Best Of Cambodia with Family in 7 days

You will be met by your guide at Phnom Penh International Airport.
 

Accommodation: Raffles Le Royal, Phnom Penh

Meals included: Breakfast

You will explore Phnom Penh’s colorful city streets bustling with activity and the whizzing of motors; explore some of our favorite hidden gems of this multifaceted capital by traditional transportation method, the cyclo.
 

Pedal power affords a gentler pace to soak up the city and its modern architectural heritage as a local architecture student will take you to some of the hidden sites of this burgeoning capital city.
 

Your half-day tour showcases the city’s juxtaposition of old and new as you are guided to colonial buildings such as the Post Office and through the Chinese quarter, as brand new apartment blocks spring up from the charming chaos.
 

Today you will discover there’s more than what meets the eye, when in Cambodia’s capital city.
 

In the afternoon, visit the National Museum to view the world's most important collection of Khmer art. The scale of the temple structures makes an impact on visitors but these artworks are archaeological and ethnographic masterpieces, including an imposing 11th century bronze sculpture of reclining Vishnu considered one of the monumental examples of Khmer statuary.
 

Continue to the nearby Royal Palace, built in 1866 by King Norodom, and visit the Silver Pagoda, which has floors tiled with over 5,000 silver tiles. This spectacular palace features a distinctly out-of-place cast iron pavilion, a gift from Napoleon III. Look out for the life-sized, solid gold Buddha encrusted with over 9,000 real diamonds.
 

Accommodation: Raffles Le Royal, Phnom Penh

Meals included: Breakfast

In the morning, endeavor to provide some insights into the events of the late 1970’s under the despotic Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot. A difficult journey, but one that reveals much of what continues to shape present day Cambodia.
 

Meet your guide and set out to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, formerly the Khmer Rouge Security Prison S-21, where only 7 inmates survived of the thousands imprisoned, mainly on invented “political” charges.
 

Alternatively, visit local markets including the (in) famous Russian Market, commonly known as Toul Tom Pong Market. One of the more colorful markets in town, this chaotic place has a huge variety of things for sale. Especially good for silks and cloth, but be prepared to bargain! You may also opt to visit the Central Market (Psa Thmei) with its unique art deco architecture.



In the afternoon, transfer to Phnom Penh International Airport for your domestic flight (included) to Siem Reap.
 

Accommodation: Victoria Angkhor Resort and Spa

Meals included: Breakfast

Meet your guide in the lobby, as arrange and travel by tuk-tuk (weather permitting) towards Ta Prohm temple (7 miles), taking a detour to view the serene royal baths of Srah Srang. This iconic 12^th century temple is very popular and much photographed for the interplay of man and nature. Giant banyan and silk cotton tree roots strangle the ancient stonework. An early start today is rewarded by an exploration of the monastery before the crowds arrive. Stroll (1.3 miles) through the ruins from the West entrance to the East or North entrance to rejoin your driver.
 

Nearby Ta Prohm, you can opt to walk or ride through the forest to the temple ruins of Ta Nei.  Have the opportunity to explore this beautiful but little visited Angkorian temple without other tourists.
 

You can stop for a light breakfast of fresh croissants, seasonal fruit, juice, TWG tea and coffee in a quiet and scenic spot by the temple.
 

Further through the forest we come upon the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom, memorable for its colossal heads of gods and demons. Walk (600 yards) along the 30ft high laterite city wall to the enchanting East Gate (Gate of Death). You can see the old crematoriums shaded by the mature dipterocarp forest with the crumbling city gate as a backdrop.
 

Return by road to Siem Reap for lunch. We can help you with dining options.



After lunch, meet your guide as arranged and explore the city at the centre of Jayavarman VII’s Empire, Angkor Thom. Jayavarman VII was the most prolific builder of the Khmer Empire. Following a lengthy incarceration in the neighboring kingdom of Champa in central Vietnam he returned, a Buddhist, to Angkor to reclaim his country from Cham dominion. He assumed the title of God-King at the relatively advanced age of 56. In the following 30 years he presided over an expansion of the empire and the building of hundreds of temples, rest houses and hospitals throughout modern day Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
 

Walk back in time to temples that pre-date Angkor Thom, first the monumental and recently restored 11th century Baphuon temple and onward to the 10th century Phimeanakas, with its hidden bathing pools. Baphuon became the largest jigsaw puzzle in history as the plans of reconstruction and reassembly of the temple were lost after it was deconstruction to reinforce the temple’s foundations, presumably destroyed by the Khmer Rouge.
 

