Cambodia and the Charms of Angkor’s Heritage

Siem Reap – Arrival / Rest – Flight & arrival time

Welcome at the airport by our guide and driver. Transfer to the hotel for check-in, refreshment, and rest.

In the afternoon, free time for your own exploration. Meals at your own expense. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Siem Reap / Sightseeing & Countryside Discovery (B, L)

After breakfast, enjoy a pleasant journey through the countryside along the ancient Royal Road to discover the hidden Chao Srei Vibol Temple and its pagoda.

Continue through local villages to discover traditional Cambodian houses, followed by a visit to Bakong Temple.

In the afternoon, depart for Kampong Phluk Village, located on the shores of Tonlé Sap, Cambodia’s great lake. Here, you will discover the daily life of the floating communities, traditional fishing techniques, fish farms, and private crocodile farms. Every year, the water level of the lake rises and falls by 4 to 8 metres, flooding the surrounding land and forests from August to February. Depending on the season, explore these flooded forests by traditional boat.

Lunch included. Dinner at your own expense. Overnight at the hotel.

Siem Reap / Angkor Thom & Angkor Wat Temples (B, L)

After breakfast, depart from the hotel by tuk-tuk to explore Angkor Thom (the Great City), beginning with the Terrace of the Leper King, a remarkable platform decorated with beautifully carved apsara figures.

Continue along the Terrace of the Elephants, once used as a grand setting for royal audiences and public ceremonies.

Proceed towards the South Gate and the famous Bayon, an enigmatic and fascinating temple featuring 54 monumental towers decorated with 216 faces of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Continue with a visit to the atmospheric Ta Prohm Temple, famously overgrown by the jungle.

In the afternoon, visit Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its soaring towers and extraordinary bas-reliefs, it is considered one of the most remarkable monuments ever created. Built in the 12th century, the temple was originally dedicated to Vishnu.

After leaving Angkor Wat, enjoy a glass of champagne and fresh fruit served on board while watching the sunset over Angkor Wat.

Lunch included. Dinner at your own expense. Overnight at the hotel.

Siem Reap / Banteay Srei Discovery (B, L)

After breakfast, depart for the legendary Banteay Srei, known as the “Citadel of Women.” This jewel of pink sandstone features remarkably intricate carvings and beautifully preserved lintels.

On the way back, visit a palm sugar workshop and traditional Cambodian houses, followed by a visit to the romantic Banteay Samré Temple.

In the afternoon, explore the Grand Circuit, including the ancient city of Preah Khan, Neak Pean, and Pre Rup, an impressive site dating back to the 12th century.

Lunch included. Dinner at your own expense. Overnight at the hotel.

Siem Reap – Kampong Thom / Discovery (B, L)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Spend the day in search of lost treasures and authentic Cambodian villages, beginning with a visit to Prasat Beng Mealea, a spectacular temple reclaimed by the jungle. Trees rise above its towers, while roots and vines wrap around ancient columns. Lintels and massive sandstone blocks lie scattered across the site, inviting visitors to climb over the ruins to approach the central tower, itself largely collapsed.

Continue through the countryside towards the remote former Angkorian capital of Koh Ker. Cambodia’s history is marked by dynastic conflicts and political intrigue, one of the most memorable episodes being the establishment of a rival capital at Koh Ker by King Jayavarman IV following a serious dispute within the royal family. Although Koh Ker served as the capital for only around fifteen years, Jayavarman IV launched an ambitious building programme that left behind around thirty major temples and several monumental sculptures, some of which are now preserved at the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh.

Climb to the top of Prasat Thom, a seven-tiered pyramid with an appearance more reminiscent of Maya architecture than traditional Khmer temples, offering magnificent panoramic views over the surrounding forests. Nearby stands Prasat Krahom, or the Red Temple, named after the reddish stone used in its construction, reminiscent of the Banteay Srei style.

Far from the crowds of Angkor, Koh Ker offers a unique atmosphere for travellers seeking the experience of deserted temples, where the silence is broken only by birdsong.

Lunch included. Dinner at your own expense. Overnight at the hotel in Kampong Thom.

Kampong Thom – Kampong Cham / Visits – Kratie / Discovery (B, L, D)

After breakfast, discover the temples of Sambor Prei Kuk. The three main groups of this pre-Angkorian temple complex are dedicated to Shiva. Built in the 7th century, they were later abandoned before being rediscovered and restored in 1980. Hinduism played a major role in shaping both pre-Angkorian and Angkorian civilisations.

Your guide will introduce you to Hinduism and explain its influence on pre-Angkorian and Angkorian temples.

