Cambodia has a lot more to show for itself than just temples, and witnessing everything the country has to offer during the “green season” (May – October) is an adventurous and affordable way to get a glimpse of life in this fascinating country with few other travelers around. From the bustling capital with its tree-lined boulevards, to visiting the amazing 4 Rivers Ecolodge and eating pepper crab on a deserted beach… With this itinerary, we can guarantee you’ll love the temples, but we can’t guarantee they’ll be the highlight of your trip.
Enjoy the new Phnom Penh nightlife, be amazed by the temples of Angkor Wat, soak up the beauty of the amazing national parks and relax with the locals on white sand beaches. This tour will take you beyond the tourist traps so you can get a true sense of this incredible country.
Day 1 Phnom Penh: Arrival
Arrive in Phnom Penh where you will be met by an air conditioned van and driver and will be transferred to your hotel.
Meals Included: None
Overnight at The Villa Paradiso – 1 Double Harmony Suite
Day 2 Phnom Penh: Royal Palace and National Museum
This morning take a tour of the Royal Palace, which to this day is still the royal residence. See the amazing royal collection and the beautiful architecture before heading to the National Museum, where you will be taken around by a trained museum guide who will show you some wonderful pre-Angkorean pieces as well as a number of special pieces from the temples. Return to your hotel for lunch or have your guide drop you off in town where they can help you find a good lunch spot. Remember to take a look at our Cheat Sheet which lists a number of our favorite restaurant recommendations!
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at The Villa Paradiso – 1 Double Harmony Suite
Day 3 Phnom Penh: The Killing Fields
This morning head to the Tuol Sleng Prison Museum where your guide will explain the history of the Khmer Rouge and walk you through the different museum displays. After watching the movie they show every day, continue on to the Choeung Ek Memorial, the site of one of the country’s many killing fields, where a memorial stupa and shallow pits remind visitors of the thousands killed under the Pol Pot Regime. There is an excellent audio headset on site which includes firsthand survivor stories, accounts from guards, traditional music, as well as a guided tour of the site. We recommend using this thoughtful and well-produced audio tour as most visitors to the Choeung Ek Memorial use the personalized headset tours, leaving the somber grounds quiet allowing for introspection. Your JW guide will be on hand if you would prefer to explore the site with them or have any additional questions after you have completed your audio tour. Return to your hotel for lunch or have your guide drop you off in town where they can help you find a good lunch spot. Remember to take a look at our Cheat Sheet which lists a number of our favorite restaurant recommendations!
After lunch your guide will take you to central market, reported to be the biggest domed market in the world, and to the famous Russian Market where everything from souvenirs to car parts is on sale. Enjoy a shopping spree or just browse along with the locals out doing their shopping.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at The Villa Paradiso – 1 Double Harmony Suite
Day 4 Siem Reap: Arrival and Orientation Tour
This morning you will be transferred to the airport by your guide and driver for your onward flight – Cambodia Angkor Air K6101 departing at 11:30 & arriving at 12:10.
Arrive in Siem Reap where you will be met by a Journeys Within representative and will be transferred to your hotel.
When you arrive at the airport in Siem Reap, you will be met by a Journeys Within representative just outside the airport exit doors and will be driven to the main part of town for a quick orientation tour. You will be given a quick introduction to the city, and the Journeys Within representative will point out the main roads, markets, some recommended restaurants and Wat Bo, before dropping you off at your hotel to check in.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at The Aviary Hotel – 1 Double Tailorbird Standard
Day 5 Siem Reap: Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom – Sunrise to Sunset
Wake up early and head to Angkor Wat for sunrise and a morning tour of the temple before the crowds arrive. Mid-morning head back to your hotel for breakfast before relaxing in the garden, by the pool, or in your own room through the heat of the day.
In the early afternoon head to Angkor Thom, the famous walled city and see the many temples within its borders, including the fascinating Bayon temple with its many magnificent faces smiling out. There are several great spots from which to watch the sunset and your guide will discuss the options with you.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at The Aviary Hotel – 1 Double Tailorbird Standard
Day 6 Siem Reap: Banteay Srei, Other Temples and Volunteer at JWOC Art Class
This morning set off with your guide to Banteay Srei, the intricately carved temple located just 30km beyond Angkor Wat. As you head back towards town you can stop at Banteay Kdei and Ta Prohm, two of the prettiest temples in the complex, where you can enjoy climbing through these smaller unique temples. Return to your hotel for lunch, or have your guide help you find a good lunch spot in town. Remember to take a look at our Cheat Sheet which lists a number of our favorite restaurant recommendations!
Sunday afternoons are special at Journeys Within Our Community. We hold our art class for local students at 2:30pm – a no-pressure class where anyone is invited to come, play games, sing songs and do a simple and rewarding art project. Volunteers are great for this class; we break the students into groups and as a volunteer you can join a group and help the little ones with scissors and other tricky tasks and give the older students encouragement and attention. It is fun for whole family and a great way to get involved and see our project in action. You will have a chance to meet with our scholarship students and gain a greater understanding about the work we do within our community.