Continue through shaded parkland to the 300m long and 3m high Terrace of the Elephants. This long succession of elephant carvings shows them in battle alongside eagle-headed warriors (garudas), lions and multi-headed beasts: all fantastical creatures of Hindu mythology. As you climb the terrace from the rear, imagine the Khmer imperial army arrayed on the parade ground to the East in what must have been an awe-inspiring spectacle.
 

Just to the South we will find the state temple of Bayon at the very centre of the Khmer Empire. 216 giant stone faces on 37 towers maintained a gaze over Jayavarman’s vast city and outwards over his Empire. The predominantly wooden dwellings have long since been reclaimed by the forest.
 

Optionally, explore the temples this evening with one of the world’s leading academics on Angkor (supplement price applies).
 

Return to the hotel and discuss with your guide whether you would like to rise early to witness sunrise over Angkor Wat the following day.
 

Accommodation: Victoria Angkhor Resort and Spa

Meals included: Breakfast

One of travel’s greatest adventures is to motor through the darkness of the Cambodian pre-dawn to welcome the sunrise over Angkor Wat.
 

We explore this architectural wonder and the world-class bas-reliefs before walking between the outer laterite wall and the moat.
 

Tip: For a more tranquil sunrise experience let us lead you through the back door of Angkor Wat, the east entrance, to avoid the camera crowds at the main gate. We recommend exploring this iconic temple in the hours immediately after sunrise and then return to your hotel for a later breakfast.



In the afternoon, discover Tonle Sap, which is the richest fresh water fishing ground in the world. The communities living around the margins cope with huge seasonal variations in water level, building their homes on rafts or on 30ft stilts.
 

It is well worth the extra effort to get away from the touristy village of Chong Kneas to these more genuine stilted villages to watch people go about their work.
 

Wandering through the village we will have the opportunity to climb up into the houses. Your guide will translate, allowing you to speak with the villagers to gain an understanding of their unique lifestyle and perhaps learn how to handle a ‘cast fishing’ net.
 

Later we can cruise from the village to the main body of the lake past floating houses, fishermen and mangroves or flooded forest and drop anchor out on the expansive water and enjoy a picnic lunch on board.
 

Accommodation: Victoria Angkhor Resort and Spa

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

Visit the Landmine Museum, filled with a collection of ordinances and other old weapons used in the civil war, now run by a former Khmer Rouge child soldier, Mr. Aki Ra. Optionally meet with Landmine Expert, Stéphane De Greef, whose insight working as a mine action expert for organizations such as Handicap International, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, the Cluster Munition Coalition and AOAV, will add a unique and in-depth dimension to the issues on landmines in Cambodia today (supplement price applies).
 

On your way back to town, visit the temple of Banteay Samre, built in a similar style as Angkor Wat. Take a walk along the old causeway and be welcomed by the stone lions and Naga balustrades, as the temple looms above.
 

Travel across ancient reservoirs (long since devoid of water), through pretty villages and rice paddies to Banteay Srei [AD 967], the small pink sandstone temple with the most exquisite, deep and complex carvings, approximately 37km from Siem Reap.
 

In the afternoon, discover more than just the temples. Beyond the temples lies a rural landscape which is often little changed since the days of Jayavarman VII. To depart Siem Reap having seen only the temple ruins is to miss contemporary Khmer culture, and a living history of rice and fishing subsistence lifestyles. As infrastructure and technology encroach upon the countryside this opportunity will soon be lost forever.
 

