DELIGHTED CAMBODIA

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

Jump straight into city life with a cyclo tour of Phnom Penh. Upon arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport, we will be met by our guide and drive to the hotel for check-in. We get our first taste of local life during lunch at a Cambodian restaurant before embarking on a one-hour cyclo tour of the bustling capital. The three-wheel bicycle rickshaw has been used to transport people and goods since French colonial times.

Tour highlights include Independence Monument, an impressive structure that sits at the centre of a roundabout. Dating back to 1958, it was created to mark the country’s independence from France in 1953. We also stop at Wat Phnom, an ancient hilltop temple and compact park that marks the official centre of the city. We then return to the hotel with the evening at our leisure. Please note: Guests will have to sign a disclaimer form before taking part in the activity. This will be provided by the guide in Phnom Penh.

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 – Kratie (B / L / -)

Steer off Cambodia’s well-trodden tourist track as we hit the road for remote Koh Trong Island. After breakfast, we leave behind the hustle and bustle of capital life and drive to Kratie. En-route, we stop at Skun. Dubbed Spider Village, it is famed for its swathe of stalls selling deep-fried tarantulas. The surrounding jungle houses thousands of tarantulas that are caught in their burrows and turned into crispy snacks.

We then continue to Kratie, where we catch a ferry to sleepy Koh Trong and employ pedal power to explore the island. We pass stilted homes, grazing buffalo and farmland. The island is famed for its grapefruit and is a self-sustaining community that produces a variety of fruits and agricultural products, such as rice, soy beans, milk fruit and coconuts, to sell in Kratie town.
Please note: Rooms are fan-only, with no television and minibar. Ferries run from 6.30 am to 8 pm 
Guests should prepare a small overnight bag in case luggage is kept in the transport.

Overnight on Koh Trong.  

Day 4 : Kratie – Preah Vihear (B / L / -)

Leave behind island life as we head to the remote northern province of Preah Vihear. The early bird catches the worm and we recommend rising early to the call of cockerels and enjoy watching the sun push through the horizon. After breakfast at the hotel, we board the ferry for our return journey across the Mekong to the mainland, where we set off on a 6.5-hour scenic drive to the northern province of Preah Vihear (348 km).

Located on the border with Thailand, the vastly rural province is home to famed Preah Vihear temple perched atop the Dangrek Mountains. We stop en route to enjoy a local lunch before continuing straight to the hotel for check-in, with the rest of the evening at our leisure to relax at the hotel, or explore our new surroundings.

Overnight in Preah Vihear.  

Day 5 : Preah Vihear – Siem Reap (B / L / -)

Explore the remote temples of Preah Vihear and Koh Ker on our drive to Siem Reap. After breakfast at hotel, we jump in a 4x4 for an exhilarating drive up Dangrek Mountains to visit Preah Vihear temple. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is a series of impressive structures built between the 9th and 12th century by several kings that run up the mountain slopes. Spectacular views can be enjoyed from its peak.

After lunch, we hit the road for Koh Ker (137 km/ three hours). Sitting as the capital of the Angkor Empire from 928 to 944, it comprises a series of temples and monuments dotted throughout 81 km-sq of jungle. Only a few temples are open to visitors, with Prasat Krahom and Prasat Thom the most visited. We then continue to our final destination, Siem Reap (122 km/ three hours).

Overnight in Siem Reap.  

Day 6 : Siem Reap (B / L / -)

Take a step back in time and delve into the jewel of Cambodia’s crown, the temples of Angkor Wat 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 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 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 their knees and shoulders covered at all sacred sites.

Overnight in Siem Reap 

Day 7 : Siem Reap (B / L / -)

Today’s temple-trekking trip delivers more off-the-beaten-track sacred spots and iconic Ta Prohm. After breakfast, we hit the road for Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre. Well-preserved 10th century Banteay Srei is famed for its pink sandstone walls adorned with apsara carvings. Banteay Samre is a 12th century Hindu temple built in the style of Angkor Wat. On our way to lunch at Bong Thom Homestay, we stop at a village and, depending on the season, watch rice being planted and sugar palm being made.

In the afternoon, we head to Neak Pean, Preah Khan, built by King Jayavarman VII to honour his father, and root-riddled Ta Prohm, made famous after featuring in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie. Our final stop of the day is to soak up a sublime sunset from Sra Srang. Dinner is at our leisure. 

Overnight in Siem Reap. 

Day 8 : Siem Reap – Battambang (B / L / -)

Experience life on the revered Tonle Sap Lake before discovering a quaint collection of Angkorian temples. After breakfast, we hit the road for the Tonle Sap Lake, South-East Asia’s largest freshwater lake, to enjoy a gentle cruise to one of the fishing villages that dot the water. Here, we can see how life is lived as we sail past homes, temples, schools and shops that bob on the lake. We then hit the road for Battambang (180 km/ two to three hours by road), with the rest of the day at our leisure. 

Overnight in Battambang. 

Day 9 : Battambang (B / L / -)

Live like a local with this immersion into Battambang life. After breakfast, we set off on a half-day local livelihood tour that takes us into the heart of rural Battambang. Also known as the rice bowl of Cambodia, the vast province comprises a patchwork of paddies and farmland dotted with small villages. We visit artisans and grassroots food producers, including sculptors, Khmer noodle and rice paper producers, and krolan (sticky rice stuffed in bamboo) makers.

After lunch, we head to Wat Kor village to meet the owners of a traditional Khmer house that dates back to the 1920s. Here, we find out how this stunning wooden stilted home survived the Khmer Rouge regime. We then learn about contemporary Khmer arts at Phare Ponleu Selpak, an organisation that teaches arts to underprivileged youth. Our artistic journey continues with a tour in one of an art gallery. After working up an appetite, the evening is spent feasting on street food during Battambang Foodie Tour.

Overnight in Battambang. 

Day 10 : Battambang – Phnom Penh (B / L / -)

Leave behind laidback Battambang as we head to the charismatic capital. After breakfast, we set off on our road trip to Phnom Penh (291 km/ eight to 10 hours, including stops). The journey takes us through the provinces of Pusat, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu and Kandal. We will stop at Kampong Chhnang to learn about the traditional handmade pottery the province is famed for. During harvest season, we can see crops being harvested and sugar palm collected.

We then hit the road, stopping for lunch at a local restaurant. About 50 km before reaching Phnom Penh, we make another stop to visit Koh Chen, a small island on the Tonle Sap River. It is populated by talented artisans who specialise in silver and copper carving. We can watch them as they handcraft trays, ornaments, boxes and jewellery. Upon arrival in the capital, we check-in at the hotel with the evening at our leisure. 

Overnight in Phnom Penh. 

Day 11 : Phnom Penh – Departure (B / - / -)

After breakfast, we have free time to spend at leisure until the transfer to Phnom Penh International airport for our departure flight. 

End of our services.