Cambodia Adventure (IPC11)

Sua s’dei! Welcome to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Upon arrival at Phnom Penh Airport, your private guide and driver are waiting to meet you, holding up a welcome signboard with your names on it and take you directly to your hotel.

After checking-in, you will have time to relax and adjust to the pace of Phnom Penh, the vibrant bustling capital of Cambodia. Situated at the confluence of three rivers, the mighty Mekong, the Bassac, and the great Tonle Sap, what was once considered the ‘Gem’ of Indochina.

There will be a short tour briefing this evening with your guide followed by a welcome dinner at Friends Restaurant, Romdeng. It’s a social enterprise based restaurant that empowers disadvantaged youth with vocational training amongst other support. Set in a beautiful colonial building surrounded by a lush garden and swimming pool, Romdeng is the ideal spot to escape – A true taste of Cambodia.

Please note: You must have both a passport and a visa to enter Cambodia. And your passport must also have at least six months’ validity remaining beyond the date that you enter Cambodia. You can get a visa on arrival in Cambodia. Make sure you have two passport-sizes photographs.

Overnight in Phnom Penh
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Morning
After breakfast, the rest of the morning will be at your leisure. Enjoy the comfort of the hotel and spend time relaxing at the hotel’s swimming pool.

Afternoon
Embark on a guided adventure to visit the most remarkable sights of Phnom Penh in a Cyclo (a three-wheeled bicycle taxi), an original Phnom Penh means of transportation. Find off the beaten path alleyways and explore how the locals live in the city. Indulge in the many flavors that Phnom Penh’s local markets offer. Be sure to remember your camera as you will want to capture some of the best sights Phnom Penh has to offer!

Your Phnom Penh City by Cyclo tour will begin with the pick-up at your hotel. Meet your local expert guide who will be with you for your afternoon of exploring the sights. You will also get to meet your local cyclo driver who will pilot you around parts of the city. These men provide a wonderfully unique transportation service around the city that is sadly fading out to the modern tuk-tuk. This special mode of transport ensures that you will have an afternoon exploring that you won’t forget!

The itinerary is flexible to show you the best side of each unique day, whilst ensuring every adventure is a unique and exciting one! The tour includes many key stops including Wat Phnom and the Independence Monument but each extra minute is made up of exploring the lesser-known Phnom Penh too! With local markets, Khmer street stalls, local style coffee, and other hidden eateries and secrets along the route. You will also pass the Royal Palace where your guide will give you an intriguing insight into Cambodia’s past and present.

Your tour will finish at Botumvatey Pagoda, this is a convenient spot in the middle of the city with lots of restaurants and bars nearby for you to relax after your adventure. Your guide can also help to organize transport back to your hotel if needed.

Overnight in Phnom Penh
Meals: (B/_/D)

Morning
After breakfast and hotel check out, depart Phnom Penh heading northeast to Koh Dach is a small island on Mekong River, renowned for the thousands of silk weavers and the quality of the silk they produce. The island itself is a rural paradise, an oasis of tranquility.

Arrive at the docks and embark on a local ferry across the Mekong River to the island, from there you will pick up your bicycles and enjoy cycling through the picturesque countryside and rice paddies. The dirt road is dusty at times, but you can still enjoy the beautiful scenery. Along the way, you will make a stop at a local family and observe their hand made silk woven on their very old looms. You then get back on your bikes and use the ferry to cross the river, where you continue to paddle along the river bank.

At the end of the cycling tour, get back to the docks where your private driver is waiting to take you on a two-hour drive to Kampong Cham, a gateway to the North-Eastern side of the country and its beautiful scenery. En route, there is the chance to pause at Skuon, affectionately known as ‘Spiderville’, where it is possible to sample the local delicacy of the deep-fried tarantula. The lunch place is flexible as it can be along the way, at Skuon.

Afternoon
Arrive and take a short tour of Kompong Cham which includes examples of colonial architecture in the city, a guided visit to Wat Nokoh, an ancient temple dating back to the 12th century, and a walk through the relaxing and quiet town that was once an important trading post during the French colonial period. If time permits, pay a visit to a rubber plantation and factory established in the region by the French.

