Eplore Cambodia- 13 Days

Welcome to Phnom Penh – the vibrant and bustling capital of Cambodia. Despite recent rapid changes, the city exudes a sort of provincial charm and tranquility with French colonial mansions and tree-lined boulevards amidst monumental Angkorian architecture. Upon your airport arrival, you will be met by your guide and transferred then to your hotel in the city center for checking in.
The rest of the day will be free on your own.

Meal: N/A.
Accommodation: Hotel in Phnom Penh.

Begin your morning with breakfast at hotel then set out to see the capital city of Phnom Penh. Despite its recent turbulent history, it still maintains considerably charming. A city tour acquaints us with some major sights of Phnom Penh. The Tuol Sleng Prison Museum and the notorious ‘Killing Fields’ of Choeung Ek are not to be missed. A visit to these sights provides a deep insight into the painful bloody rule of the Khmer Rouge. In the afternoon, we will visit Royal Palace which is now home to the royal family. You also see the northern section of the Palace grounds where the most sacred Silver Pagoda lies and then the National Museum. Conclude your day by a browse around the fascinating Russian Market before making your way back to the hotel where you will spend the rest of time at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Phnom Penh.

Enjoy a tasty breakfast at hotel, check out to drive east to Mondulkiri which is the most sparsely populated although being the largest province in Cambodia. The province is chock full of natural beauty, with thickly forested mountains, powerful waterfalls and home for Khmer, Chinese, Muslim Cham and other tribal minorities. On the way, stop at Kampong Cham, where you will visit the Wat Nokor Pagoda. This 11th century Mahayana Buddhist shrine is home to a large reclining Buddha as well as many carved Buddha images. Next, step on the longest bamboo bridge in the world before stopping at a local restaurant for lunch (your own account).
Upon arrival in Mondulkiri, check in the hotel then enjoy the rest of the evening at your leisure.

Meals: Breakfast. 
Accommodation: Hotel in Mondulkiri.

After breakfast at hotel, the guide and driver will transfer you to Mondulkiri Project where you will join in a fun day in the jungle with Mondulkiri elephants in the protected forest. Here you have chance to live with elephant for a day, and do many activities, such as: feeding and following 4 Mondulkiri elephants through the jungle (no elephant riding), swimming with and washing elephants at the waterfall, learning about elephants and Bunong culture and traditions.

Have lunch at the Jungle Lodge and relaxing in hammocks. The Lodge has great views over the jungle and is a good place to view wildlife and many species of birds.
After saying goodbye to the elephants, we walk back out of the jungle to our starting point and take drive back to hotel in town.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch.
Accommodation: Hotel in Mondulkiri.

Wake early and visit the local market frequented by the Phnong people, who travel from the nearby villages to buy and sell their wares. Then we travel to Bou Sra about 40 km northeast from Sen Monorom. This double drop waterfall is one of the largest and most impressive in all of Cambodia. Enjoy the natural beauty of the region then discover the Phnong village also named Bou Sra.

On the way back to Mondulkiri we will stop at several hill tribe villages, taking time to appreciate the countryside and scenery.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Mondulkiri.

After breakfast at hotel, the driver will take you on 5 hour drive to Ratanakiri. The journey offers an excellent opportunity to observe rural Cambodia up–close. Located in Cambodia’s far northeast, this rural rugged province of Ratanakiri is a 70% ethnic minority, which are known as “Chunchiet”. Ratanakiri was as recently as 2002 seriously off the beaten track but has since been “discovered” step by step. Upon arrival, check in and enjoy your free time afterward.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Ratanakiri.

Departing from hotel around 8:30am. After a short drive (35km) you will arrive at Kachon village. From here you will take a traditional boat and head upstream to Kackork Village (20km) where you will stop to visit a traditional village and cemetery. You will then return to your local boat and cruise downstream along on the Sesan River and onwards to the town of Veun Sai (32km).
Back to have lunch in Ban Lung at around 2pm.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Ratanakiri.

After breakfast, you enjoy a quick shopping tour in Banlung market before leaving to Kratie, a tranquil riverside town and home to the endangered freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins. Arrive in Kratie in the afternoon and check-in at your hotel. Then drive north of town and take a local boat to view the freshwater dolphins that inhabit this stretch of the Mekong. Enjoy an hour on the river, before returning to the quaint French colonial town for the evening.

* Note: Dolphin watching is not guaranteed and subjects to availability.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Kratie.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will take you to visit Wat Phnom Sambok to see the Buddhist monasteries and to enjoy the magnificent views of the surrounding countryside from the hilltop. Continue to Sambor district (45 km from Kratie) to visit the 100 Pillar Pagoda of Wat Trasor Muoy Roy and visit also Wat Vihear Kork before heading to Stung Treng.

