Discovering Cambodia: 10 days

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Arrival in Phnom Penh

  ♦ Upon your arrival in Cambodia, you will be warmly welcomed by our guide, transferred to the hotel and have lunch at the hotel. ♦ In the late afternoon, stroll along the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap, then dinner on the boat. ♦ Overnight at the hotel.

• day 2

  Phnom Penh

  ♦ 45-minute cyclo ride to discover the Royal Palace of Phnom Penh, home of the royal family and symbol of the kingdom. ♦ Start your visit with the palace's magnificent gardens, adorned with many species of tropical plants, then proceed to the Throne Hall, where official receptions are held and where the king's coronation took place. ♦ Next, cross the Napoleon III Pavilion, made of steel, a gift from the Emperor of the French to the royal family of Cambodia in the 19th century. ♦ Then head to the Silver Pagoda, whose name comes from the approximately 5,000 silver tiles that cover its floor. ♦ Discovery of Tuol Sleng, a former Phnom Penh high school that the Khmer Rouge transformed into a center of interrogation, torture, and death. ♦ In the afternoon, visit the National Museum of Fine Arts of Phnom Penh, which houses the most fabulous collection of sculptures dating from the Angkorian period. ♦ Dinner at leisure and overnight at the hotel.

• day 3

  Phnom Penh-Preah Vihear

  ♦ After breakfast, you will leave by bus towards the northwest of Cambodia, to the lively small town of Siem Reap. ♦ On the way, enjoy the Cambodian landscape and the authentic stilt houses. ♦ On the way, stop at Skun to taste the local specialty: fried spiders. ♦ Visit the temples of Sambo Prei Kuk. ♦ Lunch in a small local restaurant, then departure towards Saëm. ♦ Overnight at the hotel in Saëm.

• day 4

  Preah Vihear - Banteay Chmar

  ♦ Departure from the hotel early, heading towards Prasat Preah Vihear. ♦ Exploration of the temple on foot, wonderfully preserved. ♦ Continue the discovery up to the summit, clinging to the cliffs of the Dangrek mountain, which rises a few hundred meters above the Cambodian plains. ♦ Continue the road towards Anlong Veng, visit the house of the former Khmer Rouge leader Ta Mok as well as the tomb of Brother Number 1, Pol Pot. ♦ Arrival at Banteay Chhmar in the late afternoon. ♦ Overnight stay with a local family.

• day 5

  Banteay Chmar - Battambang

  ♦ Visit the lost temple of Banteay Chhmar. ♦ Climb this sleeping giant, then visit the outer complex, with the Ta Prohm gate surrounded by moats, a replica of the imposing gates of the city of Angkor Thom. ♦ Then continue on the road to Battambang. ♦ In the afternoon, visit the fermented fish market, rice production and collection, Phnom Sampov. ♦ Overnight at the hotel.

• day 6

  Batambang

  ♦ Visit the city of Battambang, located in the heart of vast plains where the country's best agricultural products are grown: rice, coconuts, oranges… ♦ Then, take an excursion on the bamboo train and discover the colorful colonial market of RENCOTRE, before visiting a traditional Khmer house and the Damrei Sor pagoda. ♦ In the afternoon, visit a rice cake workshop and the fermented fish market. ♦ In the evening, attend the Cambodian circus show organized by the NGO Phare. ♦ Overnight at the hotel.

• day 7

  Battambang – Siem Reap

  ♦ Breakfast at the hotel. ♦ Departure for a cruise on board a traditional boat, on the Sangkè river (duration about six hours) to Preak Toal. ♦ During this trip, you will explore the floating villages and be introduced to traditional fishing techniques. ♦ Lunch on board and navigation to Siem Reap, where arrival is scheduled for late afternoon. ♦ Transfer to the hotel. Dinner at leisure. Overnight in Siem Reap.

• day 8

  Siem Reap

  ♦ Leaving from the hotel, go explore Angkor Thom (Great City), then enjoy a ride on the back of an elephant or board a tethered balloon in front of Angkor Wat. ♦ Visit the Bayon temple and the Baphuon, the three-tiered pyramid. ♦ Your visit continues along the Terrace of the Elephants, which hosted the splendor of royal audiences and public ceremonies. You will also visit Ta Prohm. ♦ In the afternoon, visit the grand circuit: Ta Nei temple, Preah Khan, and Neak Pean. ♦ Dinner-show and overnight at the hotel.

• day 9

  Siem Reap

  ♦ Departure to the mythical Banteay Srei, the citadel of women. ♦ On the way back, visit to the palm sugar production and authentic Cambodian houses, then visit to the romantic Beanteay Samré temple. ♦ In the afternoon, visit to the Angkor Wat temple. ♦ Night at the hotel.

• day 10

  Siem Reap

  ♦ Departure to the countryside to discover the rural lifestyle of the inhabitants. ♦ Around 11 a.m., meet your hosts to learn how to cook. ♦ Lunch, then free time to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the village or to receive a blessing from Buddhist monks. At the end, you will leave for a boat ride to visit the village of Kampong Pluk, located about 25 km from Siem Reap. ♦ Return to Siem Reap. Free time until the transfer to the airport for the departure flight.