Continue towards Kampong Cham, one of Cambodia’s most populated cities, benefiting from the fertility of its basaltic soil. Lunch at a local restaurant, followed by a visit to a rubber plantation and factory.

Arrival in Kratie in the late afternoon. Dinner and cultural performance with children from the village.

Dinner included. Overnight with a local family on Koh Trong Island.

Kratie / Local Visits & Activities (B, L, D)

After breakfast, board a boat for a cruise along the Mekong River to observe the rare Irrawaddy dolphins, followed by visits to Vat Sor 100 and Phnom Sambok, both visible from the Mekong.

In the afternoon, return to Koh Trong.

As you travel through the village, your guide will introduce you to the activities available depending on the season. These may include planting corn, harvesting rice, growing vegetables, basket weaving, accompanying livestock to the fields, or fishing.

Lunch and dinner with the host family. Overnight with a local family.

Kratie – Mondulkiri / Discovery & Visits (B, L)

After breakfast, drive to Mondulkiri via Snoul.

Like Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri is one of Cambodia’s most remote regions. It lies in the southern highlands, part of a vast area stretching between southern Laos, central Vietnam, and eastern Cambodia.

After settling into a local guesthouse, depart to visit the impressive Bou Sra Waterfall, weather permitting, or enjoy the sunset from Dos Kromom Hill, reached via a rugged dirt road passing through Mnong hamlets.

Lunch included. Dinner at your own expense. Overnight in Mondulkiri.

Mondulkiri / Local Discovery & Visits (B, L)

After breakfast, depart for Pu Lung Village, where members of the Mnong ethnic community still traditionally work with elephants.

The village will be the starting point for your elephant trek (approximately 2 hours). After meeting members of the Mnong community, follow a beautiful small river that occasionally turns into gentle rapids, its banks surrounded by dense tropical forest.

Continue by vehicle to Kbal Preah Waterfall, a hidden paradise deep in the jungle.

Picnic lunch. Several opportunities will be available for swimming.

Return to Mondulkiri in the late afternoon. Dinner at your own expense and overnight at a local guesthouse in Mondulkiri.

Mondulkiri / Further Visits – Kampong Cham (B, L)

After breakfast, visit the local market in Sen Monorom, then leave Mondulkiri for Kampong Cham.

Lunch en route. Arrival in Kampong Cham in the late afternoon.

Dinner at your own expense. Overnight at the hotel.

Kampong Cham / Cruise & Discovery – Phnom Penh (B, L)

After breakfast, embark on a cruise from Kampong Cham to Phnom Penh (approximately 7 hours) aboard a traditional boat.

Along the way, discover the daily life of local fishermen and their traditional fishing techniques, as well as the fields and villages lining the Mekong River.

Lunch on board.

Disembark and continue towards Phnom Penh.

Arrival in Phnom Penh in the afternoon, followed by a direct transfer to your hotel.

Dinner at your own expense. Overnight at the hotel.

Phnom Penh / Sightseeing & Discovery (B, L)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Discover the Royal Palace of Phnom Penh with a 45-minute cyclo ride. The palace is home to Cambodia’s royal family and remains an important symbol of the kingdom.

Explore the palace’s beautiful gardens, filled with a variety of tropical plants, before visiting the Throne Hall, where official receptions are held and royal coronations have taken place.

Continue to the Napoleon III Pavilion, a steel structure gifted by the French emperor to Cambodia’s royal family in the 19th century.

You will also visit the Silver Pagoda, named after the approximately 5,000 silver tiles covering its floor. It houses some of Cambodia’s most remarkable treasures, including a golden Buddha decorated with 9,584 diamonds, the largest of which weighs 25 carats. You will also see the delicate Emerald Buddha, which gives the temple its Khmer name, Wat Preah Keo, meaning “Temple of the Emerald Buddha.”

In the afternoon, visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. This former high school was converted into a prison and became the site of extreme violence against opponents of the regime. Photographs of prisoners, torture rooms, and narrow cells provide a powerful insight into the horrors of the Khmer Rouge period.

Continue to the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh, home to an exceptional collection of sculptures dating from the Angkorian period. Built between 1917 and 1920, this beautiful building features a peaceful inner courtyard with a lush garden surrounded by the museum’s remarkable collections.

Lunch included. Dinner at your own expense. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh / Visits – Departure (B) – Return flight & departure time

Breakfast at the hotel.

In the morning, visit the Central Market and Russian Market.

Afterwards, enjoy some free time. Check-out no later than noon.

Meet your driver for a private transfer to the airport without a guide for your departure flight.