Friendly Cambodia 12 Days

ITINERARY:

DAY 1 - ARRIVAL PHNOM PENH

Upon arrival in Phnom Penh, you will be welcomed by your local English speaking guide, who will accompany you to your hotel for check in. 

After a relaxing break, you will be greeted by a driver who will take you on a tour to the most remarkable sights of Phnom Penh in a Cyclo. First, head to the Royal Palace. This palace dates back to 1866 and houses the Silver Pagoda, named for the over 5,000 heavy silver tiles that cover its floors. Its original name is Wat Prakeo, meaning Temple of the Emerald Buddha. 

Next head along the riverside area of Phnom Penh. In the early evening (and morning) various activities take place include exercise classes, Khmer dancing and plenty of snacking on local food.  A stop will be made at Blue Pumpkin to enjoy an ice-cream each! 

Overnight in Phnom Penh.  

DAY 2 - PHNOM PENH (B,D)

Optional: Free The Bears - (Full day)

Early this morning, travel by private vehicle to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre

On arrival meet the staff at Free The Bears, located within Phnom Tamao. 

After that, there will also be time to visit some of the other endangered species kept at Phnom Tamao. Lunch will be taken at a simple local picnic hut ‘Khmer style’. In the afternoon it is time to hide the food in the bear’s forest enclosures and watch them enjoy the fruits of your labour.

next, we will visit 

, an Angkorian-style temple 

On the way back to Phnom Penh stop to try some local seasonal fruits before arriving at approximately 6pm at your hotel.

Optional: Islands of the Mekong half day cycling tour - (Full day)

Enjoy a leisurely ride to the countryside around Phnom Penh by use of public boats and ferries and cycling on small roads with no traffic for most of the time. The tour is very diverse and passes through very different landscapes.  Take a boat across Tonle Sap River and cycle north along the far bank of the river. Pass coriander gardens and small wooden houses before crossing the peninsula. While waiting for the ferry, visit a Chinese style pagoda. Take a ferry to Koh Otnyahdei. Stop at a typical modern Khmer Wat and a silk weaving house to see how silk scarves are produced. Continue along small trails to an abandoned zoo and relax in an overgrown resort project before riding back by a different route.

Optional: Cookery Lesson – (Half day – Morning only)

Discover the secrets of authentic Khmer cuisine in the course of a half-day cooking class at Frizz restaurant. The course begins with a guided trip to the market where you will learn about Cambodian vegetables, herbs, spices and other ingredients and their uses in Khmer Cuisine. Return to the school where you will be shown how to prepare these delicious dishes. The hands-on experience is a great way to learn about the cuisine. At the end of your course, indulge in a lunch of your own prepared meals.

In the evening enjoy an atmospheric sunset dinner river cruise and watch how Phnom Penh’s popular riverfront comes to life in the early evening. Enjoy a relaxing 2hours cruise on board as you enjoy watching Phnom Penh from a different angle whilst you dine.

DAY 3 - PHNOM PENH – BATTAMBANG (B,L)

Travel first to Kampong Chhnang, in a village near Kampong Chhnang stop to see the different aspects of pottery making in one of the most scenic locations in Cambodia. You can try your own hand at creating a jug or pot if you like!  

Enjoy a packed lunch at one of the local houses and watch the daily activity of the village. 

After continue to Kompong Luong from where you will board a simple local boat to visit a series of floating villages on the Tonlé Sap Lake. Floating factories to make ice for fish preservation, church, pagoda, service stations, fish farms, stores, boat or television repair shops, video club, karaoke bar, police station...everything is on the water. 

Continue to Battambang. You will be taken directly to your hotel for check in.

Optional: Phare Ponleu Selpak

A special visit awaits you at Phare Ponleu Selpak. School of Music, Visual & Performing Arts - Phare Ponleu Selpak combines the Arts to provide education, support and entertainment to the poor communities

Overnight in Battambang.

DAY 4 - BATTAMBANG (B,L)

Optional: Village bike ride with Soksa Bike

Today have a fun morning cycling around local villages with Soksa Bike. During the 30km cycle tour there are plenty of stops where you will learn how the locals produce rice paper, prahoc (typical Cambodian fish paste), grolan (sticky rice stuffed in bamboo) and other Cambodian treats. The local countryside is beautiful and the Battambang area is known for the high quality rice and also oranges grown in the area. 

Optional: Walking tour with museum, temple visits

Spend a couple of hours exploring the town of Battambang on foot.. Visit the main market, Psar Nath and try a local coffee. Enter a Chinese temple and see the train station where time has literally stood still. 

Take lunch at Fresh Eats Café. 

After head off to the Bamboo Train station. 

Continue to Phnom Sampeau, meaning “Ship Hill” in Khmer, due to its distinctive shape, and one of the few hills standing out in this otherwise pancake-flat plain. From the small temple on the top, you will have a fantastic view over the typical landscape of paddy fields and sugar palm trees. 

