10-Day Heart of Cambodia

Day 1: Arrive in Siem Reap – Easy Day

On your arrival day in Cambodia, we will be happy to give you some suggestions on how to spend your first day or afternoon in Cambodia depending on your arrival time. There are options, such as a relaxing, Khmer traditional massage, Angkor National Museum, Royal Residence, Wat Bo pagoda, Apopo Center or walk through the Old Market.

Overnight stay in Siem Reap

Day 2: Siem Reap – The Great City of Angkor Thom – Grand Circuit Temples & Sunset

In the morning we head to Angkor Thom, first the ancient city of Angkor Thom. It was the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8 m high wall drawing a perfect square. You will enter the city from the ancient South Gate, an impressive stone gate carved with Elephants and four giant faces. And our highlight is the enigmatic and enchanting Temple of Bayon. The 54 towers are each crowned with the four faces of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion), which bear more than a passing resemblance to the king himself – Visit Baphuon, one of Angkor’s most beautiful temples from the 11th century. It was extensively renovated by the French and is now open to the public again – continue along the Terrace of Elephants – visit at the Terrace of the Leper King.

Preah Khan temple, a ruined but highly atmospheric mélange of tree roots and crumbling stone structures. Construction of this site was commissioned by the great ‘temple builder’ Jayavaraman VII (in honour of his father) and a visit to this smaller site makes for an interesting contrast with the more imposing Angkor Wat – Neak Pean temples, an artificial island with a Buddhist temple on a circular island in Jayatataka Baray and other beautiful temples outside the Great City of Angkor, Ta Som temple, East Mebon temple, Pre Rup temple, Banteay Kdei, a Buddhist monastery from the late 12th Century, and Srah Srang, also known as the “pool of ablutions and spend your evening watching sunset from Phnom Bakheng Hilltop.

Overnight stay in Siem Reap

Day 3: Siem Reap – Sunrise Angkor Wat – Jungle Temple – Small Group Temples

Today we will meet in the hotel lobby at 4:45am and travel to see Angkor Wat at Sunrise, the temple is considered the largest religious building in the world and is truly one of the wonders of the world. Believed to have been built as a temple and mausoleum for King Suryavarman II during the height of the Khmer Empire in the first half of the 12th century, Angkor Wat is the best preserved of the Angkorian temples. The central monument represents the mythical Mount Meru, the sacred mountain at the center of the universe, which was home to the Hindu god Vishnu

Ta Prohm is unique in that it is overgrown by jungle trees and vines, with many parts of the temple crumbling to the ground. This makes the ‘Tomb Raider Temple’ one of the most picturesque and memorable of the Angkor temples – Giant Pyramid of Takeo, one of the highest temples in the Angkor area – Take a short jungle trek to Ta Nei, a temple hidden in the forest, which has been left in its original state and is partly overgrown with trees – Then we continue to Chau Say Tevoda, Thommanon, Victory Gate of Angkor Thom.

Overnight stay in Siem Reap

Day 4: Siem Reap – Banteay Srei – Sacred Mountain of Phnom Kulen

Today after your breakfast, we will meet and greet you in the hotel lobby and head straight to Banteay Srei, Angkor’s ultimate art gallery. This petite pink temple is the jewel in the crown of Angkor-era sculpture. The elaborate carvings here are the finest found in Cambodia and the name translates as Fortress of the Women. The intricate detail here, considered too fine for the men’s hands.

We then continue to Phnom Kulen national park, considered the most sacred mountain in Cambodia. It was here that Jayavarman II declared himself a ‘god-king’ and gave birth to the Khmer Empire in AD 802. Declaring a unified Khmer Empire under a single ruler, it began what later would be known as the Angkor period, although the capital city would not be moved for another century.

You will explore several ruins, including the carvings of Yoni and Linga etched into the sandstone riverbed and the stone representation of the Hindu god Vishnu lying on his serpent Ananta, with his wife Lakshmi at his feet. Wat Pre Ang Thom is a focus of pilgrimage for Khmer during religious festivals and the large reclining Buddha carved into a huge sandstone boulder here offers spectacular views across the lush jungle. Nearby are impressive riverbed rock carvings, and a classic waterfall further downstream which is the perfect place to cool off after exploring.

Overnight stay in Siem Reap

Day 5: Siem Reap – Roluos Group – Beng Mealea – Floating Village

Today after your breakfast, we will meet and greet you in the hotel lobby and head straight to purchase the Angkor pass. We travel back in time to one of the earliest capitals in the Angkor region, Hariharilaya, now known as Roluos – visit the brick temple of Lolei, which originally stood on an island in the centre of the Baray (reservoir) – Preah Ko (sacred cow), named after Shiva’s mount Nandin – Bakong, the oldest temple mountain, which later became the symbol of the Khmer kings. It is a huge pyramid whose cardinal points are marked by huge elephants.

