Highlights of Cambodia is our 10 day tour suggestion for your holiday in Cambodia. Explore the major highlights of this fascinating country in a new and exciting way. Get to know the riverside capital of Phnom Penh by exploring the city on a unique craft beer tour. Explore the temples of Angkor by bicycle and the surrounding countryside by quad bike. Finally head to Koh Rong to enjoy its white sand beaches and the warm azure seas of the Gulf of Thailand.

Highlights of Cambodia – Tour Highlights

Phnom Penh – Siem Reap – Koh Rong

• Craft beer tour of Phnom Penh

• Visit Cambodia's National Museum to see many treasures from the Angkor period

• Explore the Angkor Archaeological Park by mountain bike

• Stroll the white powdery beaches of Koh Rong

Suggested itinerary – We will customise this for you!

Day 1 – Phnom Penh arrival

Upon arrival your clients are warmly greeted by their local guide and driver. Transfer to the hotel for check in.

Tonight we check out the emerging craft beer scene in Phnom Penh. Firstly we enjoy an evening tour of some of the leading micro-breweries and bars in town. Hops is a large German beer garden that brews some classic European beers based on the 500-year old Purity Law and so here we sample a good selection, including a Pilsen, a wheat beer, a red beer and an IPA.

Later on we move on to a popular local barbecue restaurant for dinner, Sovanna. Here we sample some Khmer flavours in an authentic environment. After dinner and drinks, continue to Botanico, an atmospheric garden bar and home of the Cerevisia Brewery. Sample a flight of tipples, including an IPA, an amber ale and more.

Finally, our last stop is nearby Bassac Lane, a gaggle of hole-in-the-wall bars that offer some craft beer options or creative cocktails. Clients are free to explore more bars on their own or transfer back to the hotel at the end of the tour.

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: La Rose Suites (Junior Suite)

Day 2 – Phnom Penh

This morning explore the stunning Royal Palace complex, home to the Cambodian royal family and a symbol of the nation. Firstly, we begin amid the beautiful Royal Gardens, landscaped with tropical plants and studded with gleaming spires. Next, enter the Throne Hall where the royal receptions are held and the Cambodian king’s coronation took place. Later, we pass the Napoleon III Pavilion. The Pavilion is made from iron and a gift from the French emperor in the 19th century.

Later on visit the Silver Pagoda, named after the 5000 silver tiles covering the floor. Inside are some of the country’s most cherished treasures.  There is also a delicate emerald Buddha made of baccarat crystal, which gives the temple its Khmer name of Wat Preah Keo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha).

Leave the Royal Palace and continue to the nearby National Museum. The museum is home to the world’s finest collection of sculpture from the Angkor period and so is a very interesting place to visit. Marvel at the incredible sandstone sculptures from Angkor, as well as the intricate bronzes.

Independence Monument

This afternoon we come face to face with the horrific crimes of the Khmer Rouge. Tuol Sleng was a former high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a centre for interrogation, torture and death. Today it is a museum and serves to remind visitors of the terrible atrocities that came to pass in Cambodia. 17,000 people passed through the gates of this prison and only seven lived to tell the tale. Tuol Sleng is a profoundly moving experience and not everyone will want to visit.  That said, visiting Tuol Sleng on your holidays in Cambodia is key to understanding the hell into which Cambodia descended and how far it has come in the years since.

Finally, the very last and rather downbeat stop today is the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek.  An old Chinese cemetery, Choeung Ek was turned into an extermination camp for political prisoners. The remains of 8985 people were exhumed from mass graves and are kept in a memorial stupa here. Despite the horrors of the past, it is a peaceful place to go and a tranquil spot to reflect on the tragic events that engulfed Cambodia and its people.

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: La Rose Suites (Junior Suite)

Day 3 – Phnom Penh ~ Siem Reap

Morning transfer approximately five hours to Siem Reap. Along the way enjoy the rural scenery and break the journey at the pre Ankorian temple site of  Sambor Prei Kuk.

Upon arrival in Siem Reap check into the hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Heritage Suites (Bungalow Suite)

Day 4 – Siem Reap

This afternoon visit Banteay Srei, a petite pink temple and the jewel in the crown of Angkor-era sculpture. Because of the dense pink sandstone used, the elaborate carvings here are the finest found in Cambodia. Banteay Srei translates as ‘Fortress of the Women’, because of the intricate carvings which are considered too fine for the hands of a man.

Lastly visit the 12th century temple of Banteay Samre. Because of over-quarrying of sandstone, this temple is unique as it uses laterite for the roofed corridors. In addition, the pediments above the inner doors include some of the most accomplished carvings from the Angkor period.

In order to inject some adrenaline into your holidays in Cambodia, we take quad bikes along the less-travelled tracks and paths that weave through the rural villages and communities surrounding Siem Reap. Stop and interact along the way with villagers and children. Visit an ancient temple off the ‘beaten track’ and enjoy a cool drink.  This afternoon’s ride will include a sunset view as it dips below the rice fields. This is an opportunity to see the ‘real’ Cambodia that very few on their holidays in Cambodia ever experience.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Heritage Suites (Bungalow Suite)

Day 5 – Siem Reap – Hidden Trails of Angkor by Mountain Bikes

In order to take advantage of the back roads and jungle paths to get off the beaten track and experience Angkor without the crowds, we explore Angkor by mountain bike. Leaving Siem Reap early, use a forest path to avoid the traffic and wind your way past the walls of Banteay Kdei to the North Gate of Ta Prohm.