Your visit at Phnom Sampeau will last until dusk – a time when millions of bats emerge from a cave and create patterns as they fly in tandem across the sky – a nightly spectacular show of nature! 

Overnight in Battambang.

DAY 5 - BATTAMBANG - SIEM REAP (B)

A private vehicle will take you on a ride through the beautiful Cambodian countryside towards Siem Reap (transfer time 3 hours) where your local English speaking guide will be waiting for you to accompany you to the hotel for check in. 

This afternoon travel by remork (similar to the Thai ‘tuk tuk’) to the countryside to see the “gem” of the Angkor area, the pretty temple of Banteay Srei. The so-called “Citadel of the Women” remains the best preserved temple in Cambodia. 

On the way back, at the Landmine Museum which promotes mine awareness.

From the museum it is a short drive to the Banteay Srei Butterfly Centre (BBC)

After return to Siem Reap.

Optional: Phare Ponleu Selpak in Siem Reap – (evening)

This evening attend a performance of ‘Phare, the Cambodian Circus’.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

DAY 6 - SIEM REAP (B,D)

After breakfast start your visits to some other Angkor sites. First, head to the ancient city of Angkor Thom, continue to Bayon temple

Return to your hotel in time for midday/early afternoon. In the afternoon you can choose from a range of optional activities or take a break to enjoy the hotel swimming pool or exploring the town of Siem Reap on your own accord.

Optional: 2-3 hrs village cycle tour

Explore some local villages and to experience the “real” Cambodia in the Siem Reap area. The excursion is designed to give you a more extended bike ride mixed with cultural interactions

Please contact us for pricing

Optional: Horseback riding at Happy Ranch

Head to the Happy Ranch outside of Siem Reap, a western style horse ranch. Explore the peaceful temple ruins of the Angkor-era, a truly authentic experience.

Please contact us for pricing

Optional: Quad Bike Adventure

An unforgettable experience as you will ride a quad bike especially designed for off road terrain through the beautiful countryside of Siem Reap Province. The 12 km guided tour will take you to local villages, where you can learn about the way of life in rural Cambodia and have the chance to meet and chat with the wonderful and friendly people. The highlight of the 2 hour tour is the sunset in the rice fields.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

DAY 7 - SIEM REAP (B)

This morning is at leisure with a range of optional activities to suit children and adults alike. 

Optional: Angkor Silk Farm – (Half day)

Drive through the countryside around the Western Baray. Visit the Angkor Silk Farm 15 km west of Siem Reap. Children will get the opportunity to feed the silk worms – a fun experience! 

Optional: Cooking Class at Cassia Restaurant – (Half day)

Discover the secrets of authentic Khmer cuisine in a half-day cooking class at Cassia Restaurant. The tour starts with a guided trip to the market where you will learn everything about Cambodian vegetables, herbs, spices and other ingredients of which you will later be shown how to prepare these delicious dishes. Khmer cuisine is influenced by Thai, Indian, Vietnamese and Chinese food and not very spicy. At lunchtime, indulge yourself in your self-prepared meals.

Optional: Beng Mealea temple visit (half day)

After breakfast, you will head out to the beautiful Cambodian countryside, as you will drive to the quiet Beng Mealea, around 65 km from Siem Reap.

In the afternoon you will visit the famous Angkor Wat, built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century

After a wonderful tour at the temple, enjoy a relaxing cruise in a gondola paddle boat at the moat of Angkor Thom compound while watching a spectacular sunset at Prasat Chroung temple. Canapés and a soft drink will be available on the boat, as your boat paddles slowly along the ancient moat. 

Overnight in Siem Reap.

DAY 8 - SIEM REAP - SIHANOUKVILLE (B)

Enjoy some time at leisure to relax at the hotel or to discover Siem Reap town on your own until the transfer to the airport for your afternoon flight to Sihanoukville (1 hr). 

On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel. 

Overnight in Sihanoukville.

DAY 9 - SIHANOUKVILLE (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy your day at leisure. Overnight in Sihanoukville.

DAY 10 - SIHANOUKVILLE (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy your day at leisure 

Take a boat trip departing 9am to explore three islands giving you the chance to snorkel, fish or just rest and relax. At the first stop you will see colorful corals and fishes at the island of Koh Chaluh. At Bamboo Island enjoy swimming with in the clear waters or relax on a long yellow sandy beach with a coral reef. Have a seafood BBQ lunch with cool drinks and fruit on the beach. After an easy walk of 10 minutes to the other side of Bamboo Island before departing to either Koh Tres for some snorkeling or Koh Takiev for some more beach (please advise at the start of the tour which option you prefer). In the afternoon return to Sihanoukville to arrive 4-5pm.

Please contact us for pricing

DAY 11 - SIHANOUKVILLE (B)

Final day at leisure. Relax or take one of the optional tours suggested for Days 9/10. 

Overnight in Sihanoukville.

DAY 12 - SIHANOUKVILLE - PHNOM PENH - DEPARTURE (B)

Breakfast at hotel. Free at leisure until midday transfer back with driver only to Phnom Penh.