Cambodia Highlights: The Great Kingdom

Breakfast at the hotel. 

Visit the Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21) and Choeung Ek – The Killing Fields. These sites are dedicated to remembering the war crimes of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot, and the darkest period of Cambodian history.

Departure for Battambang by private car. The journey takes 4–5 hours. Stop at the Silversmith village to see the pottery manufactures of Kompong Chhnang and visit a fish market. Arrival in Battambang, hotel check-in, and free time. Meals on your own and overnight stay in Battambang.

Battambang is a city where you can breathe in the French colonial past, located about 170 km from the better-known Siem Reap. It is a quiet and pleasant place, primarily a city dedicated to agriculture and trade; it represents a pleasant change from the tourist town of Siem Reap while keeping its provincial atmosphere intact. The name is pronounced “Bahd-dum-bong,” and the city sits on the western bank of the Sangker River, a small, placid body of water that winds through the province of Battambang. The city is located in the heart of Cambodia’s “rice bowl,” but rice is not the only crop; you can see fields of mango, papaya, jackfruit, milkfruit, peanuts, corn, and green beans.

Breakfast at the hotel to begin your day of the Cambodia tour. Traveling along the picturesque Sangker River, you will arrive at Wat Slaket Pagoda—the residence of the former Buddhist Patriarch. You will then visit Wat Ek Phnom and a market where the famous Prahoc (Cambodian fish paste) is made. We will also stop at the Provincial Museum and a local market before heading to Phnom Banon, dating back to the 11th century and located about 20 km from Battambang. Here, you can see the five sandstone towers atop a hill, which is also an ideal spot to enjoy a magnificent view of the surrounding plains at sunset. In the same afternoon, we invite you to try a trip on the bamboo train—a very fun and unforgettable experience for every tourist in Battambang. Meals on your own and overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. 

Board the speedboat and navigate toward Siem Reap. During the journey, you can admire untouched landscapes and see the daily life of the Cambodians along the banks. We will pass the Cheur Khmao Pagoda—the dark wooden pagoda in the village of Bak Prier—the Biosphere Reserve, and several other floating villages. Packed lunch on board. You will continue navigating across Lake Tonle Sap until the floating village of Chong Kneas. Arrival at the port of Siem Reap, disembarkation, and transfer to your hotel in Siem Reap. The day proceeds with a visit to Les Artisans d’Angkor – Chantiers Ecoles, where you will be transported by Tuk Tuk. Dinner on your own and overnight stay in Siem Reap.

Please Note: From April to October, the water level may be too low for navigation; in this case, you will travel by land via private car.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure to visit Angkor Thom (Great City). You will begin with the South Gate and the famous Bayon Temple from the 12th and 13th centuries, dedicated to Buddhism. The temple consists of no fewer than 54 gigantic towers and 216 faces of Avalokitesvara. Next, you will continue your visit with the Terrace of the Elephants, 350m long, located at the foot of the Royal Hall and used as a site for public ceremonies. This is followed by the Terrace of the Leper King, built in the 12th century, which features various sculptures of apsaras… as well as Phimeanakas, Baphuon, and the Elephant Terrace.

You will continue your Cambodia Tour with a visit to the Ta Prohm temple before the lunch break. In the afternoon, you will set out to discover the marvelous Angkor Wat temple, a World Heritage site built in the 12th century (1112-1152) in honor of Vishnu; it covers an area of 200 hectares and is surrounded by a moat and a wall measuring 1300m x 1500m. Angkor Wat is the largest temple in the world, famous for its slender towers and extraordinary bas-reliefs, and is considered one of the most remarkable monuments ever conceived by man.

In the late afternoon, you will have the choice to admire the sunset from Bakheng Hill or return to Siem Reap for a short Tuk Tuk ride, with the opportunity to participate in a Buddhist ceremony where you will be blessed by monks wishing you happiness and prosperity for your holiday.

