Cambodia Tour – Kingdom of Wonder 16 days

Welcome at airport upon arrival then transfer to your hotel.  Free time in the afternoon at leisure and at rest.  In the evening, transfer for a Welcome dinner at the local restaurant, where you can enjoy Cambodian food while seeing Apsara dance, a special traditional dance of the Kingdom of Cambodia, which dates from the ancient Khmer empire then get back to hotel. Rest and relax for the rest of the

Stay overnight: Siem Reap | Meals: Dinner

After breakfast, pick up at hotel by tour guide and transfer by tuk tuk for a visit to Angkor Temple Complex. Start your trip with a visit to the most famous temples such as the jungle temple Angkor Thom, known from the movie Thomb Raider. The South Gate which gives access to Angkor Thom, which in its heyday was one of the largest cities in Asia. The Bayon is also here. This is also called the face temple because of its many towers with four buddha faces. The Terrace of the Elephants is also worth a visit. As walking through this impressive complex, you can also visit the much smaller, but certainly not less beautiful, temples and will have chance to see the beautiful Angkor Wat in sunset then get back to hotel in the late afternoon. Rest and relax for the rest of the day.

Stay overnight: Siem Reap | Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast at hotel, Heading out of town we make our way by traveling on a newly paved road to the intricately carved and well preserved temple of Banteay Srei. Along the way we make stopover at the Preah Dark village and we follow these with a visit the Banteay Samre Temple adorned with impressive relief’s depicting scenes of Vishunu as well as Krishna legends. Afternoon, Drive 18km toward Tonle sap where we will enjoy a boat ride (private boat and guide) on the Tonle Sap lake. This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in South East Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. We will see a fishermen’s “floating village” with floatting schools, floatting police station, etc. It is same as a big village floatting on the lake, and the “village” move from place to place following water levels and curant. Overnight in Siem Reap

Stay overnight: Siem Reap | Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, starting your journey to other part of Cambodia, leaving Siem Reap for Stueng Treng. En route getting close to capital city of Stueng Treng, you might want to stop at Sopheakmit waterfall for quick visit. On arrival, transfer to your hotel and relax.  Overnight in Stung Treng

Stay overnight: Stueng Treng | Meals: Breakfast | Lunch

After breafast, take about 1.5 hour drive to the north, nearby border with Laos. Then you continue by boat to the Mekong River to a wide rocky river with lots of deep water pools and the impressive Mekong waterfalls. Walk closer to see the waterfall and visit a small nearby fishing village. You can learn more about the traditional medicines against malaria, fever and diarrhea that the local people still use. Then go to the southern tip of Hang Khone. This is one of the 4000 islands that this area is known for. Here you will find an old French ferry port and train tracks. The French used this during the Indochina war for the transport of material. By boat you will spot the rare Irrawaddy dolphins that live in the deep water pools.

After lunch, continue on to do kayaking through “flooded forest” and “Ramsar wetlands” where are the living enviroment of many species of birds here. Trees protrude from the water whose branches have grown in the direction of the current over the years. Here and there are small islands. After kayaking, return by longtail boat to the car and get back to Stung Treng.

Stay overnight: Stueng Treng | Meals: Breakfast | Lunch

After breakfast, enjoy your new day to visit the old site of ThalaBarivat, located on the other side of the river, on about 4 kilometers from Stung Treng. This is the site of the Preah Ko temple, one of the first temples of the Khmer empire, built in the 7th & 8th century by King Jayavarman I. The name means: ‘Holy Bull’ and for the complex you see three seated bulls. The complex contains 6 special towers total; each tower has several beautiful details. There are also other small, ancient temples in the area (eg the Prambuon Lveng Temple, Srei Temple and the Angkor Kmao Temple) but unfortunately these have been severely affected by time.

After lunch, continue in the afternoon to Ban Lung, the capital of the province of Ratanakiri. If you feel like it, you can take a look at the local Ban Lung market; a colorful spectacle of vendors and stalls selling fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, clothing and household items. There are not many tourists and you can see many aspects of the real Khmer life in and around Ban Lung.  Very special is the red sand dust in Ratanakari province, which covers everything in the dry season. Check in hotel and rest.

Stay overnight: Rattanakiri | Meals: Breakfast | Lunch

After breakfast, you will visit the Voensai District and get into a traditional wooden boat and make a nice trip across the river through the Jungle. On the way, you can admire the beautiful nature and the people living along the river, then visit traditional villages of the Lao tribes, ethnic minorities and an authentic cemetery before getting back to Voensai by boat and havec lunch break.

In the afternoon, continue on to Ban Lung for a visit to the Chaong Waterfall, located about 7 km west of the city. This is the largest and most beautiful waterfall around Ban Lung, as welking on narrow path to reach it. What an exciting experience! During the dry season, it is also possible to swim under the waterfall.

