Siem Reap & Phnom Penh Cultural Tour

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All ABOUTAsia tours feature crowd avoidance routes to ensure you experience the best of the country, and our own special "spice notes"...

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Tour Summary

Spend your time in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh to experience alternative aspects of the country with a ten day tour featuring our unique 'spice notes' - the special added extra touches that other tours don't include.

Day 1	A private transfer to your hotel after your flight, followed by a relaxed evening at an Apsara dance show with dinner
Day 2	Photograph the iconic temples of Bayon and Ta Prohm, & the city of Angkor Thom
Day 3	Enjoy the sunrise at majestic Angkor Wat; after lunch have walk through the countryside finishing at Chau Srei Vibol
Day 4	Visit the stilted fishing villages of the Tonle Sap Lake and explore the beautiful ruins of Beng Mealea
Day 5	Walk through the forests around Kbal Spean, to the thousand linga river, returning via the exquisite pink sandstone Banteay Srei
Day 6	A relaxed day exploring the villages and communities outside Siem Reap
Day 7	Road transfer to Phnom Penh, taking in the towns and countryside of Cambodia
Day 8	Take in the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge before meeting some of those reviving nearly-lost arts at the Cambodian Living Arts center, later enjoying a show
Day 9	Explore some of the architectural history of the city by cyclo, before finishing at the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, and neighbouring National Museum, and galleries of St. 178
Day 10	A relaxed morning, and perhaps some shopping, before your departure

Daily Details

Day 1 - Arrive in Siem Reap

Arrival:
We meet you from your flight with a private transfer to your chosen hotel, and a relaxed welcome to Siem Reap and Cambodia. You may wish to consider our VIP arrival option and be whisked past the queues of tourists who wait in line for their Visas with our fast-track visa and baggage collection process.

Evening:
Enjoy a relaxed Khmer menu dinner, with a traditional Palace ("Apsara") Dance show in the background. This graceful artform has survived the fall of Angkor and the Khmer Rouge regime, with enough practitioners surviving through the centuries, ensuring skills are passed on.

Day 2 - Temples of the Forest

Morning:
Rise early and beat the crowds at the photogenic Ta Prohm temple of "Tomb Raider" fame. Coordination with the driver allows you to through temple sites without having to retrace your steps. Undisturbed by crowds of tourists you can better appreciate the interplay of man and nature at this magical site. Following mid morning coffee at the temples walk through the forest to the seldom-visited Ta Nei temple before ending the morning on top Ta Keo, an imposing temple mountain with challenging steps.

Afternoon:
After lunch and perhaps a swim or massage, enter the ancient city of Angkor Thom at the Victory gate before uniquely walking along the 8m high wall through the forest to the seldom visited Death Gate. Passing behind the terraces of Elephants and Leper King walk though the shaded parkland to Phimeanakas and Baphuon temples, learning about the trees and fruits used locally. Impressive Bayon temple rounds off your afternoon with its iconic carved faces.

Day 3 - Angkor Wat Sunrise and Exploration

Morning:
You can opt for an early start for breath-taking sunrise exploration of Angkor Wat, one of mankind's architectural gems. Take advantage of the relative cool and tranquility of the morning to explore the central complex and surrounding bas-reliefs, taking either a local breakfast or returning to the hotel. Optionally you may feed the elephants with bananas for their breakfast.

Afternoon:
Starting at Prasat Kravan, a unique carved brick temple, we walk through the countryside, partly along ancient Angkorian roadways, taking in the forest and fields, flora and fauna, of the park and its surrounds. We finish at the rarely visited Chau Srei Vibol temple, and enjoy a well-earned drink before heading home.

Day 4 - Hunter/gatherers on the Tonle Sap to Jungle Ruins

Morning:
Travel by car through the Cambodian countryside to the photogenic village of Kompong Khleang (depending on the season). A world away from the touristic Chong Kneas floating villages, this largest stilted village in Cambodia sees few visitors. Climb up into a house to see how a subsistence fishing family lives. Then enjoy a private picnic lunch in your own stilted house.

Afternoon:
Drive on to explore the mysterious jungle-clad Beng Mealea thought to be a blueprint for Angkor Wat and built under the control of Suryavarman II. This temple is in a much collapsed state and is still largely overgrown by the jungle, creating an impressive atmospheric feel as a result- perfect for an afternoon photography session. Pause on the return to visit a traditional leather puppet-maker in action.

Day 5 - Rural Scenes and Remote temples

Morning:
Across ancient reservoirs -long since devoid of water- through pretty villages and rice paddies, visit the fine carvings on the riverbed of Kbal Spean. Medium fitness is required for the 3km jungle walk to this sacred site, where you can refresh in the cool waters (depending on season).

