Set out on a city tour to visit the Royal Place built in 1866 by King Norodom; Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor, which is made up of 5,000 silver tiles and located within the Royal Palace compound, and visit Tuol Sleng Museum, a reminder of the Khmer Rouge regime.

The peaceful stretch of green fields of Cheung Ek may not indicate what kinds of horrors have taken place there. Situated 17km from Phnom Penh town, Cheung Ek was made famous by the movie “The Killing Fields”. Nowadays, a large memorial has been built to commemorate the 17,000 victims who died here under the reign of Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot. The remnants inside the memorial and the mass graves that dot the area remind you of the suffering of the victims. This journey into Cambodia’s past will provide you with a background on the cruelty of the Khmer Rouge regime. It will also give you an appreciation of the struggle that Cambodian people have faced and their tremendous courage to move on and rebuild their nation.

Continue to visit the Russian market and end the trip with a visit of the Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh’s namesake, from where you can enjoy views over the tree-lined avenues of Phnom Penh during sunset.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Phnom Penh

Today we have nearly five hour drive to Battambang. Leave the hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh behind as you head north to Kampong Luong which is a silversmith village. Observe silversmiths creating ornate and fashionable silver objects. Learn how the community makes pottery in the traditional way and observe how sugar is collected from the sugar palm trees. Let your guide assist you with translating if you are interested to learn more about village life.

Transfer onwards to Battambang and check into your hotel upon arrival late afternoon. Lunch is at the hotel (own account). Enjoy the hotel facilities and relax until taken to experience the best element of Battamang. Enjoy bamboo train just before the sun goes down. Battambang is all about the arts scene as much as it is the typical sites and the architecture is quite simply stunning.

Tonight you are recommended to visit Lotus Bar and Gallery or Bric-a-Brac for a glass of wine following by the dinner at Jaan Bai restaurant (own account). The menu was created by a Michelin Star chef who resides in Bangkok, Thailand.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Battambang 

Spend your day exploring the countryside around Battambang on a bicycle visiting Cambodian families who produce traditional products (such as rice paper, dried bananas, bamboo sticky rice, and rice wine), made in the same way they have been for generations. You will learn first-hand about everyday life in rural communities which make up over 70% of Cambodia’s population. Lunch is in town (own arrangement).

Continue after lunch with a transfer to Siem Reap, located about 2.5 hour drive away.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap

Beat the crowd early morning by 7 am; visit the picturesque Ta Prohm that had nearly disappeared into the jungle and remains overgrown, an oddly haunting and exotic scene. The magnificent roots of a tree, pushing between the huge stone blocks of the temple in a sort of embrace, evoke feelings that you may remember forever. And continue to visit the intricately carved Khmer ruins at Angkor Wat - one of the world’s most impressive ruins.  The temple still owns fine Apsara carvings in Angkorian era art.

Lunch is own account.

Afternoon, explore the mysterious Royal city Angkor Thom & Bayon. Its 54-tower temple is an awesome sight. At first glance it seems a shapeless mass of stone, but further scrutiny reveals a face, and then another and another one, until suddenly you are engulfed by the silent, heavy, enigmatic and silent gaze through half-closed eyes, staring out from a primitive and remote time. Further, visit the surroundings of the complex including the Baphuon, Elephant Terrace, Lepper King Terrace and Royal Place area.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap

Morning transfer out of the Siem Reap town to a beautiful village in the countryside, you will start to walk through the village houses, witnessing very nice and different activities from the locals for their daily life. Just as some examples: how the locals wash vehicles, selling gasoline in whiskey bottles or the small shops where the locals sell food on the side of small streets.

On the way, you can take some fruits from the plants, enjoy a view of this wonderful area and interact with very kindly people in the village. Enjoy a 30-minute ox-cart ride through the rice paddies to reach one big local house to see how this family doing daily work such as making rice wine and handicraft works meanwhile a member of the family will offer you a fresh coconut and some homemade rice wine to taste.

Hop in your van for driving onward to the next destination, a floating community, arrive at the quay for embarking on a motorized boat to visit floating houses village offering an incredible natural phenomenon of making their lives from the lake in a respectful and meaningful way. This is a great chance to witness one of Cambodia and the world’s most amazing natural wonders. Drive back to Siem Reap. (Note***floating community is recommended from September to February)

At your choice, Kayaking is available on request on Tonle Sap Lake at additional cost.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap

7am, drive to the rural outskirt 35km from Angkor area to visit the smallest, but magnificent, Banteay Srei built in the 10th Century and dedicated to Shiva. The temple was the birthplace of Khmer classical style architecture and the bas-relief work is the best example of Khmer classical art remaining. The pink sandstone structure bears a series of striking and beautiful sculptures, lintels, pediments and friezes. Khmers say the temple must have been carved by women for the details are too fine for the hands of a man. Drive on to Chau Srei Vibol which is a small charming temple on top of a hill which hardly sees any visitors - very few non-locals have heard of it, and it is set just far enough away from the main tourist routes.

Lunch is hosted at the local family, a great chance to chat with the survivor former village chief during Khmer Rouge regime.

Continue to the ancient Khmer civilization site of Hariharalaya which flourished in the late 9th and earlier 10th centuries. These are the earliest temples in the Angkor area and are referred to the Rolous group we visit the main one called Bakhong temple

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap

Breakfast at hotel, meet the driver and transfer to airport for your departure flight.

Meals included: Breakfast

Trip ends.