CAMBODIA HIGHLIGHTS AND BEACH BREAK
(9 days/ 8 nights)
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN SIEM REAP
Included Meals: No
Welcome to Siem Reap, Cambodia! On your arrival at Siem Reap Airport, get picked up and driven to your hotel in town for check-in. The remainder of your first day will be spent on the Angkor temple complex, of which Angkor Wat is a key element. Stroll around to explore Angkor Wat, the largest, and for most people, the most impressive temple in the complex. Late in the afternoon, a walk to the summit of Phnom Bakheng Hill will offer you an amazing sunset panorama of the whole complex. (If the weather permits of course). Back to the hotel and leisure. Overnight in Siem Reap
DAY 2: EARLY ANGKOR AND LOCAL ECOLOGY (CYCLING)
Included Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
Set out to start the day at 7 a.m. Today, you will have a cycling tour around to visit the Rolouse temple group, the dawn of Angkor. From there, move on to Kampong Pluk floating village, about 13km or so to go. On the way, you’ll see the daily life of Cambodian people living a cyclical existence of annual floods and droughts. On arrival at the pier, take a boat ride to Kampong Pluk. It takes about an hour to reach the village. Lunch is served on a floating house.
In the afternoon, try to paddle a small canoe through flooded mangrove forests by yourself, witness the variety of indigenous wildlife and birds. Later in the afternoon, return to Siem Reap, spend the remainder of your day riding back to Siem Reap. It is about 17 km. In case you feel a bit puffed, a vehicle will be arranged to take you to the hotel.
DAY 3: FURTHER DISCOVERY OF SIEM REAP
Included Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
After breakfast, you will begin with a visit to Angkor Thom, starting with the Bayon, a bizarre structure of several architectural changes reflecting a switch from Hinduism (the foundations) to Buddhism (the superstructure). Followed by a visit to the Elephant and Leper Emperor Terraces. And then to the Baphoun Temple. End the day with an interesting visit to Ta Prohm, strangled by massive tree roots, and Neak Pean, a Himalayan-style lake and sanctuary. Get back to the hotel for the third night in Siem Reap.
DAY 4: SIEM REAP – PHNOM PENH
Included Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
Breakfast at the hotel as usual. This morning, you will be driven around Siem Reap town. Thence, go to visit the “Chantiers Ecoles – Les Artisans d’Angkor” which provides training to young Cambodians in an effort to revive the ancient Khmer traditions of stone carving and wood sculpting. Stroll around the local market afterwards and visit at Silk Farm of Phouk. At the silk farm, you can see the entire silk weaving process…. Afterwards, take an ox-cart ride around the village of Aranh. The village is poor, ox-cart riding service is arranged by local tourism authority with the aim to contribute some income to the villagers. The ride lasts for about 30 minutes along the bank of the Siem Reap River. Along the way, watching the local daily life. The late-afternoon flight take you to Phnom Penh. Get picked up and transferred to the hotel on your arrival in Phnom Penh. Dinner on your own account and stay overnight.
DAY 5: PHNOM PEND- KILLING FIELD
Included Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
After breakfast, start your historical tour of Phnom Penh by a drive to the so-called ‘Killing Fields’. The term is a misnomer because it implies a single location. In reality, the process of genocide under the Khmer Rouge involved a large network of interrogation prisons linked to extermination centers. The most infamous is Phnom Penh’s S-21 Prison and the Choeung Ek extermination center. Choeung Ek, the ‘killing fields’, was the final destination of nearly all the inmates of S-21. The helpless victims were slaughtered in their thousands and thrown into more than a hundred shallow burial pits dug by the prisoners. The total number of men, women, and children buried at Choeung Ek is estimated to be around 15,000. It was one of many extermination centers spread across the entire country – and by no means the largest! A visit to Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek presents a stark picture of Cambodia’s recent past. However, it’s also a profoundly harrowing experience and likely to distress anyone of a sensitive disposition. After lunch, you’ll visit the National Museum and the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, followed by a sunset cruise on the Chatomouk River.
DAY 6: PHNOM PENH – SIHANOUKVILLE
Included Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch
In the morning, you will drive from Phnom Penh to the premier beach of Sihanouk Ville (no guide escort). The drive takes about 6 to 7hours. Have lunch at local restaurant on the way. Upon arrival, check-in and get ready for the rest of your trip at a beautiful resort and relaxing on this sandy beach.
DAY 7: SIHANOUKVILLE BEACH LEISURE
Included Meals: Breakfast
Spend these days on the beach & enjoy the resort facilities. Situated on the eastern part of the Gulf of Thailand, Sihanoukville is a peninsula & has several beaches, offshore islands. It’s also known as “Kampong Som”, a coastal city in Cambodia. With its beaches and casinos, it has become a primarily tourist attraction.
DAY 8: SIHANOUKVILLE BEACH LEISURE
Included Meals: Breakfast
Spend these days on the beach & enjoy the resort facilities. Situated on the eastern part of the Gulf of Thailand, Sihanoukville is a peninsula & has several beaches, offshore islands. It’s also known as “Kampong Som”, a coastal city in Cambodia. With its beaches and casinos, it has become a primarily tourist attraction.
DAY 9: SIHANOUKVILLE – PHNOM PENH
Included Meals: Breakfast
Breakfast at the hotel, Then, get picked up by driver (no guide escort) and take a 6 to 7-hour drive back to Phnom Penh. Onward to the airport for your flight home or continue with more interesting destinations of Custom Asia Travel.
***** HAVE A NICE TRIP *****
Special note:
In the event of local or religious festivals, unforeseen circumstances bad weather conditions, the sequence of the itinerary is subject to change without prior notice. The activities will be replaced or cancelled without prior notice for safety reasons. Alternative sightseeing or activities will be subject to on-site situation.
Inclusive:
Private tours with Local English speaking guide
A/C transport throughout the tours and all Transfers
Entrance fee to any applicable tourist sites
Meals as indicated (B=breakfast, L= Lunch)
Other tours related service stated in the itinerary
Boat cruise as mentioned
Cold water and towel during the trip
Government tax & Service charge
Hotel accommodation (based on twin/double sharing room)
Exclusive:
International and domestic flight tickets
Visa stamps upon arrival
Compulsory Gala Dinner on 24 Dec and 31 Dec
Other meals not mentioned
Tips & personal expenses
Laundry
Other not stated above
Travel insurance.
HOTEL LIST:
PLACE | SUPERIOR OPTION | DELUXE OPTION | LUXURY OPTION |
PHNOM PENH | PHNOM PENH LE GRAND PALAIS
Boutique |
PHNOM PENH HAMORNY
Deluxe |
PHNOMPENH PALACE GATE
Apsara Deluxe |
SIEM REAP | CENTRAL BOUTIQUE HOTEL
Boutique room |
SAEM SIEM REAP HOTEL
Deluxe |
SOMADEVI BOUTIQUE HOTEL
Executive Deluxe |
SIHANUK VILLE | SIHANOUK VILLE HOLIDAY VILLA
NATAYA Superior |
SIHANOUK VILLE INDEPENDENCE
Sea Pavilion |
SIHANOUK VILLE SOKHA BEACH
Ocean Wing Superior |