Overnight in Kampong Cham
Meals: (B/L/_)

Morning
Depart Phnom Penh for a 2,5-hour drive to Krati, a sleepy Mekong port, and gateway to an encounter with the rare freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin that inhabits the upper reaches of the Mekong in Cambodia. Your road journey continues on the eastern side along the Mekong River passing through rural villages, farms, fishing spots, pagodas, and beautiful sceneries. There is a lot of chance to photograph. Getting closer to Kratie you will visit a local mushroom farm. This is where you can see how one village one product is improving the local economy.

Afternoon
After checking into your hotel in Krati, head out to learn about the local lifestyles of Kratie and witness one of the most endangered wildlife that habitat upriver at Kampi.

Start with a visit to a traditional cafe shop near the central Market of Kratie. This is where you will learn about the lifestyle of Khmer men and women in which most men hang out at the cafe while women are working or doing shopping at the market nearby. Next, walk through the market where you will observe the local trades and see some of the old colonial building which remains from the French colony.

Later, travel to Kampi, one of the many deep pools where the rare freshwater Irrawaddy river dolphins gather to feed. You will board a local boat and cruise out into the mighty Mekong for a chance to encounter with gentle creatures. Viewing is almost guarantee, although it is easier to see the dolphins in the shallower waters of the dry season, than in the swollen river of the wet season. After enjoying an hour or more of dolphin viewing, return to your hotel in Kratie where the remainder of the day is at your leisure.

Overnight in Krati
Meals: (B/L/_)

Morning
Leave behind the sleepy town of Kratie and travel southeast towards the small junction town of Snuol, the gateway to the wilds of Mondulkiri. Turn left and leave behind the surfaced roads of civilization to take on the red earth roads of the hill country. The first half of the journey from Snuol is flat, passing through patches of lush forest and areas of cultivation and plantations. Lunch break will be at a local restaurant at Kau Sima.

Afternoon
After lunch, leaving Kau Sima district, the road snakes up through the mountains that give Mondulkiri its name of ‘where the mountains meet’.

Arrive and check into your hotel in Sen Monorom, the capital of Mondulkiri Province. After a short rest, head out to visit a coffee farm resort, one of the must-visit places in Sen Monorom where you can see many different fruits including coffee plantation, dragon fruit, and durian.

Overnight in Sen Monorom
Meals: (B/L/_)

Morning
Rise early and head for the Elephant Valley Project, a pioneering elephant sanctuary that is home to the smaller-sized Cambodian Elephants and their larger Thai cousins. With the support of the Pnong villagers, the project rescues and treats domestic elephants who have suffered illness or injury.

Upon arrival, you will be greeted by the expert team at the elephant centre. After a brief introduction, you will learn all about the important conservation work amid this natural environment and the elephant’s habits and personality traits.

Hike out to the forest to meet the elephants and walk beside them in their natural forest habitat. As part of a small group, you will shadow two elephant families as they go about their daily lives in the lush Cambodian jungle. Listen as the local mahouts share fascinating insights into how they handle the needs and emotions of their elephant charges. A truly memorable day spent alongside these gentle and precious creatures.

Afternoon
After enjoying a deliciously prepared lunch and unwind with a cold drink from the welcoming lounge overlooking the forested valley, you are transferred back to your resort where the remainder of the day is at your leisure.

Overnight in Sen Monorom
Meals: (B/L/_)

Morning
After breakfast, head east towards the double drop waterfall of Bou Sraa, one of the most famous Cascadas in Cambodia. Afterward, leave behind the wilds of Mondulkiri and hit the road towards the red earth of Ratanakiri. You will travel north on the newest highway that connects Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri via Koh Nhek. Along the way, there is lush jungle hugging the road, and locals claim to see tigers on this stretch whereas some parts of the jungle are giving way to clusters of pine trees and rolling grasslands. The scenery is unique for Cambodia and dotted with traditional indigenous hill tribe villages.

Afternoon
Arrive at Ban Lung town of Ratanakiri and check into a local hotel. Later, enjoy the refreshing waters of the beautiful crater lake of Yeak Loam, set amid a pocket of lush jungle.

