9 DAYS, POIPET – SIEMREAP – KOMPONGTHOM – KOMPONGCHAM – PHNOMPENH

Itinerary

ITNERARY IN DETAILS:

DAY 1:POIPET - SIEM REAP AT 8:30  (L)
Meet and assistance at Poipet border (Clients should have the Cambodian visa from their country to make the formalities faster). Overland trip to Siem Reap via Sisophon.
Lunch at local restaurant in Sisophon.
Continue to Siem Reap and check-in at hotel. In the afternoon, start your temple tour to the unique interior brick sculptures of Prasat Kravan, Srah Srang (“The Royal Baths” was once used for ritual bathing), Banteay Kdei (surrounded by 4 concentric walls), Eastern Mebon, (guarded at its corner by stone figures of harnessed elephants, some of which are still in a reasonable state of preservation) and the mountain-temple of Pre Rup until sunset. Overnight in Siem Reap.

DAY 2: SIEM REAP (B)
Breakfast at hotel.
In the morning, visit the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor: Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Angkor Wat’s five towers symbolize Meru’s five peaks - the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat, the ocean beyond.
Visit the South Gate (with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk), the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century), Bayon Temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Sunset at Angkor Wat. Overnight in Siem Reap.

DAY 3: SIEM REAP (B,L)
Breakfast at hotel.
Choose between the visits of Kulen Mountain or Beang Mealea.
Option 1/ Kulen Mountain: Morning, drive through the typical Khmer countryside to the holy Kulen Mountain range which provided some of the stones used to build the Angkor temples. With beautiful sceneries to admire on the way up, our vehicle will bring us on a steep dirt road to the top of the mountain. There we first will see the site of the Lingas carved in the riverbed by successive kings of the Angkor period and a walk further will bring us to the site of a huge natural rock with on top a big reclining Buddha carved in the rock. Our walk will also bring us to a waterfall, don’t forget your swimsuits and join the locals! More carvings in the riverbed can be discovered above the waterfall. This is also a very popular place for Khmer people to come and enjoy their weekend with a picnic.
Option 2 / Beang Mealea: Morning, drive to the remote Beng Mealea temple through the typical Khmer countryside (60Kms from Siem Reap)
There is a lot to see in the approximately 2½ hours drive as it takes you through many lively villages and along kilometers of rice paddies. Explore the long abandoned temple (11th C), strangled by the jungle. Lunch box will be provided at the site.
Proceed to the Banteay Srei temple (10th century) regarded as the jewel in the crown of classical Khmer art. Then visit Banteay Samre, one of the most complete complexes at Angkor due to restoration using the method of “anastylosis”. The name Samre refers to an ethnic group of mountain people, who inhabited the region at the base of Phnom Kulen and were probably related to the Khmers.  No inscriptions have been found for this temple, but the style of most of the architecture is of the classic art of the middle period similar to Angkor Wat.  The proportions of Banteay Samre are splendid.  A unique feature is an interior moat with laterite paving, which when filled with water must have given an ethereal atmosphere to the temple. Drive back to Siem Reap. Overnight in Siem Reap.
 

DAY 4: SIEM REAP (B)
Morning transfer to the archaeological site for the sunrise from the Phnom Bakheng, one of two hills dominating the plain of Angkor, from where you will have a spectacular view of the Western Baray and Angkor Wat (Diethelm Travel recommendation: Access is steep and may be slippery especially after rains.  Not recommended for elderly people).
Or sunrise at Srah Srang
Return to the hotel for breakfast.
Visit the floating village of Chong Khneas, located 10 kilometers south of Siem Reap. Take a boat trip in a traditional wooden boat on the Tonle Sap Lake, the “Great Lake” of Cambodia, one of the largest in Asia.
Note: From Feb-July, the visit to the Tonle Sap lake is not recommended because of the low water level. The below visits will be provided instead in the morning:
Silk Farm of Puok.  Learn the different stages of the complex process of producing handmade silk. Then continue to Wat Inkosei built on the site of an ancient temple, which still remains. and to Wat Bo pagoda to view its well-preserved paintings. You will also observe monks making the various moldings, which adorn the pagodas.
Afternoon, visit Preah Khan. Built by King Jayavarman VII, Preah Khan is, like Ta Prohm, a place of towered enclosures and shoulder-hugging corridors. Unlike Ta Prohm, though, it’s well preserved and ongoing restoration efforts should improve this situation. Visit as well Neak Pean a fountain built in the middle of a pool and the temple of Ta Som. Overnight in Siem Reap.

