First-timers to Cambodia

Today, we’ll unveil both the glorious and dark sides of Cambodia’s history. Our journey will begin with Phnom Penh Royal Palace. Amid the golden spires of traditional Khmer architecture, your eyes will be caught by an outstanding two-story, Victorian-style iron building. This is the Pavilion of Napoleon III, which was originally constructed on the banks of the Suez Canal. Later in 1876, it was dismantled and shipped to Cambodia as a gift for the king. Now this unique structure with white balconies offers a European touch nested within this Khmer ground.

Then, let’s proceed to the National Museum of Cambodia, where you’ll come face-to-face with the legacy of the ancient gods and kings. Housing treasures spanning millennia from prehistoric bronzes and masterpieces from the golden age of Angkor, to modern silverware, traditional Khmer silk, and theatrical masks, the museum serves as a bridge between the gap of the past and present.

Leaving the museum, we’ll continue to Wat Phnom Temple, the spiritual center of Phnom Penh. Built by legendary Lady Penh, this Buddhist temple is believed to be the cradle of the city. Here, you can see locals offering fresh flowers and incense to the Goddess to pray for wealth and health. If interested, you can make a wish here and perhaps it will come true. Since the temple perches on a little hill, you can gain a panoramic view of the surroundings from its gateway.

In the afternoon, we’ll turn to a more solemn chapter of the country’s past. Once you step into the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21 Prison), your joy will be left outside the door, and you would soon be overwhelmed by heartrending feelings. During the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979 AD), this former high school was transformed into a secret prison to captivate and torture innocent intellectuals, workers, merchants, and even foreigners. Every prisoner was meticulously documented and photographed. You can see those black-and-white portraits line the walls, serving as a haunting reminder of the past. Ironically, these records kept by the regime later became irrefutable evidence in the international tribunal.

Prisoners in the S-21 Prison were deprived of the right to move, speak, cry, and even die. After callous interrogation, dying sufferers would be transported to the Choeung Ek Killing Fields, our next stop, for mass execution. Although many of the original structures here were dismantled after the regime’s fall, mass graves, a “Killing Tree” adorned with colorful prayer beads left by visitors, and a memorial stupa housing nearly 10 thousand human skulls still stand as a stark reminder of that tragic period. Before leaving, you can watch a short, poignant documentary to fully understand this session of history.

After the end of the day, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Chaiya Palace Hotel (4 stars) or Hyatt Regency (5 stars), Phnom Penh

After breakfast, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport for a fast and economical 1-hour flight to Siem Reap, other than a tiring and costly 6-hour car transfer which might be arranged by other operators. Upon landing, our Siem Reap local team will pick you up and escort you to the downtown hotel we handpicked for you.

After a lunch break, we’ll head to Angkor National Museum. From the 9th to 15th centuries, the Khmer Empire, aka Angkor Dynasty, forged a brilliant civilization on this land. Over the next few days, we’ll unveil its mysteries and the museum serves as a perfect prelude to your adventure. Through immersive 3D animations and multimedia projections, you can gain a clear understanding of Angkorian remnants, such as Angkor Wat’s Hindu mythological murals, giving you a deep appreciation for the empire’s traditions and beliefs.

Then, we’ll dive into the bustling Old Market. Filled with fresh tropical fruits, local street food, and traditional textiles all priced between USD 1 and 3, it plays a clip of authentic local life. If you do want to buy some souvenirs, don’t hesitate to make a bargain with vendors. At the end of the day, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel. 

► Siem Reap Free-time Suggestion (at your own expense):
For those who want to explore further, just head to the nearby Pub Street on your own. You can unwind under the neon light sipping cocktails and try authentic Cambodian food, such as Fish Amok and Beef Lok Lak. Afterward, please return to your hotel independently. The street is less than a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride to both of our 4-star and 5-star hotels.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Tara Angkor Hotel (4 stars) or FCC Angkor by Avani (5 stars), Siem Reap

★ Start Your Day with Angkor Wat Sunrise

Hailed by Lonely Planet as one of the world’s ultimate bucket-list experiences, the Angkor Wat sunrise is nothing short of magical. The sun usually emerges between 5:30 and 6:30. Depending on the season, we’ll offer an early wake-up call and escort you to the site 20-30 minute before sunrise to secure the best viewing spot. As the sky shifts from deep indigo to brilliant gold, the outline of the five iconic towers of Angkor Wat gradually turns from an equivocal silhouette to a high-definition cinematic scene. Once the sky becomes bright, we’ll enter the temple to get a closer look at its reliefs depicting epic stories from Mahabharata and vivid figures of Buddha and celestial fairies - Apsara. Afterward, we’ll escort you back to your hotel for breakfast, or we can pack a breakfast box for you so that you can have a picnic while bathing in the soft twilight and admiring the towers’ reflection by the lotus pond.Then, let’s continue to venture into Angkor Thom, the ancient capital built during the zenith of Khmer Empire. Here, the 3D images you saw in the museum the day before will come alive. Crossing the stone bridge over the moat, we’ll head to Bayon Temple, home to the famous stone sculpture – “Khmer Smile.” While looking up these stone faces, don’t miss looking around at the exquisite bas-reliefs stretching across the outer galleries. Like reading a comic strip, you can try to decode daily lives during the 12th century: merchants haggling and grilling fish at the market, men betting on cockfights, a woman giving birth, and cooks preparing banquets. 