Please arrive at 2:20pm before the lesson starts so the teacher can explain the project and you can get oriented. The class runs until 4pm.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at The Aviary Hotel – 1 Double Tailorbird Standard
Day 7 Siem Reap: Beng Mealea, Rolous Group and Market
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before leaving the crowds behind and heading to Beng Mealea, one of Angkor’s more mysterious temples, located about one and a half hours drive from the town center. After an hour you will leave the paved road and get onto a beaten track running through rice fields and villages of rural Cambodia. At the temple your guide will help you imagine how it once was as you pick your way through the rubble which now surrounded by jungle. Head back towards Siem Reap, along the way stopping to visit the Rolous Group, a group of Angkorean temples located 15 minutes outside of Siem Reap in a beautiful area.
Return to your hotel for lunch or have your guide help you find a good lunch spot in town. Remember to take a look at our Cheat Sheet which lists a number of our favorite restaurant recommendations!
Take a walk around the Old Market where the locals and tourists shop side by side. Then pay a visit to Artisans d’Angkor to see their workshop in town. Here you will be taken on a short tour to see the students learning the skills needed to produce works of art in a variety of different materials before visiting their beautifully displayed shop.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at The Aviary Hotel – 1 Double Tailorbird Standard
Day 8 Siem Reap: Flight of the Gibbon
This morning you will be met at your hotel at 08.00am by a representative of Flight of the Gibbon as you head out to enjoy Angkor Park from a new prospective with their unique zip lining experience. After a safety briefing, you will be personally outfitted in the proper gear by one of their highly trained Sky Rangers. Next you will head up into the canopy to climb and zip your way across the course and through the jungle. Cross sky bridges while taking in the forest views from up high before returning safely back to the ground. Finish your morning with a traditional Khmer meal before being transferred back to your hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at The Aviary Hotel – 1 Double Tailorbird Standard
Day 9 Phnom Penh: Arrival and Drive to Koh Kong
Your guide will meet you at your hotel for your private hour-long transfer to the airport in Danang and will ensure that you arrive in time for your onward flight – Cambodia Angkor Air K6104 departing Siem Reap at 11:50 & arriving Phnom Penh at 12:35.
Arrive in Phnom Penh where you will be met by an air conditioned van and driver and will be transferred to your hotel.
Your driver will meet you at your hotel and will drive you to Koh Kong, where you will be met by the 4 Rivers speedboat and transferred to the hotel. This journey usually takes about 4-5 hours depending on traffic, followed by another 30 minutes by boat to the ecolodge.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at 4 Rivers Floating Eco-Lodge – 1 Double Floating Tent
Day 10 – 11 Koh Kong: Days at Leisure
You have two days free to relax or explore on your own. The Four Rivers Floating Eco-Lodge is situated in the lush forested slopes of the Cardamom Mountains which are a perfect hiding place for the rare Javan rhinoceros, Indochinese tiger and Asian elephant. If you like, you can join one of the tours offered by the Lodge. Their tours include trekking tours into the jungle which offer the chance to discover the customs, beliefs, and natural cures of the inhabitants of the Cardamom Mountains and its forests. Alternatively, you can kayak downriver with an experienced local guide who will lead you through the mangrove waterways that reach back into the jungle. Visit the majestic Tatai Waterfalls, team up with some locals and try your hand at fishing for your supper, or snuggle up with that special someone during the Sunset Cruise.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at 4 Rivers Floating Eco-Lodge – 1 Double Floating Tent
Day 12 Koh Kong – Kep
Your driver will meet you at your hotel and will drive you to Kep.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Knai Bang Chatt Hotel – 1 Double Double Garden View
Day 13 – 14 Kep: Days at Leisure
Enjoy these days at your leisure in Kep.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Knai Bang Chatt Hotel – 1 Double Double Garden View
Day 15 Kep: Drive to Phnom Penh
Your driver will meet you at your hotel and drive you back to Phnom Penh, a journey which should take around 2 ½ hours.
This afternoon you will be transferred to the airport by your guide and driver for your onward flight.
Meals included: Breakfast
PLEASE NOTE
This itinerary is currently in progress and does not reflect hotel room availability. The pricing is not final until the itinerary has been confirmed and booked.
Tour Rate: $ 2,215 per person based on two people traveling.
*Pricing valid for travel within 01 May – 31 October, 2016
Price includes:
- Air tickets Phnom Penh – Siem Reap – Phnom Penh
- Boat tickets as specified above
- Accommodation as specified above
- Air-conditioned car/van with driver
- Licensed English speaking guides
- Tours and admission fees as mentioned above
- Meals as specified in itinerary, including water
Price excludes:
- Personal expenses
- Visa fees
- Airport tax
- Drinks (except water) and meals not mentioned in itinerary
- Tips
