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 Rambutan Resort – 1 Double Deluxe Pool Room
Day 2 Phnom Penh: City Tour with Tuol Sleng and Killing Fields
Take a tour of the Royal Palace this morning which, to this day, is still the royal residence. See the amazing royal collection and the beautiful architecture before heading to the National Museum. You will be met and 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. You will also visit the White Building which was built in 1963 and the Post Office which is one of the oldest buildings of the French colonial era. After your cultural morning, enjoy lunch at Friends, a restaurant benefiting at-risk street children.
In the afternoon, 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 introductory movie, continue on to the Choeung Ek Memorial, the site of one of the country’s many killing fields. At the entrance you will find a memorial stupa and shallow pits reminding 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. You will be transferred back to your hotel late afternoon.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Rambutan Resort – 1 Double Deluxe Pool Room
Day 3 Phnom Penh: Culture and Culinary Experience
Today you will hit the markets with Chef Nara to purchase the ingredients you will require for you morning cooking class. Watch and learn as Nara barters on the price of vegetables and even give it a go for yourself. Enjoy your guided tour through the chaos before heading to your cooking station at Feelgood Café to start learning. Nara will guide you through the process of putting together 3 tasty traditional Cambodian dishes which you will enjoy for lunch.
This afternoon you will visit one of Cambodia’s largest not-for-profit organizations whose primary focus is on art and culture. You will be guided by one of their expert teachers in the art and forms of traditional Cambodian dancing, called Apsara Dancing. This 3 hour workshop will help you to gain a broader understanding of the traditions of Cambodia and how the art forms were almost lost and are now experiencing a revival thanks to organizations such as this one.
Take a break and head to the riverside for an early dinner this evening before returning to the National Museum to take in the Cambodian Living Arts traditional dance show. This is reputed to be the best performance of Cambodian traditional dance in the country!
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Rambutan Resort – 1 Double Deluxe Pool Room
Day 4 Phnom Penh: Bear Care Tour
After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and transfer you to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre for your Bear Care Tour. This is a fun and fascinating behind-the-scenes tour at the world’s biggest Sun bear sanctuary! Find out what it takes to care for over 130 rescued Sun bears and Moon bears on the Bear Care Tour; an exciting behind-the-scenes tour with the Free the Bears team at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre. You will learn why the bears are threatened in Cambodia, while touring the world class facilities, Education Program, Research Program, and what Free the Bears are doing to build a brighter future for bears in the wild.
You will help the Bear Care Team to prepare food and special treats to keep the bears happy and healthy in their forest enclosures. Best of all, by taking part in this unique experience you’ll be contributing directly towards helping care for bears rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Rambutan Resort – 1 Double Deluxe Pool Room
Day 5 Siem Reap: Arrival and Angkor Thom Sunset
This morning you will be transferred to the airport by your guide and driver for your onward flight with Cambodia Angkor Air K6 105 departing Phnom Penh at 09:45 & arriving Siem Reap at 10:30 where you will be met by a Journeys Within representative and will be transferred to your hotel.
In the 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 beautiful spots from which to watch the sunset. Discuss with your guide where you would like to be and then relax and enjoy a memorable end to your day at the temples.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Jaya House River Park – 1 Double Deluxe Room
Day 6 Siem Reap: Angkor Wat Sunrise and JWOC Art Class
Wake up early and head out to the temple complex to witness the majestic sunrise over the peaks of Angkor Wat. After the sun has risen your guide will take you on a tour inside the temple grounds where you will have the opportunity to hear the histories of the Khmer Empire. Cast your imagination back thousands of years as the significance of each part of the complex is explained to you. Head back to your hotel mid-morning and spend some time relaxing through the heat of the day.
Sunday afternoons are special at JWOC. We hold our art class for local students at 2:30pm – a no-pressure class where children are invited to come, play games, sing songs and do a simple and rewarding art project. The children are broken up into groups and 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 the whole family and a great way to get involved and interact with students. You will also have a chance to meet with our scholarship students and gain a greater understanding about the work we do within our community.
Please note: You should arrive at 2:30pm so you can get an overview of JWOC before jumping in to help!
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Jaya House River Park – 1 Double Deluxe Room
Day 7 Siem Reap: Hidden Temples Cycling and Phare Ponleu Selpak Circus
This morning your guide will meet you at the hotel after breakfast and you will head into the temple complex, driving through the quiet of the morning until you reach the south gate of Angkor Thom, where your bicycles will be waiting for you. You will cycle along the lesser known wall of Angkor Thom which offers a jungle track leading to visit one of the lesser known corner temples, before reaching the East Gate of Angkor Thom where you will be welcomed by the beautiful smiling faces of Bayon.
