Rondreis Cambodja | From the Temples to the Shores

Arrive at the international airport of Siem Reap and meet your guide and driver outside the arrival hall. Transfer to your hotel.
Around 3PM meet with your guide and visit Wat Damnak. Here you meet with a local monk and receive a traditional monk blessing. The blessing is a traditional local ritual that is specially adjusted to bless your travels through Cambodia. A small token is handed to you by the monk after the ritual. Walk around the compound of the pagoda and learn more about the architecture and Buddhism. Continue afterwards with a short tuktuk ride to the local home of Sombai where a very special concept has been created that also happens to be delicious! Meet with the team of Sombai and learn more about Infused Rice Wine and how this is being created. Taste the different wines and enjoy this special treat and festive welcome to Cambodia!

Most people forget the real reason of traveling abroad, which is simply to get away from the daily bubble and experience and see something new. Climb aboard a tuktuk and visit Wat Svay Romeat on the Western Baray. Meet with the local monks and be guided around their sanctuary to learn more about Buddhism in Cambodia.

Continue by tuktuk to the Tonle Sap. Drive over small dirt roads through the heart of Cambodia’s countryside to Me Chhrey, a small floating fishing village on the north‐eastern tip of the Tonle Sap. This village allows for an authentic floating village experience and is home to families who unlike other floating communities still live in wooden house boats. By visiting a local home you get a better understanding of life on the lake and your guide would be more than happy to translate your questions to your hosts. After returning to the port, the tuktuk awaits for a short transfer to a small pagoda where a simple picnic lunch is set up for you.

Enjoy lunch on the compounds before continuing by bicycle back to Siem Reap. The bicycle ride is about 25km and leads over small dirt roads passing authentic villages and plenty of rural activities to lend a hand to. See how rice is harvested or planted (depending on the season) and how people care for their cattle. Make several stops on the way to visit people’s homes and taste fresh coconut juice and other delicacies prepared locally. Interact with the local people and even though you may not speak the same language, facial expressions, body language and with the help of your guide you surely can make yourself understood. End your trip at Wat Ang Kau Sai, where a modern day pagoda and ancient structures from the Angkor Empire harmoniously blend. The nearby school provides an opportunity to interact with the school kids and end the day with a broad smile.

Getting away from the crowds at Angkor is an art that not many people have mastered. Start in the early morning with a TukTuk Ride to Ta Prohm. Constructed in the Bayon style between the late 12th and early 13th century, Ta Prohm was left pretty much untouched by archaeologists. The trees that grow out of the ruins allow for a mysterious feeling filled with photogenic opportunities. Leave the temple at the backside and enjoy a short hike to the back entrance of Banteay Kdei, which is known also as the “Citadel of Monks”. Exiting the temple at the east side will bring you to Sras Srang. Continue with a nice walk of 30 minutes from Sras Srang to Batchum temple. Pass through a typical Khmer village with its wooden houses on stilts and observe the daily activities of its people. The TukTuk waits at this small temple that dates back to the middle of the 10th century. An early lunch is served at a local restaurant in Sra Srang.
Continue by TukTuk to Angkor Wat, and enter from the East Gate. Around this time of the day, most people head back for lunch in town, leaving the masterpiece relatively quiet for exploration. King Suryavarman II constructed this magnificent temple and built it to become the largest religious monument in the world. Leave Angkor Wat through the West Gate and continue by tuktuk to the South Gate of Angkor Thom. Take the opportunity to photograph the impressive entrance to Angkor Thom, which translates to “Great City”. The TukTuk will drop you at a small temple, beautifully overgrown with trees called Palilay. From here walk through the forest to the Phimeanakas and the Baphuon, both structures built in the pyramid style in the 11th and 10th century respectively. Continue to the centerpiece of the city; the Bayon, which served as a Mahayana shrine dedicated to Buddha. Its most distinctive features are the 216 serene stone faces that seemingly face all directions. Visit the Terrace of the Elephants, which is a 300 meters long terrace. The south stairway is framed with three‐head elephants gathering lotus flowers with their trunks. The central stairway is decorated by lions and garudas in bas‐reliefs in a stance of support for the stairways. Likewise, the Terrace of Leper King was constructed in the 12th century. The curious name of this terrace refers to a statue of the Leper King that is on the platform of the terrace. Finally, visit the Victory Gate from where a short hike brings you to the East Gate, also known as the Gate of the Death. This gate remains beautifully untouched in a very quiet part of the complex surrounded by forest. It is the perfect place to end the day before you return to town where you enjoy a free evening.