Afternoon:
On the back you'll stop at a local restaurant for lunch (own cost) before visiting Banteay Srei , a small pink sandstone temple with the most exquisite, deep and beautiful carvings. Returning to Siem Reap you can visit Banteay Samre, a small temple built by Suryavarman II in a similar style to Angkor Wat.

Day 6 - Scenes of Village Life

Morning:
Take a ride out with our specialist photographer tuk-tuk driver, who will act as your guide around some of the villages surrounding Siem Reap. Rice Paddies, working farms and cottage industries, real Cambodian rural life - perfect for seeing how the majority of the Khmer population lives, and a must for portrait photographers.

Day 7 - By road to Phnom Penh (optional alternative: flight)

Morning:
Explore the villages, markets and rural scenery along the road to Phnom Penh. Your driver will stop on request and at points of interest. Kompong Thom is a large and colorful market town, home of the Sambor Prei Kuk temple ruins; stop in Skuon to see (try?) the deep fried spiders.

Afternoon:
After checking in to your Phnom Penh hotel, relax and enjoy a private boat cruise on the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers to watch the sunset.

Day 8 - Khmer Rouge & Recovery of the Arts

Morning:
A tough start to the day, with visits to the Choeung Ek Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng (S21) Prison, where only 7 survived from 1000s incarcerated. You will make more sense of modern Cambodia with a familiarity of the events of the late 1970s and how the country continues to recover from this tragedy.

Afternoon:
Continue to the Cambodian Living Arts Center. Here, the surviving masters of traditional Khmer dance, opera, story-telling and music are passing on their knowledge to the next generation of Cambodian artists, ensuring these artforms survive and continue to develop. Later, there will be a chance to see a dance and puppetry performance from the students of the CLA, or of RUFA at Sovanna Phum Theatre (day and season-dependent).

Day 9 - Jewels of Phnom Penh

Morning:
Explore some of the architecture of Phnom Penh by traditional mode of transport - the cyclo. Your cyclo drivers will pedal you through the streets past notable colonial, independence (1960s) and modern buildings, all of which have their own stories, interlinked with the fall and rise of Phnom Penh in the 20th Century.

Afternoon:
Continue to the Royal Palace built in 1866 by King Norodom, and the Silver Pagoda with the floor of over 5,000 silver tiles. Then head to the National Museum and the galleries and boutiques of neighbouring Street 178, next to the Royal University of Fine Arts.

Day 10 - Day of Departure

Depending on your time of departure, take a tuk tuk to explore local markets; Russian and Central Markets for typical souvenir shopping.
Private transfer to your onward flight.

Pricing

As part of your private, luxury itinerary, we personally visit and hand-pick the best hotels so that you can tour and relax in style. Uniquely, our hotel research is conducted on a room by room level, ensuring that within any given price category you'll get an excellent room.

We work with a wide-range of hotels and will recommend alternatives as part of your own tailor-made quote. Contact us today for your personalized hotel recommendations across Cambodia to suit your tastes and needs.

Prices valid until March 2012

Siem Reap Hotel	Phnom Penh Hotel	May-Sep (US$)	Oct-Apr (US$)
Amansara (suite) Deluxe discreet boutique	Raffles Le Royal (suite) Central colonial charm	6163	6153
Hotel de la Paix Contemporary elegant design	The Quay Modern riverside chic	1799	2170
Victoria Angkor Colonial grandeur	The Plantation Boutique feel	1376	1700
Tara Angkor Excellent value	Villa Langka City centre comfort	1249	1309

Prices are per person, based on having an English speaking guide and twin shared accommodation with breakfast, touring & entry fees and transfers included. No surcharges guaranteed. Low season offers are subject to availability.
Peak Season supplements may be applied at some hotels (typically over the Christmas and New Year period).
Our Terms and Conditions. Low season offers are subject to availability.

What's Included?

Visa fee on arrival US$20.00/pax (if applicable)
Transportation and transfers in private air-conditioned vehicle with dedicated driver or remorques as noted
Accommodation including all taxes and breakfast
All entry fees to sights visited
Private boat tours (if applicable)
Government tax and service charge
Luggage handling
Drinking water and refreshing towels for touring
24/7 support from the ABOUTAsia Team

What's Excluded?

International air tickets to/from Cambodia
Insurance of all kinds
Meals aside from those specifically included
Additional tour required beside specified sights
Tips, drinks, personal expenses

Optional: Substitute road travel between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh with a one-way domestic flight - add US$75 pp.

Travelling Alone?

We can arrange your individual personalized itinerary for Cambodia and recommend hotels. Contact us for a quote today.

Booking Information

To book your tour, we require email confirmation of a final itinerary a minimum of 10 days prior to arrival. We accept credit card (Visa or MasterCard) or cash payment (USD) on arrival for the total amount, unless if we book domestic flights for you, where we will require a 1/3 deposit 1 month prior to your arrival. If you would like to pay by credit card, there is an additional 2.1% transaction charge we are required to add.

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