We drive about 65 km northeast of Siem Reap town to Beng Melea to explore the lost temple of Beng Mealea, the titanic of temples, a sleeping giant lost for centuries in the forests of Cambodia. It is the most accessible of Angkor’s lost temples, a mirror image of Angkor Wat, but completely consumed by nature’s voracious appetite. Built in1113-1150, the forest has gone wild here and it’s hard to get a sense of the monument’s shape amid the intimidating ruins.

Explore the typical Khmer village of Kampong Phluk, see an incredible, so different way of life in the largest freshwater lake Tonle Sap in Southeast Asia. On the wooden boat trip, get a fascinating insight into local life as you explore the stilt houses and lifestyle and drive through the flooded mangrove forest. That’s the amazing thing about this village and definitely one of the aspects of a Cambodia trip.

Overnight stay in Siem Reap

Day 6: Siem Reap to Battambang – Senteurs d’Angkor and Bat Cave

We start the trip from Siem Reap after breakfast and make a first stop at Senteurs d’Angkor, Handicraft – Botanical Garden – Natural Products. We then continue the journey northwest towards the trading town of Svay Sisophon via national road number 6 and turn left south to Battambang.

You check in and take some rest, later we drive to Phnom Sampeau, a sacred mountain dotted with interesting pagodas and stupas. There is also a moving memorial to the victims of the Khmer Rouge who were thrown into one of the many caves that dot this sacred mountain. After visiting this view on the hill and later you will see the most spectacular 7 million bats flying out of the cave. Wrinkle-lipped bats fly up to 50 km from their roosts each night to hunt insects. Bats eat 50-100% of their own weight every night before returning home. We then travel back to Battambang town for the night.

Overnight stay in Battambang

Day 7: Battambang Tour & Lifestyle

Journey start after we looked the French colonial buildings in the heart of Battambang town. Battambang is home to some of Indochina’s best preserved colonial era architecture. Experience the bamboo train ride along the rail tracks offering great views of the surrounding countryside. It is first appearance in the early 1980s inspired by the small railway vehicles used by railway workers to carry out repairs – Hilltop temple of Wat Banan, the mountaintop temple from the Angkor era is the best preserved of the Khmer temples in Battambang – Wat Domrey Sor, White Elephant temple, is one of the central Buddhist temples in Battambang. This temple was built in the late 18th century – Wat Samrong Knong, it was built in the 19th century on the site of a pre-Angkorian temple complex. The Khmer Rouge used the temple compound as a prison. The complex is now home to the magnificent main pagoda and a hodgepodge of ancient ruins, glittering modern structures and memorials to those who perished here – Phsar Prahok or Stinky Market, it is an interesting place where they make Fish Prahok, the traditional Khmer cuisine and its ingredients. This place has been selling prahok since the 1990s as it is located near a river which hosts various types of fish – we discover Doun Teav village to learn how family makes hand-made rice paper for fresh and deep-fried spring rolls – we head to the ruins of Ek Phnom, it was built during the Bayon period 11th-century in year of 1027 in reign of king Suryavarman I (1002 – 1050) in the Angkor period in order to dedicate for the deities in Hinduism.

Overnight stay in Battambang

Day 8: Battambang to Phnom Penh – Floating Village – Ancient Capital of Oudong

We go through Pursat and Kampong Chhnang provinces, passing through typical Cambodian landscapes of endless rice fields dotted with sugar palms. We stop to visit Kampong Luong, a large floating village community on the Tonle Sap. Visit the waterfront lifestyle as well as homes, schools and shops. The floating buildings include gas stations, medical clinics and even a Catholic church. Visit Oudong, it is an ancient capital and a site of Buddhist monastery and burial of Khmer Kings from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The mountain’s two hills are connected by a ridge and dotted with stupas and shrines dedicated to former kings.

Overnight stay in Phnom Penh

Day 9: Phnom Penh – Royal Palace – Market – Genocidal Museum – River Cruise

We start our tour and visit some of Phnom Penh’s important sights, landmarks and attractions.

Wat Phnom, it is the unique hillock in the city, is crowned by an active Buddhist Wat and marks the legendary founding place of Phnom Penh – Visit the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, it is the official residence of the King of Cambodia and it’s where you can see some very beautiful wall paintings – Central Market, built during the French Colonial rule – Russian Market, a noteworthy street market in Phnom Penh. This is the interesting market in town, stalls selling wooden handicrafts, antiquities, miniature Buddhas, fruits and veggies, jewellery, etc – Tuol Sleng genocide Museum – a mass gravesite and a former high school converted to a detention and torture centre by the Khmers Rouges when they came to power in 1975. Later we take the river cruise along the riverfront to look sunset and get fresh-air.

Overnight stay in Phnom Penh

Day 10: Phnom Penh – National Museum – Wat Phnom – Killing Fields

Visit National Museum is the most important repository of Khmer artefacts in the country – Then we drive to Wat Phnom is the unique hillock in the city, is crowned by at active Buddhist Wat and marks the legendary founding place of Phnom Penh – Then we continue to see Choeng Ek Killing fields serves as a memorial to those killed under the Khmers Rouges regime.

Overnight stay in Phnom Penh