From here you continue your search, following hidden routes and pathways through the jungle, discovering along the way some spectacular hidden temples. Continue on to enjoy a delicious lunch overlooking the royal bathing pool of Sra Srang, after which you will be transferred back to your hotel by car, arriving at approximately 2pm.
Please note: You can continue on to some other temples after lunch if you would prefer, before being transferred back to your hotel late afternoon.
Spend the afternoon at your leisure.
This evening you will be treated to a unique performance by the Cambodian Circus, also known as the hugely talented Phare Ponleu Selpak from your VIP seats. Literally translated as ‘’the brightness of the arts’’, this Artistic and Social Center has been running as a non-profit association since 1994, and was founded by a group of young ex-refugees from Battambang Province. With your reserved VIP seats, there is no need to wait in line your seat is reserved for you! Sitting in the center of the big top tent, you will witness some remarkable acrobatics and visual arts while supporting one of Cambodia’s most inspiring projects. Performances start at 8:00pm.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Jaya House River Park – 1 Double Deluxe Room
Day 8 Siem Reap: Banteay Srei, Other Temples and Village Dining
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 place to eat in town. Remember to take a look at our Cheat Sheet which lists a number of our favorite restaurant recommendations!
You will be met at your hotel at 4pm and taken to the beautiful Kompheim village, located just outside Siem Reap. Here you can enjoy a short stroll through a traditional village with one of the local guides, finishing with sunset drinks at the beautiful and unique Village House. Relax and enjoy your very own private dining experience, surrounded by nothing but rice paddies and accompanied by traditional music. After enjoying your very special culinary experience, you will be transferred back to your hotel around 9pm.
Please note: The walk at the beginning of this experience is 45 minutes, please be sure to wear appropriate footwear. Your guide & driver for this tour will be different than your temple guide
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight at Jaya House River Park – 1 Double Deluxe Room
Day 9 Siem Reap to Koh Rong Samloem
Your driver will meet you at your hotel for your private transfer to the airport, where you will arrive in time for your onward flight with Cambodia Angkor Air K6 133 departing Siem Reap at 11:50 & arriving Sihanoukville at 12:50. Upon arrival in Sihanoukville, you will board a speed boat transferring you to Koh Rong Samloem Island (about 30-45 minutes by boat). Spend the remainder of your day at leisure at this magical place.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Sol Beach Resort – 1 Double Beachfront Villa
Day 10 Koh Rong Samloem: Day at Leisure
You have today free to relax or explore on your own.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Sol Beach Resort – 1 Double Beachfront Villa
Day 11 Koh Rong Samloem: Save Cambodia Marine Life
This morning you will meet your private boat transfer which will take you to M’Pai Bei Village. Upon arrival, you will be met at the pier by Save Cambodia Marine Life representative and taken to their dive center for an environmental briefing. Once you have the basics of the marine environment down, you will collect your snorkel gear and head for the water! This morning you will participate in a Snorkel Reef Clean at one of the reefs which has been adopted by this organization through PADI’s Diving Against Debris program. When you return to the dive center you will assist in logging the debris before getting dry and taking a guided walk through M’Pai Bei Village.
Return to the dive center for lunch and enjoy some free time to wander along the beachfront and maybe enjoy a quick swim. This afternoon you will assist in one of their beach cleans which helps fight the effects of littering to keep the water and marine life clean and safe. Once your haul is brought back to the dive center for safe disposal you can shower and change into dry clothes. You will be escorted to the restaurant of Sunset Bungalows where you can enjoy a cocktail as you watch the sun set over the water before returning to your hotel by boat.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Sol Beach Resort – 1 Double Beachfront Villa
Day 12 – 13 Koh Rong Samloem: Days at Leisure
You have these days free to relax or explore on your own.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Sol Beach Resort – 1 Double Beachfront Villa
Day 14 Koh Rong Samleom to Phnom Penh and Departure
Say goodbye to your secret paradise and board the speedboat back to Sihanoukville (about 30-45 minutes). Upon arrival you will be met by a private air-conditioned car and taken to Phnom Penh in time to catch your departure 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: $3,275 per person based on two people traveling
Price includes:
- Air tickets Phnom Penh – Siem Reap – Sihanoukville
- 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
