Best Cambodia Tour

Today, we will take you to visit the historical sites of the Angkor Ruins, which would be the most splendid part of your trip. First, we will proceed to Angkor Thom, the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire (802-1431), which is surrounded by a moat. There is a stone bridge standing on the moat out of its grand South Gate. The busts on one side of the bridge represent Gods while busts on the other side symbolize Demons. When you enter the South Gate, the Bayon Temple will come into your sight. This temple is well-known for its mysterious smiling faces, which were carved on four sides of the Buddhist towers. Altogether there are 54 towers and 216 gigantic faces. Facing those smiling faces, many people have a question in mind: who was the owner of this smile when it was carved over one thousand years ago? Was it carved by a highly respected Bodhisattva image in Mahayana Buddhism, or by the image of a special person in Cambodian history? Following the guide to discover it.

Next, we will accompany you to visit the Baphuon Temple, a pyramid temple-mountain, which is known as the world’s largest and most complex three-dimensional building. Not too many tourists in this site, but it is a place loved by photographers. To travel around this place and experience its spectacular vistas, you need to walk up and down along narrow and steep wooden stairs. But believe us that it will be unexpected surprise in your Angkor Wat tour. To ascend this temple, proper attire is required. Shoulders and knees should be covered. Then the Terrace of the Elephants featuring typical 3D carvings of elephants will be the last stop of your morning sightseeing.

In the afternoon, we will visit the Ta Prohm Temple, the shooting site of the movie Tomb Raider. This distinctive temple standing among the towering green trees brims with the breath of life. Our experienced guide will lead you to enter this temple from east gate and exit from west gate. This way, you can see the Dancers’ Gallery with Apsara reliefs on the way.

Afterwards, we will come to the Temple of Angkor Wat, the best-preserved temple in Angkor complex. This typical Khmer building is known for its exquisite bas-reliefs and the Indian mythology is expressed vividly and fully here. The history of the Angkor Wat, Hinduism, and Buddhism can all be learnt from this site. Many of the stories described by the reliefs are out of the two classic Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayan. If you are interested, you can read the general plot of these two books in advance, so that when you visit, it will be easier for you to tell which part of the story the relief corresponds to the content of the book. We will visit this temple till around 17:00, when you will enjoy a fantastic view of the golden Angkor Ruins under sunset.

Since you have admired the bas-reliefs of the Apsara dancing in temple sites, tonight, we will arrange for you to watch a high-quality Khmer classical Apsara Dance Show, which will make your trip more perfect. Dinner will served on show. Apsara dance, known for its elegant gestures and colorful costumes, has been performed for thousands of years. The dance mainly shows the stories of the ancient mythological creatures and the gods of the Khmer Empire. In 2003, Khmer Apsara dance was included in the Intangible Cultural Heritage List by UNESCO. After that, we will drive you back to hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Apsara Dinner Show

Watching sunrise over Angkor Wat is a must-do experience while in Siem Reap, so we schedule it for you this morning. You need to get up earlier and your guide will take you to the best place to get quintessential shots of Angkor Wat at sunrise. Afterwards, you will be driven back to hotel for breakfast as well as taking a break.

★  Adjustable Date to View Glorious Sunrise
According to research, among the most beautiful sunrise and sunset viewing places in the world, Angkor Wat Temple was ranked No.1. To enable you to enjoy the best sunrise, our guide will check weather report consciously during your stay in Siem Reap and try to arrange it on a sunny day.

Next, we will transfer you out of town to Banteay Srei. Along the way, you can experience authentic rural life when you pass by local villages. Banteay Srei is one of the most elaborate temples at Angkor, which was built with the particular red clay and pinkish bricks of Cambodia and is known for its delicate bas-reliefs and bright colors. After that, we will head to visit a less touristy temple of Beng Mealea, a hidden treasure of Angkor, which is swallowed by lush jungle.

Late in the afternoon, we will drive to Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, where you will take a boat trip to explore the floating village of Kampong Phluk. People have lived here for generations, so it could be quite a special experience to see their floating houses, churches and schools, as well as to witness their real life on the lake. In addition, you could also enjoy a breathtaking sunset view over the lake.

Getting back to Siem Reap, we could drive you directly to hotel, or drop you off at the lively Old Quarter as you wish. It is also a great place to find interesting handicrafts, especially the typical wood carvings in Southeast Asia.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

★ Morning Activity: Khmer Cooking Class Tour 

After three days traveling in Siem Reap, you must have tried some typical Khmer dishes. Are there any dishes that interest you most? This morning, you will have a chance to participate in a cooking class to discover the secrets of authentic Khmer cuisines at a local home, which is also a good opportunity for you to interact with the locals and get close to their life. Following are the detailed arrangements:

►  Time schedule: 08:30 to 13:00/ 13:30, with private transfers.
►  Activities: Learn to cook famous Khmer dishes like Fish Amok, Grilled Chicken, Mango Sticky Rice in a relaxing and friendly environment.
►  Your cooking class will be arranged in Preh Dak Village, which includes:

In the afternoon, we will transfer you to the airport for flight to the capital city of Phnom Penh. One hour later, our guide and driver in Phnom Penh will greet you in the Arrival Hall and take you to check into the hotel in downtown area. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, we will have a full day Phnom Penh tour. First, we will transfer you to visit the Royal Palace, which is still a current living place for the King of Cambodia. But his residence is not open to the public. It is said that when you see the blue flag, it means the King is in the residence. The must-sees in this palace are the Throne Hall, the Silver Pagoda, and the murals in the corridor. The Silver Pagoda is the place for the kings to worship the Buddha, named for about 5,000 silver bricks paved on the floor, each weighing 1.125 kilograms. Next, we will take you to visit the National Museum of Cambodia. Built between 1917 and 1924, this museum currently houses a large collection of Khmer art and sculptures from the 4th to 10th centuries and the Angkor Dynasty.

In the afternoon, you will follow the guide to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21 Prison) and the Killing Field of Choeung EK to get to know about Cambodia’s history ruled by a brutal regime, the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979. Both sites were concentration camps of that time. Tuol Sleng was originally a high school and later used to hold prisoners. More than 17,000 intellectuals, civilians, women and children were imprisoned here, suffered from severe tortures and finally were sent to the Killing Fields. This period of history has left indelible pains to Cambodians. But how is Cambodia healing from this? How do they teach their young generations about this? Our professional guide will explain you more while you are visiting.

★ Special Arrangement: Meet and Talk with a Survivor (Upon Available, 1 Hour Talk)
When visiting the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, we can arrange for you to meet a survivor inside the compound if you wish. You could talk with him and listen to his life story. Your guide will act as a translator. However, it is good to know that since he is old now, whether he can be there or not depends on his heath condition. Finally, we will transfer you back to hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Your best Cambodia tour will come to the end today. Our guide and driver will pick you up from hotel at the appointed time and then escort you to the airport for your homeward flight. May you have a pleasant journey!

Meals: Breakfast