Overnight in Ban Lung, Ratanakiri 
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Morning
After breakfast, travel by road to the small town of Voen Sai on the banks of the San River, passing through some pristine stretches of forest along the way. After that take a local boat across the river to a Lao village on the other side, then follow the riverbank to a unique Chinese village that has been located here for more than one hundred years. Chinese is still the language of choice among residents and in places it looks like a slice of rural China.

Continue on foot to another Lao village with a wooden pagoda, then take a boat up the river to the Tompuon village of Kachon, passing some beautiful sections of river along the way. Kachon is home to a traditional Tompuon burial ground complete with carved effigies of the deceased. Family groups are buried side by side and elaborate ceremonies held after a period of mourning.

Afternoon
After enjoying a home-hosted lunch at the village, return to Terres Rouge Lodge in Banlung by road. Then spend the rest of the day at your leisure. Take advantage of the lodge’s facilities and the swimming pool.

Overnight in Ban Lung, Ratanakiri
Meals: (B/L/_)

Morning
After breakfast and check out of your hotel in Ratanakiri, leave Banlung behind and travel southwest towards O’Pongman before veering north towards Stung Treng.  You will cross the river by bridge to Tala Borivath and continue north to Preah Rumkel, a small village alongside the Mekong River known as a Community-Based Ecotourism Site.

Upon arrival, you will be welcomed into a local family on the bank of the Mekong River who will be your friendly hosts for the night.

Afternoon
Head out to explore the Sopheakmet Waterfall; that thwarted the grand designs of French imperialists (and which now mark the Lao border). If time permits, you can take the boat across the river to visit Hang Khone, which is the southernmost tip of Laos. The French formerly used this as a ferry port where goods were then transferred back to the ferry by train before they continued their travels by the river. Sunset here is some of the most beautiful sunsets across the Mekong River.

Return to the local home for some shower and then followed by a delicious dinner cooked and served by the family.

Overnight at a local home in Preah Rumkel
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After breakfast at homestay, it’s time to say goodbye to the family. Then, enjoy a short boat trip down to O’Svay where we will start our paddling tours to explore the Ramsar Wetlands area. It stretches south along the Mekong River from the border with Laos to Stung Treng. Only accessible by boat, it is a haven for critically endangered mammals, birds, fish, and a unique riverine flooded forest system that is a photographer’s dream. With only birdcalls announcing our presence, we maneuvered our way leisurely downstream for a couple of hours.

Our paddling tour of the forest continues until one point that you feel enough, then we return back to O’Svay by boat before we travel by road to the provincial capital of Stung Treng. We check in to a comfortable local hotel for the night.

Overnight in Stung Treng
Meals: (B/L/_)

Morning
Head out to a famous restaurant for a typical local breakfast. Then, leave behind the remote Stung Treng, head west to explore an imposing mountain-top temple guards the border between Cambodia and Thailand, Preah Vihear temple which was registered to be the world heritage 2008, perched on a pinnacle overlooking Cambodia and the object of recent battles with Thailand. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant.

Afternoon
Upon arrival, you will climb to the top of the Preah Vihear temple via the snaking road up the mountain which is very steep in places and we eventually emerge at the second enclosure of this king of the mountain temples. Explore the temple on foot and continue onwards to the final level, clinging to a cliff face in the Dangrek Mountains, towering hundreds of meters above lowland Cambodia below. The views from this most mountainous of temple mountains are breathtaking.

Later, transfer to Sra Em to check into your local hotel. The rest of the day will be at your leisure.

Overnight in Sra Em
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Morning
After breakfast, it is time to depart Sra Em and travel to Siem Reap. You will travel west to the mountainous border region to the last of the Khmer Rouge at Anlong Veng with a chance to visit the house of the former military strongman Ta Mok. Anlong Veng was the last Khmer Rouge stronghold to surrender to government forces in the late 1990s. You will then travel south towards Siem Reap. We arrive in Siem Reap around midday and check into your hotel in downtown.

For lunch, you’ll visit the Sala Bai Hotel School where disadvantaged local youth learn skills that enable them to find gainful employment in the hospitality industry.

