Cambodia Treasures, History and Culture of Ancient Lands

Cambodia

Treasures, History and Culture of Ancient Lands

Join a small group or design your own trip to Cambodia. Experience the seldom seen treasures of ancient and modern cultures, urban and rural landscapes, in this pivotal country in Southeast Asia. Enjoy the delicious cuisines, the elegant art and handcrafts, and the gracious hospitality of the region. Arrive in Bangkok, travel north to Phnom Penh. Immerse yourself in the ancient Angkorian Kingdom in Siem Reap with visits to the astonishing temples and shrines of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, and Ta Phrom. See the Cambodia Photo Albums for additional photographs of each location, and the detailed lists of Cambodia Resources.

Itineraries in November will include the annual water festival in Phnom Penh with long boat races and the nighttime parade of floats down the river, one of the unique, special activities that are the hallmark of Silk and Stones Travel trips.

Experiences - unique and irresistible:
Chaul Chnam Thmey New Year Festival - celebrate spring time in Cambodia
Soft Adventure modules: cycling, jeep tours, trekking in and around Siem Reap and Tonle Sap
Phnom Penh and Siem Reap Khmer Cuisine Immersion - 5 days of farming, feasting, and culture
Cycle from Pakse, Laos to Siem Reap for a special eco-experience

Day 1 Arrive in Phnom Penh
Arrive in Phnom Penh from international flights or on the fast boat from Chau Doc, Vietnam. After greeting at the airport and transfer to the hotel for check-in, enjoy lunch at lovely Khmer Sarin Restaurant. After lunch, visit Tuol Sleng Prison and the Killing Fields for a deep understanding of the difficult Khmer Rouge era in Cambodia.

Day 2 Phnom Penh City Tour
After breakfast, discover Phnom Penh City, including Wat Phnom, a ancient pagoda housing sacred relics, the National Museum dedicated to Khmer arts, and the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, including a famed solid gold Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha. Enjoy lunch at a local cafe followed by shopping for silk and souvenirs at the Russian Market. Drive back to central Phnom Penh and cross the river for a visit to a local school.

Day 3 Siem Reap - Kompong Khleang - Bang Mealea (B,L)
Leave in the early morning for a flight to Siem Reap, the center of traditional Angkorian art and architecture. After check-in at the hotel, start the tour of the vast complex of temples with a visit to Angkor Thom (the Great City) and Bayon by tuk tuk (or by usual transport, depending on time), including the South Gate and the Terrace of the Leper King. Returning from the temples, stop at the modern Angkor Royal Museum to see the 1000 Buddha room and the scale model of Angkor Wat, in preparation for your visit tomorrow. Enjoy local Khmer cuisine at dinner at Viroth’s restaurant. Stroll through the night market for local color and some shopping before returning to the hotel.

Day 4 Angkor Wat
Discover wonderful Angkor Wat temple by sunrise, the largest and most breathtaking monuments of the Angkor regime, built in the first half of the 12th century dedicated to Vishnu, an architectural masterpiece. Leaving the temple complex, drive to Kompong Khleang, a floating village about an hour out of Siem Reap. Missed by tourists, Kompong Khleang is a remarkable village because of the height of its stilt houses. Walk in the village to meet families and then cruise along canals to a remote area of the lake which is home to displaced Vietnamese fishing families. Return to Konpong Khleang and enjoy a picnic lunch at home with a village family. After lunch, visit the Temple of Bang Mealea in the jungle. After exploring this remote, unearthly temple, return to Siem Reap.

Day 5 Siem Reap out
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before a drive out to the Artisans d’Angkor silk farm and workshops for an introduction to the entire process of traditional silk making, from growing mulberry trees to the final weaving of the product. Return for lunch in central Siem Reap, and transfer to the airport for flights home or to your next destination.

This itinerary is easily extended to include the beaches along the coast, the ethnic villages in Sapa, or for several days in Laos or Vietnam.

For more information, please contact Silk and Stones Travel.

Check Resources, Packing List, Application and Terms and Conditions for additional help planning your trip. Consider an extension before or after your trip to Vietnam, Laos, Sapa, Myanmar, Singapore or Bangkok.

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Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh, Cambodia