Secrets of Cambodia (8days/7nights package)

Secrets of Cambodia
 (8days/7nights package)
      
Code: SC-13
Day 1:  Arrival – Phnom Penh
Upon your arrival, you will be greeted at the airport by a representative of Indochina Travelland and transferred to your hotel.
 
Day 2: Phnom Penh
You will be met by our tour guide this morning at your hotel for an amazing 6 day journey to through the amazing sites of the Cambodian Trails.
 
Enjoy a cool drink whilst your guide introduces you to Cambodia and the exciting journey your about to embark on.
 
We are introduced to Phnom Penh this morning, with an exhilarating Xich Lo ride through this bustling city. Disembarking our cyclo’s at the Royal Palace, we have a guided tour though the magnificent Royal Palace, gardens and the Silver Pagoda, which is conducted by one of the kings’ employees.
 
A short walk from The Royal Palace, takes us to the National Museum, housing art and sculptures from the Angkor and pre -Angkor era.
 
After our guided tour through the Museum, we take a short walk to Friends Café, where we stop for some lunch. Friends Café is a Cambodian Non-Governmental organization, employing street children, providing them with training, reintegrating the children into their families, into society, into the public school system and into their culture and the food is just spectacular!
 
We continue our journey to learn of the Pol Pot regime and the dramatic effects it had on Cambodia to how it stands today.
 
We make a visit to Toel Sleng, or more commonly known as S21 and continue on with a 20minute drive out to The Killing Fields.
 
We return to the hotel for you to enjoy the late afternoon and evening exploring this great city.
 
Overnight at your hotel
(Breakfast included)
 
Day 3: Phnom Penh – Siem Reap
This morning we commence our drive to Siem Reap.
 
With the newly built road to Siem Reap our journey takes around 5 hours, previously the drive took around 10 hours, not to mention the humps and bumps!
 
Our first visit is to a town called Skuon, where we make a stop at one of the most local markets you will ever experience. For the adventurous try the local delicacy of fried black spider or spicy cockroach!
 
We continue on and make a special stop at Wat Kua Hat Nakor Temple, which is set within the grounds of the local village primary school.  Greeted with screams of glee and excited children, we make a visit to the Wat, before having the opportunity to hand out educational gifts to the children, which you bought from home or may have purchased from town.
 
20 minutes from Kampong Thom Township, we stop for a home cooked lunch at a local silk weaving village. This wonderful organization has been set up by an American expat and his Khmer wife to support local women, by means of learning skills and providing employment within this poor village.
 
On route to Siem Reap, we make a stop at The Naga Bridge. The causeway is lined with stone giants holding naga gods on one side and asuras on the other, most of who have lost their heads.
 
We arrive in Siem Reap around 4pm.
 
Afternoon at leisure to explore this fabulous little town
 Overnight at your hotel
(Breakfast and lunch included)
 
Day 4: Siem Reap
You will be met by our guide at you hotel this morning to make an early rise for an enchanting experience to watch the magical sunrise over the temple of 'Angkor Wat'.
 
Leaving our hotel around 5.30am, we take tuk tuks through the Archeological Complex to the east gate of Angkor Wat.
 
We leisurely stroll through a side entrance, away from the regular tourist entry points, taking in the peaceful, mysterious ambience of the surrounding jungle, fresh air and sounds of the awakening wildlife that dwell within.
 
After experiencing the sun rise over Angkor, we head inside to explore the temple to learn the history and structure of this glorious monument and the amazing ancient carvings that lie within.
 
By now we've worked up a hunger!
 
We head across the road to a café for breakfast and sip on the best lattes in town!
 
We return to our tuk tuks for a brief ride to enjoy a cable air balloon ride with 360 degree panoramic views over the Archaeological Park.
 
A short ride takes us to visit 'Angkor Thom', the gateway to the Royal City, The 12th century
'Bayon Temple' with its 3-storeyed temple at 43 m of height and the intricate sculptured walls of Terrace of Elephants and Terrace of Leper King.
 
We return to the hotel by midday.
 
After re-energizing, we head out around 4pm to explore Tonle Sap Lake, to see one of the unique geographical wonders of the world.
 
With well over 5000 people living on the lake, we cruise on a local boat, passing through the floating villages observing the amazing daily life of locals living on floating homes, people working and fishing, floating schools, crocodile farms, even a floating recreational facility, restaurant and church.
 
We enjoy the life on the river, whilst admiring the sunset.
 
