LOCAL EXPERIENCE : PHNOM PENH – BATTAMBANG - SIEM REAP

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

Upon arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport, we will be met by our local English-speaking guide and transfer to the hotel for check-in and lunch. In the afternoon, we visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Also known as S-21, the former school was used by the Khmer Rouge as a detention and torture centre where tens of thousands of Cambodians died. Today, the building houses exhibits, paintings and photographs of many of the victims. Visitors can see the crude cells built in classrooms and the torture devices used to extract confessions in Stalinesque purges of the regime. We then head to Russian Market to put our bartering skills to the test during a souvenir shopping spree. Dinner is at our leisure. 

Overnight in Phnom Penh. 

Day 2 : Phnom Penh (B / L / -)

Experience capital life and discover Phnom Penh from a cyclo before learning about traditional arts and the tireless work of an organisation that aims to break the cycle of poverty. After breakfast, we embark on a cyclo tour of the bustling capital. Highlights include the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, National Museum and Wat Phnom, an ancient hilltop temple.

After lunch at local restaurant, we visit Champey Academy of Arts, a non-profit school that delivers Cambodian traditional performing arts training programmes. We then head to PSE (Pour un Sourire d’Enfant) to learn about its work in the community. PSE provides education and protection to some of the country’s poorest children. We will be greeted by PSE guides (ex-students or actual students) to take a tour of the centre, including the infirmary, sewing workshop and hotel school. 

Dinner is at our leisure. 

Overnight in Phnom Penh. 

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

Day 3 : Phnom Penh – Battambang (B / L / -)

Trade in bustling capital life as we head to the sleepy north-western city of Battambang. After breakfast at the hotel, we hit the road for a 5.5-hour scenic drive to Battambang (291 km). We pass by sprawling farmland and rice paddies and small villages comprising of wooden stilted homes and lively market towns as we head to Battambang province, dubbed Cambodia’s rice bowl. Along the way, we stop at a small rural village in Kampong Chhnang province, which is famed for its pottery. We get a glimpse into local life as we meet villagers and watch them carry out their daily chores.

We then continue on our journey, stopping for lunch at a local restaurant. Upon arrival in Battambang, we check-in at the hotel before embarking on a tour of the compact city centre, which is home to a stunning collection of colonial architecture. Dinner is at our leisure.

Overnight in Battambang.  

Day 4 : Battambang (B / L / -)

After breakfast, we transfer to the Bamboo Train Station where we take a ride on a train made from bamboo. We then stop at 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. Then we set off on a discovery of the local countryside and explore surrounding Cambodian villages. We will see first-hand artisans, such as sculptors, rice wine brewers and noodle and rice paper producers open up their homes and workshops so we can watch them at work.

Lunch is at a local restaurant, followed by an afternoon visit to Phare Ponleu Selpak, a non-profit association that helps to support the lives of children, young adults and their families. After climbing the 337 steps to Phnom Banan Temple, we enjoy a stupendous view over the surrounding plains. We end our tour by heading to Sampov Mountain for the spectacular view of thousands of bats on the hunt and fly like clouds in the sky.

Please note: There is a maximum of four people per bamboo train. Tour activities are subject to seasonal changes. Phare school will be closed every weekend and public holiday. 

Overnight in Battambang.  

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

We bid a fond farewell to Battambang and hit the road for historic Siem Reap. After breakfast, we set off on our nearly four hour drive (180 km) that takes us through more stunning rural landscapes. 

In Siem Reap, we check-in at the hotel in time to enjoy lunch before having some time to relax. At about 4 pm, we embark on a snapshot tour of the compact city. We stop at Theam’s Gallery, a traditional home that has been transformed into the gallery of artist Lim Muy Theam. Dinner is at our leisure. 

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, by tuk tuk. 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 vist root-riddled Ta Prohm and 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 their knees and shoulders covered at all sacred sites. The guide and transport are available until 9 pm.

Overnight in Siem Reap. 

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

Round out this immersive seven-day adventure learning how to cook like a local. After breakfast, we set off on a short drive to Lum Orng Farm to take part in a half-day cooking class. We take a tour of a local market to pick fresh ingredients before heading to the kitchen. Here, we learn how to cook some local dishes before feasting on the tasty fruits of our labour.

We will then drive to Siem Reap International Airport for our onward flight. This brings an end to our intrepid tour across Cambodia. 

Please note: This is a joint tour. Cookery classes run from 9.30 am to 1 pm and 2.30 pm and 5 pm.

End of our services.