Leave Siem Reap in the morning and transfer towards Phnom Penh. On the way make a stop at Kampong Kdei. This village is famous for its perfectly intact Angkorian Bridge, known locally as Spean Praptos. This ancient bridge is the highest and longest of the 800 year old ancient bridges in Cambodia and spans approximately 85m in length and 14m high. Continue to Kampong Thom and enjoy a visit to Sambor Prei Kuk. This remote temple site is located in the jungle of Kampong Thom and compared to Angkor receives very few visitors. It is a pre‐Angkorian temple site that dates back to 7th century and the Isanapura period. Sambor Prei Kuk was in fact the capital of the Chenla Kingdom during that time and remains Cambodia’s oldest temple sanctuary. On arrival, walk through the forest passing beautiful structured that are fully submerged with its natural environment. Afterwards, continue the journey to Phnom Penh. Eat lunch at a local restaurant in Kampong Thom. Make a quick stop at the Stone Carving Village and observe how precise the artisans work to create huge Buddha statues out of massive stone blocks. Make another stop at Skuon, nicknamed “Spider Ville” for its deep fried Tarantula’s. If your stomach is strong enough, try yourself one of Cambodia’s delicacies. Arrive late afternoon in Phnom Penh, the city once referred to as the “Pearl of Asia.” Nowadays Phnom Penh is a bustling capital and home to over two million people. The city is in a constant state of transformation as it has been recently discovered by foreign investors, giving the city a more and more modern outlook.

Meet your guide and tuktuk driver at 9AM and ride to the Independence Monument. The monument was built in 1958 and represents Cambodia’s independence from France, which they gained in 1953. Continue with a walk through the Independence Park and observe the Statue of the King’s Father and the Cambodia–Vietnam Friendship Monument. Hop back onto the tuktuk and head for the Central Market.
The market was constructed in 1937 by the French and recently renovated. The art deco building is a unique landmark of the city. Nearby, one of Monivong Boulevard’s oldest buildings hosts an excellent view point over the capital’s busiest district and most famous street: Monivong Boulevard. Visit the Railway Station afterwards, which was built in 1932. A short walk away is the National Library. This beautiful building is home to impressive historical documents. Sit down at the library and learn more about Phnom Penh’s history. Lunch is served in a nearby local restaurant that serves many local favorites. Continue to the nearby Wat Phnom, which is considered to be the birthplace of the city of Phnom Penh. Also the near Old Quarters is an interesting visit with the Post Office being the center of attention. Opt to climb on top of the old abandoned hotel (own risk) for a great view of the “Colonial Square”. Ride further north and explore the little alleys that make up the old Chinese and Vietnamese Quarters. The alleys are so narrow at times that it feels like we walk through people’s living rooms. Small markets, chicken farms and all kinds of activities take place here. It is a real treat to explore! Enjoy a drink at the Chinese House, one of Phnom Penh’s most iconic restaurants before the ride continues south along the River Boulevard. Visit Wat Ounalom at the end of the afternoon. The Wat is beautifully located on the river side and is possibly the city’s most esthetically famed pagoda. The last walk of the day brings you to the Conference Hall Building, designed by Cambodia’s most famed architect. The building is located at Chaktomuk, where the four rivers that bypass Phnom Penh all meet together. Opt afterwards to stay at the riverside or return to the hotel for a free evening.

In the morning transfer to Kep. Kep used to be the main beach retreat for the French and Khmer elite between the 1920’s and 60’s. The town quickly fell in despair after the Khmer Rouge took over power in the mid 1970’s and it was only until very recently that Kep started to attract investors and tourists again, making it a quiet and very peaceful retreat for people seeking a haven away from the crowds. On the way to Kep visit a small but beautiful Angkorian style temple named Tonle Bati. The temple grounds are well taken care of and colourful flowers around the temple give the place a real attractive sight. Continue the transfer to Kep where in the early afternoon you check into your hotel. In the late afternoon, board a local boat for a romantic sunset cruise.

After breakfast climb on board a tuktuk and visit one of the infamous pepper farms of Kep. The countryside surrounding the city of Kep is full of beautiful scenery, traditional Khmer villages, and the seasonal rice paddies form the heart of rural Cambodia. Make a first stop at the Kampot Pepper Farm in the Phnom Voar area where you learn how the famous Kampot Pepper is grown. In recent years this exclusive pepper has been re‐discovered by world renowned chefs and the pepper has geographical protection. Enjoy the educational visit before you continue with a ride through the beautiful idyllic rural landscape. Make a few stops at rice fields (when in season), local farms and other interesting landmarks before returning to your hotel.

Leave Kep at 6am in order to reach the first ferry to Koh Rong. Arrive at the port of Sihanoukville and board the Soksan Beach Resort boat for a 40 minutes transfer to Koh Rong. Referred to as Cambodia’s most beautiful archipelago, Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloeun are a retreat that cater perfectly to people who want to bypass the busy Thai beach resorts. The islands together make up for an utterly serene experience far away from the crowds in one of Cambodia’s most beautiful areas.

Enjoy two days at leisure in paradise.

Leave the island with the first ferry in the morning. From Sihanoukville, transfer by car to Tatai. Rich in natural beauty, Tatai River is your highway to the wonders of the Cardamom rainforest and Southeast Asia’s largest coastal mangrove. The 4 River Floating Lodge will pick you up by boat as the Lodge is only accessible by water. Check In at your luxury safari‐like floating tent and enjoy the serenity of the jungle. The afternoon is free at leisure and you may opt to partake in one of the optional activities (against a surcharge). Kayaking, boating or visiting the wonderful Ta Tai falls all belong to the options.

Leave the resort after breakfast and board the local boat that brings you back to the mainland. Transfer to Thailand’s border (without guide) in the nearby city of Koh Kong and follow the route from there to Bangkok/Koh Chang.