AMAZING CAMBODIA 14DAYS - 13NIGHTS

Cities around Tonle Sap Lake

Itinerary

Day 1 - Phnom Penh Arrival day

On your first day in Cambodia, according to your arrival time, we will be pleased to give you some suggestions on what to do with your first day or afternoon in Phnom Penh. 

In the evening, you will have a first group meeting with your local tour leader before going to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner at a Local restaurant is Veiyo Tonle works as an orphanage and day center for disadvantaged children. They support these children to go to school and train them to traditional Khmer dancing.

Overnight in Phnom Penh at Town View I Hotel or similar

Dinner included

Day 2 - Phnom Penh

After breakfast, we will drive to the Choeng Ek killing fields and the Tuol Sleng genocide Museum - a mass gravesite and a former high school converted to a detention and torture centre by the Khmers Rouges when they came to power in 1975. Time for lunch at a local restaurant on your own account. In the afternoon, we will visit the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. This amazing place, which floor is covered with 5000 silver plates, houses the Preah Keo or emerald Buddha, made of Baccarat crystal. In front stands a 90 kg golden Buddha studded with 9584 diamonds. After this, we will visit the National Museum where present a collection of Khmer art, mostly sculptures.

Overnight in Phnom Penh at Town View Hotel or similar

Breakfast included

Day 3 – Phnom Penh to Battambang

Early morning, we will leave Phnom Penh by public bus to Battambang. The journey will take about 6 hours and will enable you to get an idea of the local life and to share a friendly moment with the locals. Battambang is the provincial capital of Battambang province and is the second biggest town of Cambodia. However it still has a very local, untouristed, provincial atmosphere. In the afternoon, we will stroll around the city to see the old colonial buildings, such as the Governor’s residence, the small museum and Wat Kampheng, a colourful temple in a peaceful garden. Then, we will drive 11 km along the Sang Ker River to reach Wat Ek Phnom temple (built by Suryavarman I in the 11th century).

Overnight in Battambang at Teo hotel or similar

Breakfast included

Day 4 – Battambang - Khmer food and Old temples  (D)

After breakfast, we will drive 18 km to Phnom Sampeu to visit two caves formerly used by the Khmer Rouge and enjoy a spectacular view of the countryside. Afterwards, we will go to Phnom Bannon which homes a12th century's temple and the cave of the holy water. The "Kouhea Preah Toeuk" still hosts some Buddha statues brought by locals in this immense natural room. Then, we will drive along the Sang Ker River, south of Battambang to reach our homestay in an agricultural village. Will will have dinner with our hosts and spend the night in their traditional Khmer house.

Overnight in Homestay in Battambang province

Breakfast and dinner included

Day 5– Battambang - Ox-cart trip & bamboo train

This morning, after breakfast, we will visit the cultural and agricultural villages of Wat Kor. These villages are known for their ancient wooden houses and you will have the chance to visit some of these houses, inside and around, guiding by their owners who will share with us their life stories. We will continue this insight into the Cambodian way of life by enjoying an ox-cart trip from village to village. For lunch, you will help our host-family to cook a traditional Khmer meal and for dessert. After lunch, we will say goodbye to our hosts for real life experience on the bamboo train which will bring us back to the city.

Overnight in Battambang at Teo hotel or similar

Breakfast and Lunch included

Day 6– Battambang to Siem Reap

Early morning we will take a regular boat to Siem Reap. The boat will first navigate along the Sang Ker river before go onto the Tonle Sap lake, the biggest lake of Southeast Asia. This is a very scenic and picturesque journey; you will enjoy the wonderful landscape, passing through the flooded forest and the floating villages. This marvelous journey lasts about 5 hours during the wet season but can be considerably longer in the dry season due to low water. After check in, will be free at your own leisure

Overnight in Siem Reap at Side Walk Villa or similar

Breakfast included

Please note that if water levels are low the journey from Battambang to Siem Reap will be overland. The Tonle Sap Lake presents its lowest level at the end of the dry season, in March and May.

Day 7– Siem Reap - Angkor

Today, we will leave the hotel early in the morning (5:00-5:30am) hoping to catch the sunrise on Angkor Wat the largest and most impressive of all the temples which homes the longest continuous bas relief in the world, before having breakfast near the temple. Then, we will visit Ta Phrom, also known as the jungle's temple. As such, it is one of the most regularly visited temples. Ta Phrom looks as many of the monuments did when European explorers first laid eyes on them. The afternoon is at leisure for further shopping or to see the town on your own.

