Cambodia In Style

On arrival in Cambodia, you'll be met by your private guide, who will accompany you to your hotel.

Welcome to Selective Asia! This level of personal service (such as private transfers, private tours etc) is what you can expect throughout your trip. A few services (eg boat cruises) will be shared, but we'll always make sure you're aware of these.

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Explore rural villages, and learn about the daily lives of the local people. You'll be a world away from Siem Reap - it's a perfect opportunity to get ‘off the beaten track’ and gain a better understanding of Cambodian rural life, along with insight into traditional Khmer culture; something few visitors are lucky enough to experience. You'll explore a local market and purchase supplies for your lunch, and travel by an (almost!) pollution-free ox and cart. Still widely used throughout Cambodia, the cart allows you to travel gently along the narrow sandy village roads. Spend time at the home of a local family, where there will be plenty of time to relax and chat (with your guide acting as interpreter) as they prepare lunch using your market produce. You can help if you wish; this is a fantastic opportunity to further your understanding of typical Khmer cuisine. You meal is likely to be very different from those offered in Siem Reap's more westerner-oriented restaurants! Explore the village before returning to Siem Reap via the workshops of Angkor Artwork - all products sold are produced using traditional methods, and the quality of craftsmanship is outstanding.

At 7pm you will be met at your hotel for a rather special dining experience: a restaurant-hopping tour of three of Siem Reap’s top restaurants, whose kitchens are led by extremely talented, renowned Cambodian chefs. Your starter will be at Mie Café, main course at The Sugar Palm and dessert at Manis. Transportation along the way is provided by private tuk-tuk and the driver will act as your guide for the evening, dropping you back at your hotel at the end of your culinary adventure.

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You'll be collected just before 5am (it is worth it!) and driven to the shore of an expansive lake within the Angkor temple compound, which was historically used as a place for ritual washing. Here, a gourmet breakfast will be awaiting your arrival. Arranged by the renowned kitchen at the Heritage Suites (arguably the best in Siem Reap) the menu includes treats such as freshly baked croissants, fresh seasonal fruits, eggs any way and Cambodian fried rice, served alongside fresh juice, tea and coffee. Enjoy a leisurely breakfast as the sun rises over the water, before beginning your exploration of Angkor Wat, and the complex of ruined temples and palaces around it. You’ll be driven between them, so you can fit quite a few in (if you want to), and our guides know when to see the ruins at uncrowded times. During any visit to the Angkor temples, we ensure your day(s) remain both flexible and personal. Discuss with your guide what you are hoping to achieve from your time at the temples. Let them know what kind of pace you prefer, whether you want to fill your day with archaeology, or spend some of it on Tonle Sap lake, or even back at your hotel pool.

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Spectacular as they are, the Angkor temples closest to Siem Reap are incredibly popular, and crowds there can number in the 1000s. Few of these visitors venture out to see the further lying temples, where there’s more of a tranquil ambience, and less jostling for photo opportunities. These temples are haven't always had as much reconstructive work done as their celebrity cousins, so you'll often find them in a tumble-down state and swallowed by jungle - which we secretly think is more exciting anyway. Despite being in ruins, their impressive architecture is very much apparent, and there's something rather romantic about seeing these places much as explorers would have done in centuries gone by. You'll visit Beng Mealea - similar in size to the better known Angkor Wat (both were built by the same king), but surrounded by jungle, with its restoration work still on Cambodia's 'to do' list. Later, explore Koh Ker, a 10th century city known to contain over 200 temples within the boundaries of this, of which 96 have been discovered. Most of your visit is likely to be spent at just one site; the partially buried Prasat Thom, with its nearby towering step-pyramid.

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Depart for Phnom Penh by car, passing through provincial towns, villages and roadside hamlets offering an insight into life away from the cities. There'll be an opportunity to stop at Skun Village, famous for its deep-fried tarantulas, which you can snack on if you so wish! There will also be a stop to stretch your legs and enjoy a coffee in Kampong Thom. Once you reach Phnom Penh, your afternoon is at leisure until 5pm when your guide will arrive in a tuk-tuk for a food-focused tour of the city. Stop at the riverside Foreign Correspondents Club, a famous hub for foreign journalists and aid workers during the Khmer Rouge era. Your guide will talk you through the club's interesting memorabilia before leaving you to enjoy a cocktail on the rooftop terrace as the sun sets over the Mekong & Tonle Sap rivers. Re-join your guide for a rather different experience - head down to the river, where roadside stalls sell a variety of edible bugs which you will have the opportunity to try. Your guide will be on hand to decipher the surprisingly tasty offerings. Continue by tuk-tuk to the Russian Market, where the food stalls draw local diners with typical Khmer food such as Banh Chheo, chicken rice porridge and beef skewers. Choose what you fancy, pull up a plastic stool alongside the locals, and soak up the atmosphere. Your final food stop for the evening will be freshly barbequed seafood, before you return to your hotel, again by tuk-tuk, and probably ready to loosen your waistband...

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Your guide will escort you around the Royal Palace complex, with its lavish ceremonial buildings. You’ll also have the option to visit the National Museum, which is full of intriguing artefacts from several millennia of Cambodian culture. Lunch will be at ‘Friends’, a restaurant which trains ex-street children and other vulnerable groups in the hospitality trade. The food also happens to be excellent! The afternoon will be a far more sombre experience: Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crimes and the Cheung Ek ‘killing fields’ will open your eyes to the true brutality of the Pol Pot regime. There’s no sugar-coating this deeply disturbing insight into human capacity for cruelty - but it’s essential to understanding Cambodia and its people today. Your guide will have almost certainly lost loved ones to the regime, and will answer your questions as you try to comprehend what you’ve learnt.

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You’ll be driven out of town to hop on two wheels for a pleasant cycle through the countryside, taking in villages and rice fields with plenty of panoramic views to enjoy along the way. Your destination is Phnom Oudong, whose beautifully ornate white stupa sits amongst a cluster of historic buildings atop a hill with rewarding views across the surrounding plains. These are the remnants of an ancient capital of Cambodia, and the King’s main residence from 1618 to 1866. Its main temple was bombed by the Americans and the Khmer Rouge, but still possesses a beauty that no war has been able to steal from it. Enjoy lunch in the small village at the base of the hill before heading back to Phnom Penh, where the rest of your day is at leisure.

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Journey by car and boat to your Tatai River resort, arriving in time for a sunset drink!

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Explore your scenic surrounds by boat or on foot, or simply kick back and relax.

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Journey by boat and car to Sihanoukville, where you will board a shared speedboat to the island of Koh Rong or neighbouring Koh Rong Samloem. Time to kick off your shoes and sink your toes into the sand!

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Enjoy a few days relaxing on the beach.

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Depart by shared speedboat to the mainland where you will be met and driven to the airport.