Overnight at your hotel
(Breakfast included)
 
Day 5: Siem Reap
Today we take a journey off the beaten track through the lush green, unexplored landscapes, experiencing the local life of small villages, local markets, and back roads to the local 'highway'.
 
 We start our journey with a 2 hour drive to Beng Malea, with an on route stop at a local market to see an array of local produce and to observe the locals busily buying their daily supplies.
 
Beng Malea certainly is one of our favorites and what a hidden treasure this is!
 
Seldom visited by tourists, yet one of the most impressive, due to its natural form, tranquility and jungle surroundings.
 
For the adventurous a climb in and out, up and down, through the midst of the temple is amazing. The temples recently built stairs and ramps, have provided easier access for those unable to climb through.
 
A 40 minute drive through local minority villages, then takes us to Bantaey Srei, a small yet exquisite little jewel of a temple, consisting of low walls and surrounding peaked structures of deep red sandstone.
 
We have lunch at a local restaurant beside the temple before heading to Ta Phrom.
 
We finish our day with a visit to one of the most spectacular and romantic temples of Angkor, Ta Phrom.
 
With the magnificent Banyon trees and intertwining roots growing throughout and towering over the temple, nature has resumed its rights and has certainly disrupted the work of the men. It certainly is a place not to be missed, loaded with emotion and poetry for the meditation.
 
We return to the hotel by mid afternoon.
Overnight at your hotel
(Breakfast included)
 
Day 6: Siem Reap
This morning we give you a unique cultural experience like no other. A short drive to National Road 6, we visit the Cambodia Cultural Village.
 
Here you will learn and see displays of the Khmer people’s daily way of life. There are 11 unique villages, which represent different cultural heritages and characteristics of 19 multi-races.
 
At each village, you can enjoy displays of the traditional wood house, furnishings, cooking utensils and clothing used in everyday life , stone carvings, traditional performances in different styles such Apsara dancing, traditional wedding ceremony, traditional ethnic dances, circus, peacock dancing, elephant shows and boxing just to name a few.
 
We continue to the beautiful Butterflies Garden, a restaurant which contributes to building a promising future for children and youth in Cambodia, by means of training and employing disadvantaged youth.
 
At 11am the children release hundreds of Angkorien butterflies (on Mon, Thu and Sat).
 
The butterflies within the garden are purchased from youth living in a poor village near the Angkor Archeological Park.  Many of these children are able to use this income to attend school. A portion of profits from the restaurant also funds programs for disadvantaged children, including English language literacy programs and food supplementation throughout Siem Reap.
 
We enjoy an array of creative tropical cuisine and tall refreshing drinks within the gardens, whilst listening to the gentle sounds of traditional music. (This lunch is on pax own account)
 
This certainly is a day not to leave the camera behind!
 
We return to town by early afternoon.
(Breakfast included)
 
Day 7: Phnom Kulen
This morning we embark on an amazing journey to the unexplored and beauty of the lush mountain region of the north.
 
Phnom Kulen is the holiest mountain in Cambodia.  Kulen is no doubt the mount the most sacred of Cambodia, a very active pilgrimage place and a picnic destination for Khmer families. Few foreigners visit this magnificent place making this destination very unique.
 
A 1 ½ hour drive from Siem Reap, we pass through local villages, farm land, rice fields and temples taking us to a trail through dense jungle leading to the top of the mountain.
Here stands Preah Ang Tho, a 16th century Buddhist monastery notable for the giant reclining Buddha carved into the top of a 20-m boulder. We climb the wooden staircase to a landing that surrounds the 17m long Buddha, where monks and believers bow, and burn incense and leave fruit.
 
We continue downstream to the magnificent series of tiered waterfalls.
 
 
The waters hold special religious significance for Hindus, thanks to the hundreds of phallic images carved into the sandstone floors along the shady brook area. Having the opportunity to walk right into the shallow river to photograph the sculptures and underwater carvings is simply amazing.
 
The river then drops about 4 m to a landing where court officials once bathed. Beyond that, the water cascades another 20 m and creates a pool where the masses once washed.
 
We sit and admire the Khmer families passing their leisurely afternoons here, where the children frolic, and Buddhist monks crouch along the river downstream to wash their orange robes as we enjoy a picnic lunch before returning to town in the mid afternoon.
 
This evening we bid you farewell and would like to invite you to enjoy a magical performance of Cambodia's traditional Apsara dancing, complemented with a traditional Khmer food buffet and courtesy of Indochina Travelland
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
 
Day 8: Siem Reap Departure
 
Free at your leisure until transfer to Airport for your upward flight. Ends of services
(Breakfast included)