DAY 1 - PHNOM PENH ARRIVAL
Begin this family friendly Cambodia tour with a visit to Phnom Penh, once considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Orient. Despite its recent turbulent history, Phnom Penh still retains much of its colonial charm. Cambodia’s capital is a bustling city, majestically located at the confluence of the mighty Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers. Wide, tree-lined boulevards and scores of colonial-era buildings reflect the city’s glorious days, where Asian and Western traditions have long since meet in a fascinating way.
An English-speaking guide will be waiting upon arrival for a private escort to the hotel. After check-in, the remainder of the day is at leisure.
Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Distances and journey time:
Phnom Penh Airport - Phnom Penh (11 km): 25 mins
DAY 2 - PHNOM PENH (B)
Begin the Phnom Penh visit with a cyclo ride through the city’s landmark sites. Starting on the outskirts of the city, visit Wat Phnom, followed by two famous riverside visits, the 19th century Royal Palace and nearby Silver Pagoda. Originally called Wat Phra Kaew, this temple is famous for its 5,000 silver tiles and grand collection of Buddhas.
Continue to the non-profit Bloom café, an incredible cake art gallery that empowers and skills young, disadvantaged Cambodian women.
Note: Bloom café is open Monday-Saturday (10:00-17:00hrs)
The remainder of the day is at leisure with these optional afternoon experiences:
Optional: Monkey Business
Centrally located, Monkey Business is one of Cambodia’s largest indoor playgrounds with dedicated baby and toddler areas. Custom designed and manufactured in Australia by world leader Playtec, the site includes ball pits, slides, bouncy castles, climbing apparatuses, a small outdoor swimming pool, a restaurant and more. (Ages 0-7)
Note: entrance fee to be paid locally (own expense). Currently $2 for children 0-2, $4 for 2+ and an additional $1 for children and $ for adults who also wish to use the swimming pool. Socks are required.
Optional: Kids City
Located in the heart of Phnom Penh, Kids City is a one stop shop for children’s entertainment. 6 floors feature a range of activities for all ages from ‘Toddler Town’ and a multi-story indoor playground for older kids to an ice skating rink, laser tag park, go-kart track, science discovery centre and a rock climbing wall.
Note: entrance fee to be paid locally (own expense) and the cost varies on the activity. Socks are required.
Optional: Cambodia Living Arts – (evening)
Get inspired by a one-hour Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) performance, with three traditional programs to choose from: Children of Bassac (Classical and Folk Dance), Mak Therng, and Passage of Life (Music and Theatre). Oct-Mar shows daily except Sun, Apr-Sep on Fri/Sat only.
Overnight in Phnom Penh
DAY 3 - PHNOM PENH (B,L)
Early Day 3, travel by private vehicle (about 1 hour) to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, the world’s largest sanctuary for sun bears.
Upon arrival, meet the staff at Free The Bears, responsible for educating hundreds of thousands of Cambodians about the threats facing their wild bear populations. Free The Bears is a registered charity that was set up by an Australian to protect, preserve and enrich the lives of bears throughout the world. The 100+ bears at Phnom Tamao may have faced death or a torturous life in order to provide medicinal benefits or exotic food to the Asian market. Twenty one forested enclosures have been built over 7 hectares to house a mixture of Sun bears and Asiatic black bears of different ages and personalities.
After visiting the various bear houses, take part in a fun activity of preparing enrichment toys and snacks for the bears.
There will also be time to visit some of the other endangered species kept at Phnom Tamao. Lunch will be taken at a simple local picnic hut ‘Khmer style’. In the afternoon, hide the food in the bear’s forest enclosures and watch along as they enjoy.
Leaving Phnom Tamao, drive the short distance to Tonle Bati Temple, an Angkor-style temple which remains largely intact. Whilst being very small in size, the temple is one of the best preserved and most picturesque in Cambodia.
On the way back to Phnom Penh, stop to try some local seasonal fruits before arriving at at the hotel.
(Note: please note that direct contact with the bears is not possible under any circumstances, these are rescued wild animals. It is recommended to bring closed footwear, sunscreen and suitable clothing for a day in the forest).
Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Distances and journey time:
Phnom Penh - Phnom Tamao Wildlife Reserve (36 km): 50 mins
DAY 4 - PHNOM PENH - BATTAMBANG (B,L)
Depart the capital in the morning and head through rural Cambodia to the town of Battambang. With a noticeable lack of traffic and scenic surroundings, this northwest corner of the country is a beautiful visit.
Stop first to Kampong Chhnang, a traditional pottery community with many kilns at work. See the different aspects of pottery making in one of Cambodia’s most scenic locations or give a go at creating a jug or pot with an interactive tutorial.
Enjoy a packed lunch at one of the local houses while watching the daily activity of the village unfold.
