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DAY 1: ARRIVAL - PHNOM PENH
On arrival at Po Chen Tong Airport , you are met and transferred to hotel. The
capital city of Phnom Penh was once
considered the loveliest city of Indochina.
Despite its recent turbulent history, it still maintains considerable
charm. A city tour acquaints us with some major sights of Phnom Penh. The
private quarters of the Royal
Palace are now home
to the royal family and are therefore very close to the public. At the
northern area of the palace grounds is Silver Pagoda, the most sacred
shrine in the country. We visit both structures as well as the legendary temple of Wat Phnom, which provides an
interesting view over the environs. O/N in Phnom Penh.
DAY 2 : PHNOM PENH (B)
Today we continue seeing Phnom Penh with the Royal University of Fine Arts, where the
young Cambodians learn the ancient arts of their ancestors. A view of
numerous children practicing the graceful movements of the beautiful
national dances is impressive. The next stop of our trip is the National Museum, exclusively dedicated to Khmer art and sculpture. The majority of the
exhibits are from the Angkor period from
9th to 15th centuries, but some date from as early
as the 4th century. Heading out of town we visit the Tuol Sleng Prison
Museum and the
notorious ‘Killing Fields’ of Choeung Ek, which will give us a deep
insight into the painful bloody rule of the Khmer Rouge. We have time for an exploration of Psar Toul Tom Pong,
also called the “ Russian Market”, where anything and everything is for
sales. O/N in Phnom Penh.
DAY 3: PHNOM PENH - TAKEO - KAMPOT (B)
The journey southwards
begins as we depart Phnom Penh and make
our first stop at Phnom Chisor
Temple dating
back from the 11th century. A
500 step path leads up to the top of the hill from where we can
enjoy fabulous views over the surrounding countryside. We get on our car
to the quiet town of Takeo before taking a short cruise to Angkor Borei
town, located just a few kilometer navigation from the Vietnam border.
There is a small museum which displays several reproductions of sculptures
from the nearby ruins and few artifacts dating as far back as the 4th
century. After seeing this pleasant place, we continue our boat trip to
visit a pre-Angkorian style temple
of Phnom Da and a nearby temple of Asram Maharosei. The steep path
over some big rocks makes Asram Maharosei different from other temples in
Cambodia.
O/N in Kampot.
DAY 4: KAMPOT - BOKOR –
SIHANOUKVILLE (B)
An early morning start to
drive uphill to Bokor
National Park. At
an elevation of over 1,000 meters, Bokor was founded in the early years
of the last century as a hill resort for French administrators when the
heat on the plain became unbearable. There are some remains of the French
colonial period and many small waterfalls. The road conditions are very
poor, but view from the top of the mountain is all worthwhile. We then
travel by roads along the southern coast towards Sihanoukville, which has
long been a place of relaxation for Cambodians. O/N in Sihanoukville.
DAY 5 : SIHANOUKVILLE (B)
The lovely beaches of
Sihanoukville are some of the most unspoiled in all of Southeast
Asia although the fast growing of tourism. There are some 10
km of beach stretching the whole length of the town and dozens of small
islands just a short boat ride away, which make for a perfect tropical
getaway, with facilities for swimming, snorkeling or scuba diving. This
free day will provide you some great opportunities to soak up the sun and
sea as much as you want by spending your time swimming or lazing on a
beach. O/N in Sihanoukville.
DAY 6: SIHANOUKVILLE - PHNOM PENH (B)
Today we have a half day
free for relaxation. Off the beach you can rent a boat
to explore the nearby coastal islands or the Ream national park
which is well known for the mangrove forest and the eco-system. These
optional activities are not included, however
our guide will be on hand to advise you with valuable information. In the
early afternoon we depart Sihanoukville for
Phnom Penh
and traverse the spectacular rural landscape. An ideal way to spend your
last evening in Cambodia
is to relax in a café by the riverfront. O/N in Phnom Penh.
DAY 7: PHNOM PENH – BATTAMBANG by road (B)
Transfer by private vehicle,
escorted by English or French speaking guide to Battambang, the second
largest city in Cambodia,
Battambang is located on both the highway and railroad linking Phnom Penh with Thailand.
On arrival, we enjoy a walk around this colonial styled town
and visit some outlaying hilltop temples as well as the infamous cave,
which used as execution field under the Khmer Rouge rule. There are also
some opportunities to take a drive along tiny winding tracks into some
small villages where tourists hardly ever venture. O/N in Battambang.
DAY 8: BATTAMBANG TOURS (B)
Apart from the scenic
countryside, this town has a lively market place and many Angkorian as
well as post Angkorian sites, some of which are Wat Ek and Wat Toul
Bassaet, Phnom Sampov, the BAT CAVE and the Khmer Villages.
O/N in Battambang.
DAY 9: BATTAMBANG - SIEM
REAP - ANGKOR TEMPLES (B)
Upon leaving the town we set
off on scenic trip crossing Tonle Sap
Lake to Siem Reap, our base for
visiting the world famous temples of Angkor.
No express boat so we travel by local boat navigating along a large river
system and small canals before arriving on Tonle Sap Lake .
The journey is long, but very interesting since we pass by floating
villages, friendly children on small boats and fishmen at work. After
checking into hotel in Siem Reap, we drive to the archeological area to
discover the South Gate of Angkor Thom, famous for its series of colossal
human faces carved in stone, the impressive Bayon Temple,
the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace, the Terrace of
the Leper King, and the largest and most complete structure of Angkor
Wat. O/N in Siem Reap.
DAY 10: SIEM REAP -
ANGKOR TEMPLES (B , D)
The jungle covered temple of Ta Prohm is an incredible sight.
There are enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers which embrace
themselves in the stone foundations of the structure giving the
impression of man's creation being reclaimed by the powerful forces of
nature. We explore this masterpiece as well as some of the surrounding
temples including Banteay Kdei, Sra Srong, Ta Keo, Thommanon and Chau Say
Tevado. The grand circuit with Preah Khan, Kravan, Neak Pean, Krol Ko, Ta
Som, East Mebon and Pre Rup Temples, is also visited this afternoon
before we walk up to Phnom Bakheng Hill for a view of the spectacular
sunset over these sandstone monuments. O/N in Siem Reap.
DAY 11: SIEM REAP -
ANGKOR TEMPLES - BANTEAY SREI - DEPARTURE
Heading out of town we make
our way by travelling on a newly paved road to the intricately carved and
well preserved temple
of Banteay Srei.
Along the way we make stopover at the Preah Dark village and the River of
1000 Lingas, locally named Kbal Spean. We follow these with a visit the Banteay Samre
Temple adorned with impressive
reliefs depicting scenes of Vishunu as well as Krishna
legends. We also have time today to explore the ancient Khmer
civilization site of Hariharalaya which flourished in the late 9th
and earlier 10th centuries. These are the earliest temples in
the Angkor area and are referred to the
Rolous group. O/N The trip ends after your transfer to Siem Reap
Airport for
departure.
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