Stay overnight: Rattanakiri | Meals: Breakfast | Lunch

After breakfast, visit the two smaller waterfalls called Katieng and Ka Chang. Ka Tieng is 10 meters high and in the middle of the jungle and Kan Chang is about 7 meters high and ends in a large swimming pool.

The next stop is a waterfall of no less than 7 floors: The Bai Srok waterfall. Most of the seven levels of this waterfall have deep pools where you can swim in the rainy season, while only a few are deep enough to swim in the dry season. The journey goes via an unpaved road and takes about 1 to 2 hours. You will enjoy a picnic lunch at the waterfall.  After lunch you will visit a traditional Gem Mine, where you can see how the local population searches for precious stones in a very narrow deep shaft. End your today trip with Yaklom in the late afternoon.  Yaklom is a naturally more formed in a volcanic crater. Take your time and walk around this volcano crater, you can swim here or simply relax.

Stay overnight: Rattanakiri | Meals: Breakfast | Lunch

After breakfast, transfer to Kratie. On the way, stop at the O’Russey Kandal Community Based Ecotourism Site, located in the heart of the northeast rainforest in the province of  Stung  Treng.  It consists of a beautiful river, waterfalls and natural pools and a majestic forest. In short: O’Russey Kandal offers relaxation for everyone. Here you h  ave the opportunity to take a refreshing dip and enjoy picnic lunch. After lunch, take boat to see the rare Mekong dolphin in Kampi. The Kampi Dolphin Site was founded in 1999 with  the  aim  that  scientific  researchers can study the dolphins. There are now 20 dolphins living here. Finally, visit Wat Sor Sor Mouy Roy, also known as the 100 Pillar Pagoda. It was rebuilt in 1997 after being destroyed by the Pol Pot regime in the 1970s.  Only three wooden pillars  remain  of  the  original  wooden  temple  from  the  16  th  century. Then take ferry to the car-free island: Koh Trong, then transfer to your hotel for check in.

Stay overnight: Kratie | Meals: Breakfast | Lunch

After breakfast enjoy a new experience to explore Koh Trong by bike. On the way, you will meet the locals and admire the Wat Ty Pram Pagoda. Then return to Kratie by ferry for lunch.  Continue on to drive to Phnom penh. You might made some stops at local market in local village and Wat Hanchey where you will have a beautiful view over Mekong River. Upon arrival in Phnom Penh in the late afternoon, check in hotel and rest

Stay overnight: Phnom Penh | Meals: Breakfast | Lunch

After breakfast, you will have a very impressive day to know about the exciting history of the country. Tour guide will take you on tour to visit the Royal Palace as well as the Killing Fields and the infamous Tuol Sleng prison by tuk tuk. The Tuol Sleng was formerly a girls’ high school and was converted in 1975 to the chilling and infamous S21 prison of the Khmer Rouge. Tens of thousands of Cambodians were imprisoned and tortured here. The museum is a silent testimony to a tragic past. Then you drive on to the Killing Fields, located outside the city. To save bullets, the prisoners were brutally murdered with clubs at the time. Then the bodies were locked in pits that the victims had to dig for their own death. A chilling look in history and certainly a piece of Cambodia that will stay with you for a long time. Then take a romantic sunset cruise along the river to let your body and soul be relaxed before getting back to hotel

Stay overnight: Phnom Penh | Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, you will leave the city and head for the Tonle Bati lake, located between Phnom Penh and Takeo.  Here you will visit the Ta Phrom Temple from the 12th century. Then you go to Phnom Chisor, where King Sorayak Varman I built a temple on the top of the mountain in the 11th century. This mountain peak (380m) can be reached by climbing the 408 steps, which is rewarded with a beautiful view over the rice fields.

Upon arrival in Takeo, you will go by boat to Phnom Da. The boat trip pass through many canals and rivers that the Takeo province is rich in and the local life around. The area has been inhabited for more than 2,500 years and excavations are being made from different eras. Phnom Da is a hill on which is a fragment and a sandstone tower from the 11th century. Contineu to Kampot, where you will stay overnight.

Stay overnight: Kampot | Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, you will visit the salt fields, Phnom Chhnouk (cave with Angkor-era temple) and pepper plantations.  You will have change to drive through a charming environment with beautiful views. Lunch is stopped in Kep where you can eat delicious fish; crab or shrimp (lunch at your own account).

Stay overnight: Kampot | Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, free time at leisure till transfer to Sihanoukville, where you will catch the speedboat to Koh Rong island. Check in resort and free time to enjoy the beach.

Stay overnight: Island | Meals: Breakfast