Cambodia with a Twist

Upon arrival in Phnom Penh you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel. The city was once considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Orient and despite its recent turbulent history it still retains much Colonial charm. Today the city buzzes with energy and an air of opportunity as Cambodia advances into the 21st century.

The remainder of your day is at leisure.

Make a morning visit to the Royal Palace, situated on the site of the former citadel and built by King Norodom in 1966, the Palace still serves as the King and Queen's residential quarters. Also within the walls of the Palace is the Silver Pagoda, so called because of five thousand silver tiles that line its exquisite floor. If time permits there is also the option of visiting the National Museum, which houses the worlds leading collection of Khmer art and sculpture, and Wat Phnom the founding site of the city. All are within easy walking distance of each other and are a great introduction to this laid-back city.

Lunch is at Friends a ‘kindness restaurant’ where ex-street children are trained in hospitality and restaurant skills, helping them to break away from life on the streets.

In 1975, after years of guerrilla warfare, the radical Communist Khmer Rouge party, under its leader Pol Pot, seized power of Cambodia and declared ‘year zero’. They immediately abolished money and private property, and ordered the entire population of Phnom Penh from their homes and into the countryside to cultivate the fields. Over the next three years an estimated 2 million Cambodians died, many from starvation and exhaustion. Many others were tortured and executed for being supposed ‘enemies of the state’.

The afternoon is spent learning more about these terrible years, through visits to the infamous Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crimes and Cheung Ek, better known as the ‘Killing Fields’. It is an incredibly moving experience, but these are two visits you will be glad to have made. During your visit to Cambodia, you will barely meet a single person who didn’t lose a member of their family during these years, yet they are all willing to talk openly about it with you. They wish you to hear about it and see these places, to ensure that it never happens again.

Morning departure travelling south-west via Sre Ambil to Chi Pat, a remote rural village in the Cardamom Mountains. Upon arrival, and after a dusty drive, you will discover a community based eco-tourism project that serves as the ideal base for exploring the area and participating in a variety of outdoor activities close-by. The project which is spread across four villages, was set up by the Wildlife Alliance and consists of seven basic guesthouses and three homestays with the villagers also participating in administration, cooking and guiding.

Activities range from relaxed cycling close to the village's to five days treks, camping in the hills overnight. There is also mountain biking and boating available. One of Cambodia’s last untouched wildernesses, the Cardamom region is rich in wildlife and during your stay you may be lucky enough to see gibbons, monkeys and a variety of birdlife including horn bills. Deeper into the mountains there are also elephants although sightings for the foreigner are rare.

Explore Chi Pat by motor trailer (a first for many!), with your guide assisting you in meeting and speaking with some of the locals. There is also a waterfall nearby which, for many, can offer a very welcome break from the heat.

After lunch at the Community Ecotourism restaurant enjoy an afternoon boat ride on the Piphot River, passing through small villages and mangrove forests where you can view the birds and mammals that often appear at the water’s edge. Arriving at Andong Teuk, you will be met by your driver to continue your journey towards Koh Kong, close to the Thai border town of Trat.

The journey will take you along the Koh Kong Conservative Corridor which stretches along either sides of NR48 from Koh Kong Town to the Gulf of Sihanoukville. It is home to many of Cambodia’s outstanding natural sites including the southern and central Cardamom Protected Forests, the mangrove forests of Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary, the beaches of Koh Kong and the Botum Sakor National Park (not accessible).

Shortly before Koh Kong you will arrive at the Tatai Bridge from where you will be transferred by private boat to the truly remarkable 4 Rivers Floating Lodge. Having ‘checked in’ to your luxurious safari-style tent (floating of course), enjoy a sunset drink and soak up the peaceful atmosphere of your incredible setting.

Your day is at leisure.

There are optional excursions arranged daily by the lodge (at additional expense payable locally). These include boat trips through the Mangrove Forest, trekking and waterfall visits and last just a few hours or all day.

After a leisurely breakfast at 4 Rivers, transfer back to Tatai Bridge where you will be met by your driver for the journey back to Phnom Penh, taking approximately five hours.