Join us on a journey of discovery through the rural landscape to reach villages where mass tourism cannot follow. Living and working in Siem Reap we have discovered beautiful and interesting places that are generally inaccessible to visitors. Today we will lead you between rice paddies, through woodland and back gardens on foot, by ox-cart and boat to experience the very best of the countryside. Few get to see this side of Cambodia.
 

On this journey we will buy seasonal fruits picked straight from trees, speak to families who have specialized in baking sticky rice in bamboo for over 30 years and get hands-on experience of the essential rural skills of the rice harvesting, thatching, fishing, or even making a simple meal over an open fire. This will be both an education and an adventure from a slower, more romantic era of travel.
 

After a short drive from Siem Reap we will begin at a contemporary pagoda to understand more of the importance of Buddhism in these rural communities and seek a blessing from the monks. Wander through local villages to come upon the Western Baray. An impressive engineering feat, this man-made reservoir was once integral to the complex Angkorian rice irrigation system. We will cross the reservoir by boat and continue through the attractive villages to the north where tourists are rarely seen and the smiles and greetings for visitors from the outside world are warm and generous.
 

We reach our villa across a stream to the north of the village, surrounded by rice paddies. This is a wonderful spot to relax in the quiet of the countryside and enjoy sunset cocktails (included); an opportunity to unwind and just watch, drink in hand. The tempo of the Cambodian countryside is truly meditation in motion. At the end of the day you will see all the ox-carts returning from the fields, children washing their water buffalos, playing and laughing as they jump from the bridge into the stream, and workers planting and harvesting rice.
 

Accommodation: Victoria Angkhor Resort and Spa

Meals included: Breakfast

Explore the Old Markets for some souvenir shopping, alternatively visit Psa Leu for a truly local shopping experience. Roam narrow lanes lined with stalls selling a bewildering array of wonderfully exotic edibles, from waterfowl to snakes, spiders and dried bugs – excellent photo opportunities.
 

Continue on to visit Theam’s house, the charming showroom-meets-atelier of Cambodian artist and designer Lim Muy Theam who is helping to revive the Cambodian craft sector. This mix of art studio and gallery is an interesting place to spend some time while observing the products being worked on by Theam’s young team of artisans. Using a range of media, creating lacquered panels to paintings, Theam’s work draws influence from both Khmer tradition and modern international styles. The creative contemporary works are both unique and of high quality. If available we will arrange for you to meet with Theam for the opportunity to ask about his work and artistic inspirations.
 

Private transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for your outbound flight.
 

Meals included: Breakfast

Dry Season (November-April): From the beginning of November until mid April, you can be sure of clear skies and almost no rain. The countryside dries out under the cloudless skies and the level of the Tonle Sap lake drops to its minimum.
 

Green Season (May-October): May and June bring moisture-laden air from the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Thailand, bringing greenery back to the region's countryside.

A Cambodia tourist visa is required for travel to the country unless guests are Filipino, Malaysian, Thai, Singaporean, Vietnamese, Laotian or Indonesian. Citizens of most countries can apply for a visa online ( https://www.evisa.gov.kh/) or get one on arrival  in Cambodia, however citizens of the following countries should arrange a visa before travel, from their nearest Cambodian Embassy: Afghanistan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Nigeria.

• All guests are advised to carry any personal medication
• Average fitness level is required

Professional medical advice should be sought before traveling, but we would strongly recommend the best protection of all to not get bitten - long trousers and sleeves and insect repellant are recommended.

The Khmer people are modest, and tend to dress conservatively avoiding revealing clothes. Wearing short trousers or skirts, in particular, is unusual, and westerners are viewed a bit odd in this regard (particularly in view of insect bites). When entering a pagoda, revealing clothes must not be worn - bare shoulders and knees will be viewed as disrespectful.

3908

10 years of unrivalled destination expertise, that's what makes these dedicated men and women walk away with so many awards. The founder was awarded an OBE this year for his services towards educating Cambodia's children. Managed by both, expats and locals, they specialize in taking you off the beaten track so you can skip the sea of tourists. They have been wooed by top-shelf publications like Nat Geo, The Sydney Morning Telegraph, The Guardian, BBC World News, Bloomberg, CNN and The Telegraph; need more reasons to pack your bags?