Essential Cambodia and Beach Escape 9 Days

Upon arrival at Siem Reap International Airport, you will be greeted by our driver and transferred to your hotel for check-in. You will have some time to relax before starting the afternoon tour.

In the late afternoon at 16:00, you’ll get our first impression of the mystical Angkor temples nestled in the jungles surrounding Siem Reap. You’ll drive along the small circuit during the late afternoon to soak in the special atmosphere as other tourists depart and silence takes over. You’ll stop at an ancient water reservoir and visit some lesser-known temples to enjoy an exclusive sunset experience. In the evening, you’ll have dinner at a local restaurant with a Khmer traditional dance performance. You’ll spend the night in Siem Reap.

4:45 AM: You’ll wake up before sunrise and make the 15-minute journey to Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat Temple: You’ll visit the famous Angkor Wat temple, built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century. It is designed following the model of the temple mountain, symbolizing Mount Meru, the home of the gods. Angkor Wat is also renowned for the more than 2,000 Apsara dancers decorating the temple.

Angkor Thom City: Continue to the ancient city of Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom was the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under King Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8-meter-high wall, forming a perfect square. Enter the city through the ancient South Gate, an impressive stone gate carved with elephants and four giant faces.

Bayon Temple: Next, you’ll visit Bayon Temple, located in the exact center of the city. This 12th-century masterpiece is known for its grandeur and its 54 towers adorned with enigmatic faces representing the 54 provinces of the Great Khmer Empire.

Ta Prohm Temple: Your final visit today will be to Ta Prohm Temple, built in the mid-12th to early 13th centuries. Ta Prohm is unique because it has been left largely as it was found: overgrown by jungle trees and vines, with many parts of the temple crumbling to the ground. You’ll spend the night in Siem Reap.

You’ll be picked up by our guide and driver at 08:30 and then transferred to visit:

Banteay Srei Temple: Head out to the countryside to see the “gem” of the Angkor area, the beautiful temple of Banteay Srei. Known as the “Citadel of the Women,” it remains the best-preserved temple in Cambodia. It displays some of the finest examples of classical Khmer art, with its small size and truly remarkable bas-reliefs. Banteay Srei is unique because it is constructed of pink sandstone, which is not seen elsewhere in Angkor.

Preah Khan Temple: You’ll visit Preah Khan Temple, a ruined but highly atmospheric site of tree roots and crumbling stone structures. Construction of this site was commissioned by the great ‘temple builder’ Jayavarman VII in honor of his father. This smaller site provides an interesting contrast with the more imposing Angkor Wat. Preah Khan is currently being restored by the World Monument Fund and is in remarkably good condition in places.

Neak Pean Temple: You’ll see Neak Pean Temple, an artificial island with a Hindu temple on a circular island in Jayatataka Baray, associated with Preah Khan Temple and built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII.

East Mebon Temple: Next, you’ll visit East Mebon, a temple-mountain.

Pre Rup Temple: You’ll also visit Pre Rup Temple, built as the state temple of Khmer King Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961 or early 962. It is a temple mountain of combined brick, laterite, and sandstone construction. The temple’s name means “turn the body” in modern terms.

Bakheng Temple: Finally, you’ll head to Bakheng Temple, which is a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, the home of the Hindu gods. This status is emphasized by the temple’s location atop a steep hill 65 meters above the surrounding plain. The temple is built in a pyramid form with seven levels, representing the seven heavens. It’s the best place to enjoy the sunset view before heading back to Siem Reap to end the day tour. You’ll spend the night in Siem Reap.

You’ll be picked up by our guide and driver then transfer to visit Tonle Sap great Lake. You’ll visit to authentic look at the lifestyles of the Tonle Sap’s residents, Great Lake and fisherman life and this Siem Reap day trip you will embark on an interesting boat trip on the Tonlé Sap Lake, where you will have the opportunity to learn about life on the lake. The Tonlé Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and officially designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, covering an area of around 250,000 hectares in the dry season. Due to a unique phenomenon, when the monsoon begins, the swollen waters of the Mekong River force the Tonle Sap River to reverse its flow northwards, feeding the Great Lake and spreading over the surrounding flood plain. During the dry season it is roughly 2,500 km2, swelling to about 4 times it sizes in during the wet season: 10,000 km2!

If time permit, your guide will drive you to visit Satcha-Handicraft where creating the first Cambodian handicraft center that incubates local artisans, mixing traditional knowledge with contemporary design to showcase Cambodian’ talents to local and international visitors and to transmit these know-how over time while having a sustainable social, economic, and environmental impact.… then drop off at old market where you’ll learn the life of people living in Siem Reap that’s center point for local and tourist visiting…

Then explore how the Cambodian people are making Khmer rice noodles or Nom Banh Chok.  Preah Dak village is one the most beautiful villages nearby the temples. The village is popular in the entire region for its rice noodles. Enjoy a bowl of Nom Banh Chok for your traditional breakfast before we will continue to another small village where we will observe street vendors preparing palm sugar. Palm trees are very important for Khmer people as they use most of the plant including the stem, leaves, trunk, fruits and flowers. They create a palm juice with a distinct smell and flavor that is mainly for local consumption. And Enjoy the taste of Cambodia Sugar Palm cupcake.