Afternoon
You will begin the activities by setting up the bicycle then pedaling to explore Siem Reap. Your professional tour guide will point out all the places of interest along the way from the first visit to Phar Kroum market where you will see the farmers and fishmongers’ bartering their crops and products. Then it’s back on your bike to continue pedaling through the villages. You will hear the laughter of kids and their parents from their homes, shouting “Hello” or “Bye Bye” to you. Next, visit Wat Pren, a Buddhist monastery located in the centre of the village surrounded by shining shrines and out-buildings, you are encouraged to make conversation with the monks as they do love to practice their English; then it’s time to get back on your bike cycle through the vegetation fields. You will stop at the local family before cycling back to town.

Tonight, you are invited to a welcome dinner accompanied by a traditional Apsara dance performance.

Overnight in Siem Reap
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Morning
Rise up early and transfer by private vehicle to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat.

Return to the hotel for your breakfast. After that, you will get on your bicycle again and pedal to the entrance of Angkor by starting to visit from South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of Leper King. Continue to Ta Prohm, which is high up many people’s favorite temple lists.

Afternoon
After having lunch will spend the afternoon exploring the main Angkor Wat Temple is the largest religious site in the world. There are not really enough words to describe this jewel in the crown of Angkor. You have to witness it for yourself. The scale of the complex is certain to be above expectations, covering an area of 2 km2, but you can easily see the majority of the places of interest in a morning, especially if you decide to start early enough to see the sunrise. Originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, it faces west instead of the usual requirement to face east. Built between 1113 and 1150, it eventually changed to a Buddhist Wat (temple) in the 13th century after a religious revolution in Cambodia.

You will have plenty of time to explore most of the complex; you will be amazed at the intricate carvings and bas-reliefs, the long terraces, the many different pavilions, and galleries. Will cycle back to your hotel before getting dark.

Tonight you will enjoy watching Phare Cambodia Circus performance after having your dinner.

Overnight in Siem Reap
Meals: (B/L/D)

Morning
After breakfast, enjoy a bike and hike to explore Siem Reap and the surrounding area. Depart Siem Reap for a bicycle ride of 36 Km to the sacred Koulen Mountain. You will love riding on the quiet dirt roads via Kravan temple, Banteay Kdei, Sras Srang, and Phnom Bok.

Drop off our bikes at Rattanak Tey Pagoda, and from here you will conquer Koulen mountain by foot. After 88 steps you will reach Pres Ang Chup and stop for a short break. It’s then followed by a well-earned rest.

Continue 100 steps and 4Km to Reclining Buddha (Pres Ang Thom) passing the River of 1000 Lingas. Here you can enjoy a picnic lunch near the waterfall.

Afternoon
Hike back to the pagoda where our car is ready to transfer you back to Siem Reap where the remainder of the day will be at your leisure.

Overnight in Siem Reap
Meals: (B/L/_)

Morning
After breakfast, embark on a half-day adventure and soak up the scenery as you drive through the rice paddies and rural villages to reach the biggest Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake – Tonle Sap Lake.

Upon arrival, you will firstly enjoy a fun ox cart ride through the countryside. After that take a leisurely boat trip along the Tonle Sap river, which flows through the heart of Kompong Phluk Village. Along the way, enjoy the beautiful lake view and mangrove forest on the lake. Get a glimpse of local life as you glide past the stilted houses, pagodas, markets, and watch locals going about their everyday lives.

Later, you will be transferred to a smaller boat to paddle through the flooded forest of Kompong Phluk to discover the fascinating daily lives of the local people who leave on the water.

End the tour around midday. Return to the wharf where your driver will be waiting to take you back to your hotel.

Afternoon
Spend the rest of the day at your leisure. If you want to be active, we can arrange a foodie adventure for you, an experiential roller coaster through the vibrant Siem Reap dining and social scene mixing high end with real local style!

Overnight in Siem Reap
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Your private transfer greets you at the hotel after breakfast and escorts you to Siem Reap International Airport where you board your flight home or travel on to more adventures, we will help you with the planning.

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