Having checked in at your hotel and had time to relax join a local family, carefully selected by Selective Asia, for an afternoon visit to their pagoda before joining them at home for an evening meal. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the way of life for the city folk of Phnom Penh.

Having met with one of the family members, start with a visit the riverfront pagoda of Wat Ounalom, reputedly one of the oldest Buddhist foundations in the city, probably pre-dating the abandonment of the capital of Angkor in the 15th century.

Arriving at the family’s private home you will be introduced to the additional family members before accompanying the lady of the house, and perhaps the children, to the nearby local market to purchase any ingredients required for tonight's meal. Upon return there will be plenty of help required in the kitchen before joining the family at the table. Always a fun and informal affair, these evenings are usually as informative for your hosts as they are for you!

Return to your hotel by moto, stopping at the night market if you wish (weekends only).

Morning departure in a north-west direction, stopping just an hour out of the capital at Phnom Oudong, the ancient Cambodian capital during the latter stages of the Khmer Empire and crowning site of many past kings.

Consisting of a series of stupas atop a large hill, there are outstanding views across the surrounding plains below. Phnom Oudong was bombed and desecrated by the Americans and then the Khmer Rouge, but still possesses a beauty that no war has been able to steal from it.

Having had time to explore, continue to Kampong Chhnang, taking the time to stop at a small pottery village before taking a boat trip to visit the floating village at Chhnok True, the largest floating community on Tonlé Sap Lake. The community consists Vietnamese, Chinese and Khmers living on bamboo rafts and houseboats. Most villagers make a living from fishing, however there are also small shops selling goods ranging groceries to mobile phones! You will also discover gas stations, machinery workshops, a school and a church.

In afternoon continue to Pursat Province, famous for its marble stone carvings before continuing to Battambang, your base for the next few days. Until recently Battambang was very much off the map for visitors as it was a Khmer Rouge stronghold. A riverside town and home to some of the best-preserved Colonial architecture in all Cambodia, Battambang is now making something of a comeback, with improved tourist facilities and roads allowing visitors to explore in comfort.

The town also makes a great base for visiting nearby villages and a number of hilltop Angkor-era temples. One of the more famous hills is Phnom Sampeau and the notorious killing caves (another of Cambodia's killing-field sites).

The remainder of your day is at leisure.

After breakfast at your hotel, drive to Phnom Banan. Having climbed the 358 steps to the summit you will reach a sandstone and laterite temple, with five distinctive towers, built between the mid-11th and 12th centuries.

Returning in the direction of Battambang, make a stop to visit the very first Cambodian vineyard. The fields are still worked to this day, and you are likely to see local people working on the various stages of the wine production. There will, of course, be the opportunity to sample the grapes before visiting the local Damrey Sor Pagoda (White Elephant Pagoda) in Battambang.

After a break for lunch, visit Wat Ek Phnom Temple, built in AD1027 during the reign of King Surayavarman I. En route you will pass through many beautiful villages, and there will be the opportunity to stop and see how locals produce the popular rice cakes.

In the afternoon you may also wish to visit Phare Ponleu Selpak (closed at weekends & public holidays), an NGO project that teaches artistic practises and performance; helping local children to express themselves and develop essential psycho-social skills. The centre supports around 30 orphans & trafficking victims whilst providing classes to many more.

The remainder of your day is at leisure to explore the bustling streets of Battambang.

After breakfast, there is a little time to explore Battambang town and market as well as nearby Wat Kor, a well-preserved ancient village, over 100 years in age.

Departing north-west, you will pass through the Banteay Meanchey Province which borders Thailand in the far north, before arriving at the provincial town of Banteay Chmar, both the name of the village and the impressive ancient temple. Banteay Chmar is a traditional Cambodian village with beautifully crafted wooden stilt houses and wooden shops lining the dusty streets. It’s a delightful place to visit, a feeling that is only enhanced by the locals who will often find you of equal interest due to the relatively low visitor numbers the village receives.

