Full Itinerary

  Day 1: UK Airport / Siem Reap

  Depart on a choice of overnight flights to Siem Reap. As there are no direct flights this is a chance to add on an extra destination such as Bangkok, Hong Kong or Singapore or just book a through flight.

Day 2: Arrive Siem Reap

On arrival you’ll be met by your private guide and transferred to the city centre where you check in to your choice of hotel for 3 nights. This evening you might like to visit the circus that performs nightly in the centre of town. We can
arrange tickets.

Day 3: Siem Reap - Private Angkor Temples Tour (B / L)

This morning your private guide will pick you up for a private guided tour of the iconic Angkor Archaeological Park. Start off at Angkor Thom, the last great capital of the Khmer Empire. Highlights include the magnificent Bayon, one of the most recognisable sites because of the 54 towers adorned with 216 enigmatically smiling stone faces, the Terrace of Elephants, a giant viewing stand for public ceremonies and the Terrace of Leper Kings, whose walls boast beautifully carved nagas, demons and other mythological beings. In the low morning sun the carvings really stand out and as you stand on the Terrace of Elephants you get a great view across a parkland scene interspersed with giant trees protected in the National Park.

Then move onto the temple of Ta Phrom, jungle covered and pretty much left as originally found by European explorers to create a mystical atmosphere.

Back to Siem Reap (15 minutes away) for lunch and a rest in the hot midday. This afternoon return to explore Angkor Wat, the most famous and best preserved of all the Angkor temples. You’ll have time for a thorough exploration before climbing to the top of Pre Rup temple to watch the sunsetover the jungle. Back to the hotel by early evening.

Extra…The great thing about having your own specialist guide is that the itinerary can be tailored to you and be adapted on the ground to take advantage of local knowledge and keep ahead of the crowds. Angkor represents the universe in miniature and you could spend weeks touring round the thousand or so temples, so on this tour we focus on the highlights, but we can easily extend your stay.

See our range of excursions in Siem Reap

Day 4: Siem Reap  (B) - Private guided morning Tonle Sap Lake Tour

This morning you’ll be collected by your guide and transferred 45 minutes through the Cambodia countryside to Tonle Sap Lake where you board a longtail boat to explore the lake and visit Kompong Phluk, an isolated community of three villages built on stilts. These scenic villages are flooded for around half the year and you will board a local boat, rowed by a villager, to explore the local community. You will also be taken through the flooded mangrove forests that are the main building block of this valuable ecosystem that supports a variety of wildlife. Back in Siem Reap in time for a late lunch.

Day 5: Siem Reap (B) - Fly to Phnom Penh

Morning airport transfer and short flight to Phnom Penh. On arrival met and transferred to your choice of hotel for 2 nights.Evening free.

Phnom Penh is a traditional Far East city, full of energy and still tatty around the edges. A great place to start in the early evening is to take a tuk tuk to the riverside promenade. As you walk along the Mekong look across to the French colonial buildings that are interspersed with the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and National Museum. Evening is the time everyone congregates along the wide promenade with impromptu aerobics, football matches and time to catch up with friends. There are plenty of restaurants and bars along the way.

Day 6: Phnom Penh - Private City Tour with Killing Field (B / L)

After breakfast your guide will pick you up for a half day city tour of the fascinating Khmer Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. After lunch in a local restaurant you visit the sobering and poignant Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a testament to Cambodia’s bloody past.  Then you can explore the colourful stalls of the vast Central Market. The tour ends at the Choeung Ek Killing Fields just outside the city. This is now a Buddhist memorial park that has been constructed around the mass graves of the thousands of victims. Dozens of mass graves are visible above ground, several which have not yet been excavated. The field is marked by a Buddhist stupa that has glass walls and is filled with over 5,000 skulls. You’ll be back at the hotel by the late afternoon.

Day 7: Phnom Penh (B) - 4 Hour Train Journey South to Kampot

This morning (Sat or Sun - afternoon Fri) your guide will take you to the impressive but underutilised Phnom Penh station for a train ride south. This leisurely journey takes you through the tropical south and offers a window into everyday life as you pass through villages, farms, orchards and mile upon mile of paddy fields. The carriages have been renovated to keep their character and offer a comfortable ride with air conditioning (limited) and even the rumour of Wi-Fi!

Your destination is Kampot, once Cambodia's main port, but now left behind by the modern world. Its prominent previous life and pretty riverside location are the key to why it's slowly coming back to life. The charming mix of French colonial and Chinese style shop houses that once stood out in stunning blues and yellows may be faded, but the old buildings remain and hotels, bars, restaurants and shops are moving back in, especially along the charming rococo riverside strip. It's an easy place to enjoy as it's small and relaxed with little traffic. Take a tour to the pepper plantations, explore the countryside by bike or enjoy a sunset riverboat tour. We've included 2 nights but if you're looking to slow everything down to walking pace why not extend?

Day 8: Kampot - Private Day Tour (B / L)

Today you will visit Bokor National Park which is located in the Elephant Mountain Range and is one of Cambodia’s largest protected areas. The ruined colonial resort town at the top of the mountain was built by the French in the 1920s as a retreat from the heat of the plains. The day is spent trekking through the countryside as you make your ascent to the top. The day will also include time exploring Kampot, salt farm, fishing village, pepper plantation and Phnom Chhouk Caves.

Day 9: Kampot (B) - Beach - Koh Rong Island, Kep or Sihanoukville

This morning you'll be transferred to the coast for 5 nights at your choice of resort.

The best beaches are to be found on the outlying islands such as Koh Rong, but if you'd rather keep the travelling to a minimum then Sihanoukville offers a limited number of resort style hotels. Just a little further down the coast you'll find Kep; no beach but a wonderfully atmospheric town by the sea, with authentically renovated hotels lining the shore and nestling in the hills that create a special feel. Except for a crab market and some simple restaurants there is little else here, but this is what adds to its allure.

Days 10-13: Koh Rong Island, Kep or Sihanoukville (B) - Beach Days

4 days (or more) to enjoy life on the beach or by the sea.

Day 14: Beach (B) / Home

Morning free then afternoon airport transfer back to Phnom Penh in time for your overnight flight home.

Day 15: Arrive home

Inclusions

What's Included

Each featured itinerary is really a starting point from which to create your ideal holiday.

We can include as much or as little as you like, mix and match hotels, excursions and experiences, add extra nights and change the destinations you'd like to visit.

The common thread is that each is a privately guided holiday, allowing you to travel where and when you want, with your own private transport and dedicated guide.

General Inclusions:

• Return scheduled international flights (optional if you would like to arrange your own)
• English speaking, local guide & driver
• Choice of hotel accommodation
• Transport in private air-conditioned vehicles
• Domestic flights detailed in itinerary
• Admission fees to all attractions, temples and activities as mentioned in the itinerary
• All meals as detailed (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner)

General Exclusions:

• Entry visas International airport departure taxes if payable locally
• Optional Tours / Excursions
• Any meals not listed in the itinerary
• Drinks
• Personal expenses
• Tips for Guides / Drivers (discretionary)
• Travel insurance
• Any camera or video fees charged at sites

Where You'll Stay

 Hotels

The hotels below are there as examples, designed to act as a starting point from which to create your holiday. There are plenty of alternatives to choose from and when we quote we will include other suggestions so we get to understand your likes and dislikes. Quite often clients mix and match hotel categories throughout their holiday.

Cambodia

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