Continue to Kompong Luong for a simple, local boat trip to visit a series of floating villages on the Tonlé Sap Lake. Floating ice factories, churches, pagodas, service stations… even karaoke bars and police stations are on the water here! From young to old, everybody travels by boat through the network of canals that cross this area.
Continue to Battambang and transfer to the hotel for check in. Despite being Cambodia’s second largest city, Battambang offers a very laid-back atmosphere with its charming river side town full of French-colonial architecture.
Overnight in Battambang.
Distances and journey time:
Phnom Penh – Battambang (330km): 5hr
DAY 5 - BATTAMBANG (B,L)
Optional: Village bike ride with Soksa Bike
Enjoy a morning cycle around local villages with the social enterprise Soksa Bike. During the 30km tour learn how locals produce rice paper, prahoc (typical Cambodian fish paste), grolan (sticky rice stuffed in bamboo) and other Cambodian treats.
Optional: Walking tour with museum & temple visits
Exploring Battambang with a morning walking tour. Battambang has a unique history (belonging to both Cambodia and Thailand) with an excellent collection of early 20th century French colonial architecture. Visit the main market, sample a local coffee, enter a Chinese temple, and tour an ancient train station.
Lunch will be at Jaan Bai, a social enterprise restaurant providing training and employment to local youth; all profits go to the overall sustainability of the Cambodian Children’s Trust.
Afterwards, head to the Bamboo Train station. Set up by the villagers, the Bamboo Train was built after the preexisting train was discontinued. The “train” itself is very basic: one bamboo platform on 4-wheels, activated by a small motor. Sitting on the platform (cushions provided), travel 8 km to the next station through beautiful landscape and rice paddies (depending on season of visit).
(Note: the train tracks from Battambang to Phnom Penh are currently being rebuilt. The long term future of the bamboo train ride cannot be guaranteed. Should the service stop we will arrange alternative sightseeing).
Continue to Phnom Sampeau, one of the few hills standing out in this otherwise pancake-flat plain. From its small temple on the top, enjoy fantastic views over the surrounding paddy fields and sugar palm trees. Also hiding a morose visit, tour its notorious killing caves, cruel reminders of Cambodia’s troubled past. Visit is optional.
Stay at Phnom Sampeau until dusk, when millions of bats emerge from a cave creating patterns as they fly in tandem across the sky – a nightly spectacle!
Overnight in Battambang.
DAY 6 - BATTAMBANG - BANTEAY CHHMAR (B,L,D)
After breakfast, depart to Banteay Chhmar.
On arrival pay a visit to Banteay Chhmar temple, a place of exceptional atmosphere which gets very few visitors. A notable feature of this temple (up for UNESCO World Heritage Site status) is the magnificent bas reliefs on the outside of the inner sanctuary walls. Almost every step within this vast ruin gives another fabulous picture of stone being consumed by nature. It is a spectacular sight with its Bayon Style towers, walls, and enclosures cloaked with vegetation.
Enjoy a picnic lunch amongst the temples before coming back to the village.
The surrounding countryside of the village, with its paddy fields and sugar palm trees is very typical for Cambodia; enjoy the beauty on a village tour via ox-cart in the late afternoon, a fun way to get in touch with rural Cambodia and its friendly people.
Accommodation tonight will be at a traditional local homestay, a fabulous intimate encounter for experiencing a typical Khmer village, learning about local life and customs.
After dinner with a local family, experience a performance of traditional Khmer music played by the local villagers.
Overnight in Banteay Chhmar at a local homestay.
Distances and journey time:
Battambang - Banteay Chhmar (141 km) 2 hrs
DAY 7 - BANTEAY CHHMAR - SIEM REAP (B)
After breakfast, visit the local market in Banteay Chhmar and experience another typical Khmer village. The local guide will explain the traditional life that takes place here, including fishing, beekeeping, weaving, and rice farming.
Continue from Banteay Chhmar to Siem Reap, the base for exploring the fabled temples of Angkor; transfer to hotel for check in.
The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Overnight in Siem Reap
Distances and journey time:
Banteay Chhmar – Siem Reap (161 km): 2 hrs 20 mins
DAY 8 - SIEM REAP (B,L)
Start the tuk tuk Angkor tour with a visit to Angkor Wat. Built in the 12th century, this temple was the residing King’s funerary temple, adorned with intricate carvings and bas-reliefs.
Continue to the ancient city of Angkor Thom with its perfectly square, 8 meter high wall and elephant-carved south gate. In the city’s centre is the Bayon Temple, a 12th century masterpiece known for its 54 towers and two iconic Terraces.
Continue on towards Ta Prohm, a temple that children particularly enjoy. Overgrown by jungle trees and vines, this “Tomb Raider” temple is one of the complex’s most picturesque.
