Mr. Nicolas – 9 days. Explore Cambodia

Day 1 – Mar 01: Phnom Penh / Arrival

Arrival in Phnom Penh. We welcome and transfer you to hotel. Rest of the day is your leisure time to explore the city on your own.

• Overnight at hotel in Phnom Penh
• N/A

Day 2 – Mar 02: Phnom Penh

Morning, visit the notorious 
Choeung Ek Killing Fields, 15km southwest of Phnom Penh. This one is the site of brutal executions of more than 17,000 individuals, most of whom first suffered through interrogations, torture and deprivation in  Toul Sleng Prison during Pol Pot regime (From 1975–1979). Continue your visit to  Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21 prison). This prison was a high school, and used as a prison by Pol Pot’s security forces and became the largest center for detention and torture during the rule of the Khmer Rouge. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, take some minutes at  Independent Monument for photo taking. We then visit the opulent  Royal Place, home to Cambodia’s Royal family. The  Royal Palace is built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town. Continue at the  Silver Pagoda, located within the grounds of the  Royal Palace, the  Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor, which is made up of 5000 silver tiles. Leaving the Royal Palce, you will visit at The  National Museum with its superb collection of Khmer art. The last place to visit today is  Wat Phnome, the most famous buddhist temple in Phnom Penh.  Wat Phnom was built in 1373, and stands 27 metres above the ground. It is the tallest religious structure in the city. The pagoda was given the name of Wat Preah Chedey Borapaut.

• Overnight at hotel in Phnom Penh
• B,L

Day 3 – Mar 03: Phnom Penh → Battambang

This morning you will depart from  Phnom Penh  and travel to  Kampong Chhnang, known for its traditional pottery. Continue to  Oudong, the former royal capital of  Cambodia and enjoy an ox-cart ride through the city. You will then climb the stairs to the top of  Oudong Mountain and enjoy magnificent views over the plains below as your guide explains the history of the area and its buildings as well as the religious culture of the Cambodian people. This afternoon, you will drive to  Phnom Penh to Battambang overnight .

• Overnight at hotel in Battambang
• B,L,D

Day 4 – Mar 04: Battambang

Today will be spent encountering friendly locals and exploring this unique city. After breakfast you will proceed to  Phnom Sampeau, home to the killing caves and a small temple, representing both serenity and inhumanity in one place. Continue the tour with a ride on a bamboo train. The long term future of the bamboo train ride cannot be guaranteed. Should the service stop we will arrange alternative sightseeing). Disembark as your guide leads you through local villages and farms on the way to  Wat Banan, an 11-century temple on a mountain top situated between lush paddy fields and beautiful lotus ponds. Climb to the top and enjoy the views over the beautiful countryside and wander around the ancient temple, which is also home to scented flowering trees. This afternoon, you will be taken to some of the many cultural villages around  Battambang, where you will learn how the locals produce rice paper, prahoc (typical Cambodian fish paste), grolan (sticky rice stuffed in bamboo), and other Cambodian treats. An optional visit Phare Ponleu Selpak School of Music , Visual & Performing Arts can also be arranged. You will also visit a weaving and handicraft centre. Overnight in 
Battambang.

• Overnight on cruise in Battambang
• B,L

Day 5 – Mar 05: Battambang → Siem Reap

After breakfast, we transfer you from  Battambang to Siem Reap Drive through the countryside, see the peaceful scenery and the local life of Cambodian people.

This afternoon you will arrivein Siem Reap .

• Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap
• B,L

Day 6 – Mar 06: Siem Reap (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom)

The first part of the day will be spent exploring some of the most iconic temple complexes in Angkor, Cambodia. The morning begins with a visit to Angkor Thom, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire. Here, you can explore some of the most significant structures, including the Bayon Temple, the Baphuon, the Phimeanakas, the Royal Enclosure, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.

Afterward, you will continue your visit to Ta Prohm, a temple complex that is famous for its unique architecture and the way that trees and vegetation have grown around and through its structures. This temple complex provides a stunning visual experience and is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to Angkor.

Lunch will be served at a local restaurant, where you can enjoy some of the local cuisine.

In the afternoon, you will visit Angkor Wat, the most famous of all the temples in Angkor. This massive temple complex is one of the largest religious monuments in the world and is famous for its intricate architecture and stunning beauty. Here, you can explore the central temple, the outer walls, and the surrounding moat.

In the evening, you will enjoy a buffet dinner and watch a Khmer Traditional Dance Show at a local restaurant. This is an excellent opportunity to experience some of the local culture and enjoy some traditional entertainment while dining on local cuisine.

• Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap
• B,L,D

Day 7 – Mar 07: Siem Reap (Explore Beng Mealea)

At 8.00am, we drive out of the city to go to Koh Ker. Abandoned to the forests of the north, Koh Ker, capital of the Angkorian empire from AD 928 to AD 944, is 127km northeast of Siem Reap. It takes about 1.5 hour to reach Koh Ker.

Koh Ker is a 10th-century temple complex in the north Cambodian jungle. A former capital of the Khmer Empire, the site is now remote and heavily forested. The main structure, Koh Ker Temple, is a stepped 7-tiered pyramid. The large rectangular tank, Rahal Baray, supplied water to the complex. The Prasat Krahom, meaning “red temple,” is known for its sandstone carvings, while Prasat Pram is covered in strangler figs.

9.30am, We start at Prasat Krahom where impressive stone carvings grace lintels, doorposts and slender window columns. The principal monument is Mayan-looking Prasat Thom, a 55m-wide, 40m-high sandstone-faced pyramid whose seven tiers offer spectacular views across the forest.

10.30am, we drive back to Siem Reap. On the way back, we stop at two famous temples: Prasat Neang Khmaw & Prasat Pram. We proceed our way back and stop at a local restaurant near Beng Mealea temple. Enjoy your lunch.

1.30pm, we visit Beng Mealea temple. Enjoy a short walk through the dense jungle and discover the wonders of an overgrown temple, Beng Mealea, which lay undiscovered for centuries.

• Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap
• B,L

Day 8 – Mar 08: Siem Reap

Banteay Srey.

08:30AM , Arrival at the temple. You now have chance to see the “gem” of the Angkor area. The so-called “Citadel of the Women” displays some of the finest examples of classical Khmer art.

Considered by many to be the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art, Banteay Srei is cut from stone of a pinkish hue and includes some of the finest stone carving anywhere on Earth. Begun in AD 967, it is one of the smallest sites at Angkor, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in stature. The art gallery of Angkor, Banteay Srei, a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, is wonderfully well preserved and many of its carvings are three-dimensional.

• Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap
• B,L

Day 9 – Mar 09: Siem Reap (Departure)

08:30AM Guide and driver pick up from hotel then See Tonle Sap lake, Cambodia’s largest lake lying just south of Siem Reap. Visit one of the island’s famous floating villages, Kompong Phluk, and experience local life while exploring the stilted houses, fisheries, and floating hospital and many thing.

Afterward, enjoy lunch and spend some leisure time in Siem Reap until it is time for your departure flight home.

• NA
• B,L

End of service!