|
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. (B)
|
