Location: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap
Area: 679 km² Elevation: 12 m Weather: 33°C, Wind SW at 10 km/h, 63% Humidity weather.com Population: 2.282 million (2019) Area code: +855 (023)
Siem Reap, a resort town in northwestern Cambodia, is the gateway to the ruins of Angkor, the seat of the Khmer kingdom from the 9th–15th centuries. Angkor’s vast complex of intricate stone buildings includes preserved Angkor Wat, the main temple, which is pictured on Cambodia’s flag. Giant, mysterious faces are carved into the Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom. Elevation: 18 m Weather: 31°C, Wind S at 11 km/h, 70% Humidity weather.com Population: 245,494 (2019) Province: Siem Reap
Day 1: Phnom Penh Airport-Hotel: Arrive at Phnom Penh International Airport where our team will be waiting for you and we will transfer to our centrally located hotel.
Day 2: Phnom Penh City Tour: We will tour the sights of Phnom Penh, visiting Wat Phnom Temple, Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, the Russian Market and Choeng Ek Killing Fields outside of Phnom Penh as well as other sights.
Day 3: Phnom Penh Siem Reap by boat cruise connection: We will depart Phnom Penh by river on board a comfortable 2-deck wooden boat. We will cruise along Phnom Penh’s riverside on the Tonle Sap River and then across to the Mekong River. We will cruise up the Mekong, stopping for excursions at a local silk weaving village and an island pagoda before arriving at a sandy beach where we will stop for lunch and swimming. After lunch, we will transfer by road to the “spider village” of Skoun where we can sample cooked tarantulas and photograph live ones. Afterwards, we will continue on to Siem Reap.
Note: In case of low water (likely in March-April), we will be unable to dock at the island beach. In this case, we will anchor nearby and lunch will be served on board. Passengers will be able to swim from the boat. In cases of bad weather (possible anytime but most likely in August-September), we may need to end the boat trip early or cancel. In this case, we will transfer the remainder of the way by road.
Day 4: Siem Reap Angkor Wat: Our guide will meet you at your hotel in the morning and we will depart from there to the temple complex and follow a loop that passes by many of the main temples. The tour will visit the highlights of Angkor, including Angkor Thom, Bayon, the Terraces of the Elephants and Leper King and Angkor Wat itself.
Day 5: Siem Reap River of a thousand lingas: We will depart Siem Reap by car with our guide to visit the River of a Thousand Lingas north of Siem Reap. Visiting this jungle stream involves hiking for approximately 45 minutes up a mountain along a small jungle path. At the top, you are rewarded with a view through the flowing water of an ancient carved stream bed. You also can cool off in a beautiful waterfall before enjoying the hike back down.
After the hike, we will have lunch nearby before visiting the unique pink sandstone Citadel of Women, a temple renowned for its intricate carvings. In the evening, we will enjoy a buffet dinner and Apsara Dance show.
Note: The hiking path is quite steep and can become slippery in the rain. It is advised that participants wear sturdy hiking shoes for this hike.
Day 6: Phnom Penh-Airport or Siem Reap Airport: Check out and transfer to the airport.