During the morning, you will visit the temple of Banteay Srei, which houses one of the most extraordinary jewels of Khmer art. Built in the 10th century, this small pink sandstone temple, whose name means “Citadel of the Women,” contains sculptural masterpieces that remain in an excellent state of preservation. André Malraux made it famous at the beginning of the 20th century following the recovery of several “apsara” heads, which were returned to the community in 1923. During the journey, you will visit the temple of Banteay Samre where, according to legend, a farmer became king: the king of sweet cucumbers. You will admire the remarkable sculptures of this classic temple, which have been preserved with great care.

In the afternoon, you will begin with a visit to the Preah Khan Temple, built by Jayavarman VII in 1191 in honor of his father, who is represented as the saving god of Mahayana Buddhism. The temple was originally a true city and a place dedicated to Buddhist studies. Dating from the same era, Neak Pean, also called “Entwined Nagas,” is the only island-temple in Angkor. It is said to symbolically represent Anavatapta: the sacred and mythical lake of the Himalayas, revered in India for the healing properties of its waters. The large central basin is connected to four other smaller basins representing the four great rivers of the earth and the four cardinal points. Each of these features a gargoyle in the shape of a lion, horse, elephant, and man. The most interesting part is undoubtedly a marvelous statue of Balaha, representing the legend of the rescue of a group of shipwrecked survivors. You will continue the visit of Angkor, departing to reach the two beautiful 12th-century temples of Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda, built under the reign of Suryavarman II. Here you will find sculptures in honor of Shiva, Vishnu, and the Devatas (particularly at Chau Say Tevoda). 

Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

 A full day dedicated to visiting temples outside the ordinary circuit.

Located 50km north of Siem Reap, the temple of Kbal Spean, well-known as the “River of a Thousand Lingas,” is unique in its kind. To reach it, you will need to walk for about 45 minutes along a well-marked path through the thick forest until you reach the river where, starting from the 11th century, sculptors began carving various figures into the rocks. The riverbed is, in fact, decorated with hundreds of lingas—symbols of fertility representing the essence of the Hindu god Shiva. Besides the lingams, you can admire bas-reliefs depicting Hindu deities. The path leads to a small waterfall—an ideal spot to cool off.

Break for lunch (on your own) at a local restaurant before departing for the large complex of Beng Mealea, located 40km east of the main Angkor group. Beng Mealea is a picturesque jungle temple that has recently become one of the newest and most exciting tourist attractions in Cambodia; it is an excellent place for photography as it is largely in ruins and completely enveloped by vegetation. The first impression one gets when visiting Beng Mealea is of an enormous pile of rubble hidden within the growth of wild trees. Those who visit this intriguing temple will witness a vast collection of sculptures, primarily representing stories from Hindu mythology.

Continue for another 70km to arrive at Koh Ker, another complex consisting of various temples and monasteries. Koh Ker was the capital of the Khmer Empire for a very short period (928–944 AD). Return to the hotel. Check-in and accommodation at the hotel.

Wake up early this morning to head toward the floating village of Kompong Khleang, located about an hour’s drive from Siem Reap and visited by thousands of tourists each year. Kompong Khleang is one of the most impressive villages due to the height and size of its stilt houses. Take a walking tour of the village to meet the inhabitants and enter a home where a family raises crocodiles. Afterward, you will board a local boat to navigate through the canals toward the great lake, where the residents move their houses according to the seasons. Return to the village for a packed lunch on-site. Free time for a visit to the Old Market until the meeting time for your transfer to the airport for your return flight. Rooms are at your disposal until noon. Transfer to the airport for your departure flight, concluding your Cambodia Tour.

Please Note: 

From April to October, cruises may not be possible due to the low water level of Lake Tonle Sap. As an alternative, you can visit Chong Kneas on the lakeshore or the pre-Angkorian Roluos Group, including the temples of Bakong, Preah Ko, and Lolei.

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