DAY 5: SIEM REAP (B)
Breakfast at hotel
In the morning, continue the temple tour to Takeo, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda and Ta Prohm, one of the area’s most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been left relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery. Its appeal lies in the fact that, unlike the other monuments of Angkor, it was abandoned and swallowed by the jungle, looking very much the ways most of the Angkor temples appeared when European explorers first stumbled upon them. After lunch, visit to “Les Artisans d’Angkor - Chantiers Ecoles” of Siem Reap and spend time at leisure at a local market. Overnight in Siem Reap.

DAY 6:SIEM REAP – KOMPONG THOM (B,L,D)
Breakfast at hotel.
Depart Siem Reap for Kompong Thom (147 km. the road from Siem Reap to Kompong Thom is now in good condition.  The drive takes around 2 ½ hours). En route, visit traditional villages and stop at the ancient Naga Bridge (Spean Pratpo), located 40 Km from Siem Reap. Arrive in Kompong Thom and transfer to your hotel.
Lunch at local restaurant
Afternoon depart Kompong Thom for Sambor Prei Kuk, located 35km northeast of Kompong Thom. Visit the ancient capital of Chenla with its 100 temples dating from the Pre-Angkorian period. Return to Kompong Thom. Dinner at local restaurant and accommodation at Stung Sen Hotel (2-star, best available).
 

DAY 7: KOMPONG THOM-KOMPONG CHAM-PHNOM PENH  (B,L)
 Breakfast at hotel.
Depart to Kompong Cham by overland (260km. good condition, 4 hours). On the way visit Phum Prasat with its single ancient temple. Continue to Kompong Cham. En route, visit Wat Kohear Nokor (11th century). Visit Wat Nokhor with its ancient temple and modern style pagoda (12th century).
Lunch at local restaurant.
Short tour of Kompong Cham to view examples of colonial architecture. Drive to Chhup, a rubber plantation first established in the region by the French tire maker Michelin. Late afternoon arrive in Phnom Penh. Overnight in Phnompenh.

DAY 8: PHNOM PENH  (B)       
Breakfast at hotel.
Phnom Penh city tour: Visit the Victory Monument, and the National Museum, also called Musee des Beaux-Arts. A French archaeologist and painter, Georges Groslier, designed it in Khmer style in 1917. The museum contains a collection of Khmer art - notably sculptures - throughout the ages. Visit the Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town, and the Silver Pagoda. Located within the grounds of the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor, which is made up of 5000 silver tiles. The treasures include a solid gold Buddha encrusted and weighing 90kilograms and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha.  End your afternoon with the visit of the Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh’s namesake.
Visit the Notorious Tuol Sleng Museum. In 1975 Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). It soon became the largest such center of detention and torture in the country. More than 17.000 people held at S-21 were taken to the extermination camp at Choeung Ek to be executed; detainees who died during torture were buried in mass graves in the prison ground. The museum displays include room after room of these photographs of men, women and children covering the walls from floor to ceiling; virtually all the people pictured were later killed. Visit the Russian Market (Psah Tuol Thom Pong), a lively outdoor market where you will find antiquities, silver and gold jewelry, gems, silk, kramas, stone and wood carvings, as well as T-Shirts, CDs and other souvenirs. Late afternoon enjoy a cruise on the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. Overnight in Phnompenh.

DAY 9: PHNOM PENH - DEPARTURE  (B)
Breakfast at hotel.
Day at leisure to pursue own interests (no car/guide). Transfer to Phnom Penh International Airport for departure flight to the next destination.