Having been welcomed at the Community Based Tourism Office, you will accompanied to your appointed homestay where you will meet your new hosts. The accommodation is basic but comfortable with a private room, bed, mosquito net and a shared outdoor bathroom.

After enjoying a typically rural-style lunch, explore the village and its surroundings by oxcart, stopping to visit the Enfant du Mekong project, a weaving workshop helping to fund the care of orphans from the local area.

In the late afternoon visit the temple of Banteay Chmar, the ‘Temple of the Cat’, a breathtakingly beautiful temple that is famed for its intricate carvings and long walls of bas-relief.

Built by King Jayavarman II on the site of an old Hindu temple, the huge temple is one of the few temples to feature the enigmatic Bayon-style giant faces with their mysterious smiles.

In the evening you will dine at the temple, with your makeshift dining area being lit by homemade torches creating a very atmospheric, serene scene as the light dance of the temple walls.

Having enjoyed a breakfast prepared by your host, it's time to say goodbye and set out for Siem Reap. The three hour drive takes you through the picturesque Odormeanchey Province, passing through villages, roadside hamlets and endless fields of rice paddies.

Arrive in Siem Reap in the early afternoon and check in at your hotel. The remainder of your days is at leisure.

Siem Reap is the base for exploring the fabled temples of Angkor, the ancient capital of the Khmer empire. Over 100 temples are spread over a vast area and the site easily lives up to its status as one of the seven wonders of the forgotten world.

After breakfast, make an excursion to Kbal Spean, an intricately carved riverbed deep in the foothills of the Cambodia jungle and the original River of Thousand Lingams, rediscovered in 1969 by a French researcher Jean Boulbet.

Lingams are phallic representation so sacred to the Brahmanism as symbols of fertility and hundreds of them are carved into the rock here, as are several carvings of gods and animals above the small waterfall. To access to the area you will make a 45 minute walk through the forest, passing some curious rock formations.

On your return to Siem Reap visit the Banteay Srei Temple, a pink stone temple in Angkor area, built by a Brahman in the 10th Century and dedicated to the goddess Shiva. This pink sandstone temple’s special charm lies in its remarkable state of preservation, small size and excellence of decoration.

There will also be time to visit the Landmine Museum of Mr Akira before returning to your hotel.

Morning departure by car, driving an hour to the north-east of Siem Reap as far Phnom Kulen, one of Cambodia’s most sacred mountains. Deeply revered, the local people make pilgrimages to the pagodas and ruins on on the mountains high plateau with its commanding views across the plains below.

Having driven to the summit, visit the Big Buddha at Preah Ang Thom and enjoy a dip in the holy waterfalls - a popular spot with locals, particularly at weekends when they come to eat and relax on the river banks.

Having refreshed, take a motorbike taxi to visit Lion Temple and Elephant Temple, located deep in the jungle hill top jungle and enjoy a picnic lunch at the spot. The track is poor, ensuring visitor numbers are extremely low. En route you will also pass several small farms.

Return to Anlong Thom where you begin a 2 hour trek along the top of Phnom Kulen. Passing by the village of Thmor Chruogn and finally Ta Penh, there will be plenty of opportunity to meet villagers en route. Walk downhill from the Big Nevenea, built in 2001 before arriving the Svay Leu where you are likely to stumble upon a local market.

Having met your driver and continue to the massive jungle temple of Beng Mealea, the size and scale of Angkor Wat but utterly swallowed by the jungle. Clambering about this titan of temples, it’s easy to imagine what it must have been like for early explorers.

Return to Siem Reap in late afternoon where the remainder of your day is at leisure.

Continue your tour of the Angkor Temples….

Siem Reap has expanded at a phenomenal rate in recent years, with another hotel seemingly opening every other month. However, the old town retains much of its original charm and there are a number of sites of interest such as museums, galleries and the local market. The town also has a wide choice of restaurants and bars, with something to suit every taste.

Your day is at leisure until your transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

(If you are departing Siem Reap in the late afternoon or evening, an additional day at the Angkor temples or an alternative activity can be arranged.)