CAMBODIA SUSTAINABLE TOUR : PHNOM PENH - SMILING GECKO FARMHOUSE - SIEM REAP

Day 1 :  Phnom Penh - Arrival (- / - / -)

Get stuck straight into discovering Cambodia with a heritage tuk tuk tour. Upon arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport, we will receive a warm welcome from our guide and drive to the hotel for check-in. After lunch at our leisure, we set off on an immersive discovery of the vibrant capital.

Phnom Penh Heritage Tour sees us navigate the city in our own tuk tuk. We will be equipped with a digital tablet loaded with our route and information on each spot, with headphones to hear commentaries. The adventure takes us to 22 sites steeped in history that are dotted through the city, also offering the ideal way to get a glimpse into life being lived out on the streets. We then return to the hotel, with dinner at our leisure. 

Please note: The private tour includes pick-up and drop-off at the hotel by tuk tuk. No guide is included. Dinner is at our leisure.  

Overnight in Phnom Penh. 

Day 2 : Phnom Penh (B / L / -)

Soak up Cambodia’s rich culture and heritage with this full-day tour that takes in the vibrant capital’s iconic attractions. We start at the Royal Palace and adjacent Silver Pagoda. Home to Cambodia’s official royal residence, the grounds are awash with regal structures, intimate temples, and murals that paint a picture of the country’s past.

Our next stop is the National Museum to browse the vast collection of Khmer sculpture and artefacts dating back to the 4th century, before we learn about traditional arts at Champey Academy of Arts. After lunch, we take a somber visit to Tuol Sleng. Also known as S-21, it served as a Khmer Rouge prisoner camp, where tens of thousands of Cambodians died. Our final stop is Russian Market, where we put our haggling skills to the test and barter for souvenirs.

Dinner is at our leisure.

Please note: Visitors to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda are required to keep their knees and shoulders covered.

Overnight in Phnom Penh. 

Day 3 : Phnom Penh – Smiling Gecko Farmhouse (B / L / D)

Get back to nature with three days based at the Smiling Gecko Farm. This is situated a two-hour drive north of Phnom Penh. This luxury resort and spa is worlds away from the lively ever-expanding capital. Besides quaint accommodation, there is an organic farm and a training centre to equip young Cambodians with jobs skills. The 34 rooms are spread throughout the jungle grounds and comfort is enhanced with handmade furniture and large bathrooms containing walk-in showers and bathtubs.

At the end of the day, guests can sit on a private veranda and listen to the soothing hum of nature. Facilities include two swimming pools, a magnificent spa designed to be in harmony with nature, a bar, lounge area and a gym. A prominent feature of this property is F&B; the internationally known chef offers special fine dining experiences on set days during the week.

Day one starts with lunch in the restaurant and after checking-in we embark on a tour of Preah Theat Mountain, subject to weather conditions. This is an important centre of pilgrimage as it is home to two renowned pagodas: Preah Theat Kroum, the lower pagoda and Preah Theat Leu, the upper pagoda. Besides spiritual contemplation, visitors enjoy stunning views. After watching the sunset, we head back to the hotel, with dinner in the Farmhouse Restaurant at 7 pm.

Overnight in Farmhouse.  

Day 4 : Smiling Gecko Farmhouse (B / - / D)

Our second day of adventure commences at 7 am with breakfast at the Farmhouse Restaurant and departure at 8 am for the Floating Village Tour. This excursion reveals a unique way of life where people reside in stilted houses above the water. They sustain life primarily through fishing. The communities are self-contained and are able to be freely independent to earn a living off natural resources, with community-based tourism adding to their revenue streams.

After interacting with the locals and getting an insight into a special way of life, we enjoy lunch (to our own account). We then head to a pottery village to view artisans create handcraft pieces. We can also buy products, the perfect souvenirs to take home. We then head back to the hotel, with dinner in the Farmhouse Restaurant at 7 pm.

Overnight in Farmhouse.  

Day 5 : Smiling Gecko Farmhouse – Siem Reap (B / - / -)

Our three-day residence in the rural splendour of Cambodia starts at 7 am with breakfast, followed by a tour of the Smiling Gecko site. We will view organic farms and the training centre which equips young Cambodians with lifelong jobs skills so they can secure jobs with a living wage.

Since 2014, the Gecko’s parent charity has developed into a social start-up company and it has created hundreds of apprenticeships in the fields of agriculture, tourism and handicrafts. The heart of Smiling Gecko is the school where over 300 children benefit from a good education in a child-friendly and effective learning environment. This is an inspirational and enlightening excursion that will leave lasting memories. 

After this informative tour we head to Siem Reap. 

In the evening, we enjoy a performance by the Phare Cambodian Circus that has successfully toured the world. The show includes a medley of tightrope walkers, contortionists and acrobats.
 
Lunch and dinner are at your leisure. 

Overnight in Siem Reap. 

Day 6 : Siem Reap (B / - / -) 

Take a step back in time and delve into the jewel of Cambodia’s crown, the temples of Angkor Archaeological Park. We start the day at the South Gate of Angkor Thom, the Khmer Empire’s last capital built in the late-12th century. Inside the city’s ancient walls, we visit Bayon to stand in the shadows of its hundreds of giant carved smiling faces; the Royal Enclosure; 10th century tiered Hindu temple, Phimeanakas; and Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.

After lunch, we head to Les Senteurs d’Angkor, which employs impoverished females. We then head to the star of the show, incredible 12th century Angkor Wat. The architectural feat stood at the heart of the Khmer Empire. Dinner is at our leisure.

Please note: This site is closed on Buddhist religious days and four days a month, as per the lunar calendar. Visitors are required to keep knees and shoulders covered at all sacred sites. 

Lunch and dinner are at your leisure. 

Overnight in Siem Reap. 

Day 7 : Siem Reap – Departure (B / - / -)

Today we have the day free to explore Siem Reap at our own pace. You can choose to kick back and relax at the hotel, or explore some more of the city centre’s top attractions ahead of the transfer to Siem Reap Airport for our departure flight to next destination.

End of our services.