You’ll travel on distant 314km to Phnom Penh Capital City of Cambodia and take around 5 hours on National road No. 6. The first stop en-route visit:

Ancient bridge, Kompon Kdei, the road passes an old Khmer bridge with a Naga balustrade across the River Praptos. This bridge is one of the few stone bridges, which dates back to the Angkor period. Upon your arrival at Siem Reap, you will check-in your hotel and relax before enjoy the diner with Apsara dance show

Skun spider village where you’ll see people selling fries and live spider over there. It’ll a nice spot for photo then continue your trip. Arrive at Kompong Thom and we have a short break before continue to Siem Reap. We drive to Siem Reap for 2 hours more.

Upon arrival Phnom Penh Capital City, you’ll check in your hotel. You’ll spend the night in Phnom Penh.

After breakfast, you’ll be picked up to visit  Killing Field – Choeung Ek Memorial, where a stupa made up of some 8,000 human skulls marks the site of the infamous Killing Fields. This was the execution ground for the torture victims of Tuol Sleng and standing in this peaceful setting it’s almost unthinkable to imagine that to date nearly 9000 corpses have been exhumed from the area. You’ll then visit  theTuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Confront Cambodia’s tragic past on a guided tour of the place to show a former school which served as a Khmer Rouge torture centre. It’s estimated that more than 20,000 people were held and tortured here. Next, you’ll visit National Museum where exhibits 5000 objects including Angkorian era statues, lingas, artefacts – most notably the legendary statue of the ‘Leper King” and a good collection of pieces from later periods. You’ll then call in at the Royal Palace and the nearby Silver Pagoda. In the afternoon, you’ll be dropped back at your hotel to relax. Y

After breakfast, you’ll make a quick visit to our popular market Russian Market “Phsa Toul Tompong” – Make a short visit to the ‘Russian Market’. Test out your bargaining skills as you wander through the stalls filled with souvenirs, local handicrafts, and electronic goods… Then, you’ll drive from Phnom Penh to Kampot and Kep which will take about 3hrs on distant 170km. You’ll have time to relax, swim or sunbathe as you wish.

Set with picture perfection near the base of the Elephant Mountains on the Kampong Bay River, the provincial capital of Kampot City is of quite a different character than the much more heavily tourist beach town of Sihanouk Ville. Quiet lanes, classic French colonial and Chinese architecture and very few tourists all serve to lend Kampot a quaint, welcoming, small-town ambiance. Visitors come to Kampot for a taste of provincial Cambodia, the relaxed atmosphere, and to use Kampot as a base or a stepping stone to the Bokor Hill Station, the beaches and islands of Kep and the rest of southeastern Cambodia.

In the late afternoon, you’ll visit to Kep West’s Café where you can catch beautiful sunset which reflexion from the sea… take a deep breath and return back to hotel after sunset, Your overnight accommodation in Kep. You’ll spend the night in Kep Beach Town.

After breakfast, you’ll have free time to explore Kep beach town and visit the crab market on your own, where it’s busy in the morning. After that, you’ll enjoy the beautiful scenery of the countryside surrounding the city of Kep, which is full of traditional Khmer villages and seasonal rice paddies that form the heart of rural Cambodia. You’ll relax and walk along the seaside of Kep, enjoying the charm of this provincial town. Next, you’ll visit the Pepper Plantation market, which is bustling in the morning. As you continue your journey, you’ll travel along the coastal roads, and your guide will lead you to a local pepper farm, where you’ll find the best black, white, or red pepper from the region. You’ll also visit the salt fields and stop at the vibrant and colorful Keo Krosang Pagoda. Additionally, you’ll visit the colonial town of Kampot, situated along the Kampot River, where you’ll enjoy a seafood lunch at a local restaurant with a river view. After lunch, you’ll visit the Salt Fields, which are close to the ocean, where you’ll learn about how water is let in from the ocean to the fields, which are then blocked from the ocean. You’ll return to your hotel in the late afternoon. You’ll spend the night in Kep Beach Town.

After breakfast, you’ll enjoy your leisure time at your own pace. You’ll spend the night in Kep Beach Town.

After breakfast, you will depart from Kep and head back to Phnom Penh, the capital city. Upon your arrival in Phnom Penh, you will be transferred directly to Phnom Penh International Airport for your departing flight. End of services.