Return to Siem Reap for a scenic lunch at Marum Restaurant, offering not only great food, but also building a new life for the disadvantaged youth in training there!
Afternoon at leisure, with a choice of the following optional activities:
Optional: 2-3 hrs. Village cycle tour
Cycle through local villages to experience Siem Reap’s “real” Cambodia: routes can be discussed in advanced with guide to meet personal fitness and interests; support vehicle is provided.
Optional: Horseback riding at Happy Ranch
Head to Happy Ranch outside of Siem Reap for a countryside horseback tour. Learn all about the Cambodian horse breed and embark on a 2-hour trail ride through rice fields, local villages, and the rarely visited Wat Athvea.
Note: Gentle ponies are available for young children. Experienced staff walk alongside and lead or assist when necessary.
Optional: Flight of the Gibbon
Flight of the Gibbon is a Eco-Adventure Zip Line Tour inside the Angkor Archeological Park. Soar over the canopy with 10 zip lines at different heights, suspended sky bridges, and abseil adventures.
Safety briefing and equipment included.
(Note: Max. 9 people in a single group, latest start time is 12pm, excursion lasts 3-4 hrs, maximum weight 125kg, not suitable for children under 5 yrs old or 1m height, no sandals permitted).
Overnight in Siem Reap.
Distances and journey time:
Siem Reap – Temples (06 km): 10 mins
DAY 9 - SIEM REAP (B,L)
Day 9 features a Cambodian cultural tour. Pickup from hotel early in the morning with a 25 minute transfer to Ta Brak village. A western breakfast is packed and will later be shared with a local family while learning about daily village life.
From here take a 30 minute ox cart ride through the village to the local market for an introduction to Cambodian vegetables, herbs, fruits and other local produce. Continue 1km by foot through the picturesque countryside village, stopping off to meet the local communities along the way. Each tour will be different and the activities (rice planting, weaving thatch roofs, planting or harvesting vegetable crops, making fish traps etc.) depend on season.
End the morning at the local pagoda where a special water blessing by Buddhist monks await.
From here make a stop at the 9th Century Bakong Temple, an ancient centre of Khmer civilisation known as Hariharalaya, before embarking on an educational boat trip to Tonlé Sap Lake. The Tonlé Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and officially designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Travel out to Kampong Phluk, a less-visited, stilted village where local fisherman and their families still live and thrive off the flooded mangrove forest. Board a local boat here and tour through its stilted and floating houses (enjoy a delicious lunch in one of the floating houses).
(Note: Due to low water levels during the dry season, the boat trip is only possible from June to March. However an alternative floating village at Chong Kneas can be arranged instead).
Optional: Phare Ponleu Selpak in Siem Reap – (evening)
Attend an hour-long evening show by ‘Phare, the Cambodian Circus’. Starting at 8pm, professional artists act out stories of Cambodian lives and society through modern theatre, music, dance, acrobatics, juggling and contortion.
Suitable for all ages
Overnight in Siem Reap.
DAY 10 - SIEM REAP - SIHANOUKVILLE (B)
Enjoy some down time to relax at the hotel or discover Siem Reap town on your own until the transfer to the airport for an afternoon flight to Sihanoukville (1 hr).
A guide will meet upon arrival for hotel transfer.
Overnight in Sihanoukville.
Distances and journey time:
Siem Reap - Siem Reap Airport (8 km): 15 mins
Sihanoukville Airport – Sihanoukville (18km): 30 mins
DAY 11 - SIHANOUKVILLE (B)
Enjoy the day at leisure or choose an optional tour:
Ream National Park (Sihanoukville)
The park was established in 1993 on a 210 km² area on the Gulf of Thailand that includes thick pristine jungle, mangrove forests and off-shore coral reefs. It's a nature lovers paradise with nearly 200 bird species, many kinds of monkeys and the elusive pangolin. Transfer to one of Ream’s most scenic isolated beaches (Koh Sampouch) for lunch at local restaurant on the beach.
Three Islands tour (Sihanoukville)
Take a 9 AM boat trip to explore three islands with ample opportunity to snorkel, fish or just rest and relax. At Koh Takiev Island enjoy swimming in the clear waters, relaxing on a long yellow sandy beach, or snorkelling along coral reef before having lunch on the island. (Please advise at the start of the tour which option is preferred). In the afternoon return to Sihanoukville to arrive 4-5pm.
Overnight in Sihanoukville.
DAY 12 - SIHANOUKVILLE (B)
Enjoy the day at leisure or one of the aforementioned optional tours.
Overnight in Sihanoukville.
DAY 13 - SIHANOUKVILLE - PHNOM PENH - DEPARTURE (B)
Breakfast at hotel. Free at leisure until the afternoon transfer back to Phnom Penh (driver only) for departing flight.
Distances and journey time:
Sihanoukville – Phnom Penh (230 km): 4 hrs