The ‘jungle temple’  Ta Prohm has been abandoned to the elements, a reminder that while empires rise and fall, the riotous power of nature marches on, oblivious to the dramas of human history. Left as it was ‘discovered’ by French explorer Henri Mouhot in 1860, the tentacle-like tree roots here are slowly strangling the surviving stones, man first conquering nature to create, nature later conquering man to destroy. Ta Prohm is very atmospheric and often a highlight for many on their holidays in Cambodia.

Ta Nei is a small temple that has been forgotten in the jungle and sees few visitors and so this is your next stop. Carry the bikes across an old French dam to cross the Siem Reap River. Enter the immense walled city of Angkor Thom, through the Victory Gate and continue to East Gate. Later, ascend the walls of Angkor Thom and ride around the southeast quadrant. Stop at atmospheric Prasat Chrung, a seldom-visited temple overlooking the vast moat of Angkor Thom.

Cycle from South Gate to the Bayon and explore the main temples of Angkor Thom, including Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Preah Palilay, Terrace of the Leper King and Preah Pithu. Bayon temple is famous for its enigmatic faces of Lokesvara, the Buddha of Compassion. Baphuon is nicknamed the world’s largest jigsaw puzzle as the French took it apart stone by stone in the 1960s for restoration, only for all records to be destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. Cycling along the back paths to the lesser known temples of Angkor Thom such as Preah Palilay and Preah Pithu is a rewarding experience. Later we head back to town.

Enjoy a traditional Khmer lunch menu at Sala Kdei, an intimate location to eat and rest in the middle of the day while exploring the temples. Breakfast, sunset cocktails or a Khmer cooking class are also available at this gorgeous traditional wooden home on the banks of the Royal bathing pool at Sra Srang.

The Apsara performance is Cambodia’s elegant, intricate and enchanting traditional dance and so is a must for any first time visitor to Cambodia. The Apsara Terrace at the iconic Raffles Grand d’Angkor remains Siem Reap’s leading venue and so here you enjoy a majestic performance with Cambodian dances and Khmer martial arts demonstrations accompanied by a delightful selection of pan-Asian barbecue cuisine.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Heritage Suites (Bungalow Suite)

Ta Prohm

Day 6 – Siem Reap – Angkor Wat Sunrise, Zipline tour, floating villages of Tonle Sap.

Rising at the crack of dawn, start your day at Angkor Wat. As the crowds return to their hotels, we venture into world’s largest religious building in order to enjoy its magnificence in peace and quiet.

Firstly your local guide will explain the mystery of the bas-reliefs that tell of tales of Hindu mythology and of the glories of the Khmer empire. Stretching for almost one kilometre, these intricate carvings are a candidate for the world’s longest unbroken piece of art. Later you continue to the upper levels of the inner sanctuary. The final steps to the upper terrace of Angkor are the steepest of all. Finally the pinnacle, the sacred heart of Angkor Wat, a blend of spirituality and symmetry so perfect that few moments will measure up.

Ziplining with Angkor Zipline is a unique way to enjoy an adrenaline adventure around Angkor and so is highly recommended. Family‐friendly, fun and safe, flying through the air above the jungle canopy is an exhilarating experience. The course includes ten ziplines, including a ‘honeymoon’ tandem line, rope bridges, tree-house and a 15m abseil descent to navigate. They also have a nature trail and a family of wild gibbons in the jungle.

In order to include some variety during your holidays in Cambodia, take a break from the temples and enjoy a boat journey across the Great Tonle Sap lake to the village of Kompong Pluk. Cruising down a narrow waterway, you enter this medieval floating village, where the houses stand atop stilts as much as seven metres above the water. Everything lives on the water. Pigs, dogs, crocodiles and people, all jockeying for space in this incredible floating town. Explore the local Wat here before enjoying the flooded forest and returning across the Tonle Sap Lake to Chong Kneas and the holy mountain of Phnom Krom. Climb Phnom Krom for a glorious sunset over the Tonle Sap before heading back to Siem Reap by road.

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Heritage Suites (Bungalow Suite)

Day 7 – Siem Reap ~ Sihanoukville – Koh Rong

Transfer to Siem Reap International Airport. It is a short flight to Sihanoukville airport. Upon arrival your clients are met and transferred to the pier for the shared resort boat transfer to Royal Sands Koh Rong

Overnight Koh Rong

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Royal Sands Koh Rong (Ocean View Villa)

Domestic flight: Siem Reap to Sihanoukville on Cambodia Angkor Air

Days 8 & 9 – Koh Rong

These days are free so that your clients can get some well deserved rest on their holidays in Cambodia.

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Royal Sands Koh Rong (Ocean View Villa)

Beach at Royal Sands Koh Rong

Day 10 – Koh Rong – Sihanoukville ~ Phnom Penh departure

Boat transfer back to Sihanoukville port. Meet the guide and driver and transfer approximately five hours to Phnom Penh airport in order to meet the departure flight.

Meals: Breakfast