Stung Treng is located 50 km south of Laos, on the banks of the San River, just off the Mekong. It is a very quiet provincial city, showing the authentic and remote “face” of Cambodia. Visit the small village of Thala Barivat on the other Mekong riverside, crossing the river by speedboat.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Stung Treng.

After breakfast, leave Stung Treng for 2.5 – 3 hours driving to Preah Vihear. The Temple of Preah Vihear was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. In some parts we got to use the special transportation to access Preah Vihear complex. Once you get to the temple, enjoy the panorama view over the Thai border and discover the unique architectural complex of a series of sanctuaries linked by a system of pavements and staircases on an 800 meter long axis, is an outstanding masterpiece of Khmer architecture, in terms of plan, decoration and relationship to the spectacular landscape environment.

Situated on the edge of a plateau that dominates the plain of Cambodia, the Temple of Preah Vihear is dedicated to Shiva. Nevertheless, its complex history can be traced to the 9th century, when the hermitage was founded. This site is particularly well preserved, mainly due to its remote location. The site is exceptional for the quality of its architecture, which is adapted to the natural environment and the religious function of the temple, as well as for the exceptional quality of its carved stone ornamentation.

Meals: Breakfast. 
Accommodation: Hotel in Preah Vihear.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up for the drive to Siem Reap. Along the way, pay a visit to Koh Ker, a 10th century capital abandoned in the remote north of Cambodia for more than a thousand years. Enjoy a visit to the pyramid temple of Prasat Thom. Continue to explore the many temples at this incredible site, including the beautiful Prasat Krahom covered by jungle.

Then, we continue the visit to Beng Mealea, which is also known as “Lotus Pond” temple from the early 11th Century built by Suryavarman II asa Hindu Temple. If there is one temple to explore resplendent with jungle engulfing it, it is Beng Mealea. Clambering over large sandstone blocks to reach the inner sanctuary and eerie worship corridor is an exploration to remember. Situated 60 km east of Angkor Wat, through traditional countryside life, over bumpy laterite roads, Beng Mealea is a temple hidden in a maze of jungle. Architecturally, Beng Mealea is noted for its innovative, in its time, construction of hallways, it was a very large temple with wide galleries foreshadowing Angkor Wat. Garudas, hold up an outer platform, finer in detail than those to be found out in the elements of the Elephant Terrace at Angkor Thom. Surprises of fallen lintels with intricate carvings lay amongst the fallen wall and roofs.
Arrive in Siem Reap late afternoon. Check in hotel and relax on your own leisure. 

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch. 
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap.

Wake up early to be transferred for picking up the most beautiful, haunting and spiritual moment to visit magnificent Angkor Wat at sunrise. This special activity is designed also to help you see “the Temple reflex on the water” when it’s much cooler and less crowded. Angkor Wat, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was constructed by Suryavarman II who reigned Cambodia from 1113 to 1152 and built the five towers in the 12th century and dedicated them to the Hindu God Vishnu. The plan of the pyramidal conception of the temple combined with spaces, alleys and ditches is an ancient masterpiece of architectural design and construction.

For your most convenience, a table with hot tea or coffee and breakfast box is arranged by Cambodia Travel will be served at a local restaurant nearby  Angkor Wat.

Your journey continues to Angkor Thom, first with its South Gate, which is famous for its majestic doors and artifacts. The next visit will be the monumental temple of Bayon, the heart of Angkor Thom. Later, visit the Elephant Terrace, Terrace of the Leper King and Takeo “Jewel of Crystal”, which is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva and was erected at the end of the 10th century. Leaving Angkor Thom by the North Gate, you travel to Preah Khan (Sacred Sword), one of Angkor’s largest temples, constructed in the 12th century by Jayavarman VII. You should not miss Ta Prohm Temple, which is a wonderful combination of human genius and natural beauty with its giant trees that have grown there for centuries. 

Later this afternoon, transfer back to the hotel where you will spend the rest of day on your own.

Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap.

After breakfast, going on boat trip on the Tonle Sap. This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in South Asia and flows into Tonle River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. We will see a “floating village” – boats that have been converted to look like houses and the “village” moves from place to place according to the water levels. If time permits, we continue to one of the city’s lively open markets, Psar Chass, called the “Old Market”, where you can see the locals shopping and going about their lives.

Later of the day, your driver takes you to Siem Reap airport for your departure flight. Bon Voyage!

Meals: Breakfast.