Passing the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King, we’ll reach Ta Prohm Temple at the east of the ancient capital. Built by King Jayavarman VII (1122-1218 AD) as a sacred royal monastery to honor his mother, this site is said to hold over five tons of gold, and thousands of fine silks. As the empire faded, nature reclaimed the sanctuary and the original treasures have been replaced by giant tree roots, which has been an iconic scene in the Hollywood film “Tomb Raider”.

Finally, we’ll ascend a small hill to Bakheng Temple before dusk to catch the sunset of the Angkor Wat from a bird’s eye view. After descending, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Tara Angkor Hotel (4 stars) or FCC Angkor by Avani (5 stars), Siem Reap

Today, we’ll continue to the further outskirts of Siem Reap to explore some of the most unique masterpieces of Angkorian architecture. Your guide and driver will offer you a 30-minute drive to our first stop, Preah Khan Temple, another sanctuary built by King Jayavarman VII to commemorate his father. The giant stone sentinels holding swords at the entrance will greet you. As you step inside, the reliefs of apsaras on the wall will come into your eyes with their attires and hair buns remain clear after a thousand years. Proceeding deeper to the center of the temple, you’ll find that the stone doorways becoming lower and lower, narrower and narrower. In the past, this deliberate design compelled officials, commoners, and royal descendants to bow lower as they approach the statue of the king’s father to show their absolute reverence and humility.

A 6-minute drive to the east of the temple lies Neak Pean Temple. Constructed during the zenith of the Khmer Empire in 12th century, this site was once served as a healing sanctuary. Here, you can find 5 ponds scattered with lotus. In ancient times, the ponds were filled by water with healing power and sick pilgrims would be guided to bathe in the specific pool aligned with their ailments. For example, soaking in the pond with spouts shaped in lions could cure inflammation and maldigestion, while the one adorned with horses was targeted to treat respiratory or nerve diseases.

Then, after brief stops at Ta Som and Pre Rup Temples, we’ll continue to Banteay Srei Temple. While Angkor Wat and Preah Khan were commissioned by kings, Banteay Srei was funded by a royal preceptor, hence its smaller scale. Constructed with red sandstone, it emanates a magical glow: rose pink in the morning light, brick red at noon, and deep violet under sunset.Leaving the temple behind, we’ll hit the road back to the city center. Along the way, we’ll pause at a local village, where you can touch the authentic fabric of Cambodian’s rural life. Your guide will invite you to visit a local family. With the house owner’s permission, you can ascend their stilted houses for a room tour. Raised 2-3 meters (6-10 feet) by wooden pillars above the ground, these homes protect residents from floods during the monsoon and keep wildlife out during the dry season. In sweltering summer days, families will gather on the ground floor, swaying in hammocks to catch the breeze, eat and chat with each other. With your guide as a translator, you can have a face-to-face conversation with the locals to learn about their daily lives.

★ Khmer-style Dinner with Apsara Dance

As we return to the downtown area of Siem Reap, abate your fatigue enjoying a Khmer-style dinner we specially reserved for you. Beyond authentic Cambodian cuisines, you can also feast your eyes with an Apsara Dance performance. It was originally a court dance during the Khmer Empire, which was recorded by the carvings on the temple walls we have visited before. Pay attention to the dancers’ hand gestures, whose every subtle movement carries a profound meaning, such as flowering, growing and fruiting. In Khmer culture, people think the more exaggerated the finger can curve, the more divine the performance will be. To achieve the dexterity of the hands, dancers have to begin their practice at 7 years old, stretching their joints until their fingers can curve backward into an elegant crescent moon shape.

Following the show, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with Apsara Dance Show
Accommodation: Tara Angkor Hotel (4 stars) or FCC Angkor by Avani (5 stars), Siem Reap

Today is your last day in Cambodia, your guide and driver will help you make the full use of your morning to Tonle Sap Lake to visit the floating villages. Here, every defining moment, from birth to death, is tethered to the water. To adapt life on the lake, children learn to paddle and swim at an early age, so that they can full survive in the flood during monsoon. To support their family, they usually fix fishing nets or do bamboo weavings. You may even encounter some kids holding snakes waiting for travelers to take pictures to earn their livings.

Bidding farewell to the villagers, your guide and driver will escort you on a 1- to 1.5-hour private car ride to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) for your departure flight. To ensure a stress-free check-in, we recommend booking a flight that departs in the late afternoon or night. We wish you a pleasant journey!

Meals: Breakfast