Overnight in Siem Reap at Side Walk Villa or similar

Breakfast included

Day 8 - Siem Reap - Banteay Srei & Landmine Museum

You will have a free morning to have a long lie down or continue your exploration of the city and its surroundings. Afternoon, we will drive 35 km north of town, through the countryside to the magnificent Banteay Srei temple – the Citadel of women - decorated with superbly intricate reliefs of male and female divinities, carved from pink sandstone contrasting with the main walls made of laterite. On the way back, we will first stop at the Landmine museum and Rehabilitation Centre which promotes mine awareness and education to people. The museum display a large collection of guns, rifles, rockets launchers, pistols, mortars, grenades, CS gas canisters, bombs, bullets and a 225kg bomb from a US warplane, all recovered from Cambodia countryside. Then we will visit Banteay Samre Temple.

Overnight in Siem Reap at Side walk Villa or similar

Breakfast included

Day 9 - Siem Reap - NGOs

After breakfast in the hotel, we will visit Handicap International, an NGO (non governmental organization) which provides a range of support activities to disabled people, many of whom are victims of leftover weapons. Landmines and unexploded ordinance (UXO) from the civil war. Then, we will continue to the Jayavarman VII Children’s hospital, a state-of-the-art hospital which provides free medical care to children. Like every hospital in Cambodia, the medical staff is always in need of blood to save lives. We will stop there for the ones who would like to give blood.

In the afternoon we will explore the complex of Angkor Thom includes South Gate, Bayon Temple, a pyramid temple decorated by about 200 gigantic carved heads, then also visit the Royal Enclosure, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.

Overnight in Siem Reap at Side walk Villa or similar

Breakfast included

Day 10 - Siem Reap - free day

Today, no activities are planned so you can choose between the many possibilities offered by the area. You can have a look to our numerous day-trip excursions to have an idea what to do with your day. Your tour leader will be pleased to help you to arrange any excursion you would like to do.

Overnight in Siem Reap at Side walk Villa or similar

Breakfast included

Day 11 - Siem Reap to Kompong Cham Province  

After breakfast at the hotel, we will leave Siem Reap to Kampong Cham, the third largest town of Cambodia, located on the banks of the mighty Mekong River. After check-in we will have lunch at Hao An restaurant. In the afternoon we will ride bicycles to the Koh Pean Island to meet children of the villages and give them some school supplies, toothbrushes and so on. This type of real life experience in Cambodia will allow you to share some vibrant moments with people. During the dry season, we will reach the island by crossing the bamboo bridge (which is rebuilt every year) and during the wet season; a ferry will take us to other side.

Overnight in Kampong Cham at Mekong Hotel

Breakfast included and Lunch Included

Day 12 - Kompong Cham to Kratie Province  

After breakfast, we will drive through two Mekong provinces to the charming little town of Kratie. The region near Kompong Cham was the birthplace of rubber production during the French colonial time. We will pass along many rubber plantations. Our journey will continue to the village of Snoul, which is famous for its fruits cultivation. Kratie is quite well-preserved and still has some good examples of shop house architecture as well as some old Khmer wooden house but is mostly the best place in Cambodia to see the freshwater Irrawady dolphins.

Overnight in Kratie at Sante Pheap hotel or similar

Breakfast included

Day 13 - Kratie to Phnom Penh

After an early breakfast, we will leave Kratie for an overland journey of about 7 hours by public bus. On the way, you will get the chance to taste the local specialty, the delicious famous fried spiders (Tarantula called A ping in Khmer). Never try, never know, that’s our motto! We will arrive at Phnom Penh in the beginning of the afternoon. After check-in, we will visit Wat Phnom, a temple on the top of the only hill (27 meters high) of Phnom Penh. It is the place from where the city takes its name Tonight, we will go to Bopha Phnom Penh Titanic for our farewell dinner.

Overnight in Phnom Penh at Town View Hotel or similar

Breakfast and dinner included

DAY 14 - Phnom Penh

Today is departure day so no activities are planned. Check-out will be at noon and you are free to leave at any time.

Breakfast included

Tour Price & Inclusions

The booking has to be paid at least 42 days before tour starts.

The single supplement is the price of one supplementary room for 13 nights (2 single rooms instead of one double/twin room). There is no single room available in homestay. Note that for every odd-number pax, one of the rooms is already a single room.

Price of Tour Includes:

Accommodation on twin sharing basis and meals as stated in the itinerary

Entrance fees and sightseeing tours by tuk-tuk and private air con vehicles

An experienced English-speaking local tour leader

Services of local guides at some sites

1-week Angkor Pass

Public bus from Phnom Penh to Battambang

Boat from Battambang to Siem Reap

Public bus from Siem Reap to Kompong Cham

Public bus from Kratie to Phnom Penh

Private van from Kompong Cham to Kratie

NOT Included in Tour Price:

Personal travel insurance (compulsory!)

International flight , airport taxes & excess baggage charges

Visa & visa fees, passport & vaccination charges

Arrival & departure transfers

Departure tax

All optional tours & activities during free time

Personal expenditure, such as souvenirs, laundry, postage, phone calls, etc…

Drinks & tips

Other meals not mentioned in the itinerary