambang Resort or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Battambang - Countryside tour of local producers
  • Battambang - Phnom Sampov bat caves
Optional Activities
  • Battambang - Phare Ponleu Selpak Centre - USD12
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Drive from Battambang to Siem Reap by private vehicle (approximately 4 hours). In the afternoon, at around 4 pm, take a trip into the Cambodian countryside and show off your cooking skills with a hands-on culinary adventure. You prepare a three-course gourmet meal, get to experience local village life, and enjoy your culinary creations afterwards. Delicious!
Accommodation
  • Navutu Dreams Resort & Wellness Retreat or similar (feature stay) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Siem Reap - Urban Adventure Cambodian Cook-out
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner

Spend a full day among the amazing temples of Angkor on a guided tour. Angkor Thom, the 'Great Royal City', is famous for its series of colossal human faces carved in stone. The impressive Bayon temple is the centrepiece. The famous Angkor Wat is the largest and most complete structure, whereas Ta Prohm, with trees embedded in its stone structure, has a different kind of beauty. Later, if you have time, perhaps indulge in a traditional Khmer massage back in town – a great way to unwind after a day's walking.
Accommodation
  • Navutu Dreams Resort & Wellness Retreat or similar (feature stay) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Siem Reap - Angkor Temples Guided Tour
  • Siem Reap - Three day Angkor Pass
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Embrace a very early start today if you wish to experience a sunrise visit to the Angkor complex. Spend further time touring this incredible site throughout the day. You might see temples such as Banteay Srei. You'll see it's not a huge temple, but thanks to its intricate stone carvings it is sometimes referred to as the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art. Preah Khan is another interesting structure to observe. This temple contains a maze of vaulted corridors and is another complex that has been largely reclaimed by the jungle. For lunch today, enjoy a meal prepared by students at the Sala Bai Hotel School. In the evening, you have the option to attend a performance of Phare, the Cambodian Circus; a riveting way to end the day.
Accommodation
  • Navutu Dreams Resort & Wellness Retreat or similar (feature stay) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Siem Reap - Angkor Temples Guided Tour
Optional Activities
  • Siem Reap - Landmine Museum - USD5
  • Siem Reap - Phare Circus Ticket - USD18
  • Siem Reap - Urban Adventure Street Food by Night - USD48
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
The Sala Bai Hotel School is closed on public holidays and school holidays. On these days, an alternative restaurant will be visited.

This morning, travel into the countryside to a local village, take a walk through the rice fields and learn about Cambodian stilt homes and life in a typical farming village. Watch as farmers work with buffalo and cows in the fields, and (season depending) see how rice and other crops are grown. Return to town and enjoy a break for tea and coffee. This afternoon is free for you to relax, do a little shopping, or maybe visit a museum. This evening join your group at a local restaurant for a delicious farewell meal.
Accommodation
  • Navutu Dreams Resort & Wellness Retreat or similar (feature stay) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Siem Reap - Countryside village walking tour
Optional Activities
  • Siem Reap - Walking tour to Artisans d'Angkor - Free
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner

With no further activities planned in Siem Reap, you are free to leave the accommodation at any time.
Optional Activities
  • Siem Reap - Urban Adventures Tonle Sap Secrets - USD45
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Meals

11 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners

Transport

Private minibus

Accommodation

Hotel (5 nights), Resort (2 nights) Feature Stay in Siem Reap (4 nights)

Included Activities

  • Complimentary Airport Arrival Transfer
  • Phnom Penh - Dinner at Friends-International
  • Phnom Penh - Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21)
  • Phnom Penh - The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
  • Phnom Penh - Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda
  • Phnom Penh - Buddhist monastery visit
  • Kampot - Sunset cruise
  • Kep - Crab Market visit
  • Kampot - Countryside tour
  • Kampot - Phnom Chhnork
  • Phnom Penh - Cyclo tour
  • Battambang - Countryside tour of local producers
  • Battambang - Phnom Sampov bat caves
  • Siem Reap - Urban Adventure Cambodian Cook-out
  • Siem Reap - Angkor Temples Guided Tour
  • Siem Reap - Three day Angkor Pass
  • Siem Reap - Countryside village walking tour

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Important notes

1. A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included; valid if you are arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation through us. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.
2. A single supplement is available on this trip, subject to availability. Please contact your sales agent if you would like to book this. Please note the single supplement is available on every night of this trip.

Essential trip information

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