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Wonders of the World and Cambodian Beaches
This exceptional Cambodian itinerary offers a captivating mix of authentic rural villages, lively cities, wonders of the world, peaceful Cambodia beaches and traditional life along the great rivers of this fascinating country - plenty to fill a 2 ½ week round trip. |
| Duration: | 14 days - 13 nights | Accommodation: |
Comfortable city and beach hotels: Comfort 2-3 (see accommodation) |
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| Price: | from AUD$1499 per person (based on 2 people sharing) | Included: |
Transport as described, accommodation with breakfast, guided city tour in Phnom Penh, guided tour Angkor temples, flight Bangkok to Phnom Penh |
| Transport: | Minibus, car, bus, flight | Excluded: |
International flights, all other meals and excursions, admission fees |
Day 1: Arrival in BangkokMost travellers tend to arrive in Bangkok in the morning after an overnight flight. In the arrivals hall, you’ll be greeted by your driver and transferred directly to your hotel, complete with swimming pool. The hotel is a short 10 minute walk from Khao San Road, a lively street filled with bars, restaurants and shops. Once you’ve checked in and freshened up with a quick dip in the pool, you’ll be ready to hit the town.Most of the sights in Bangkok are easy to reach on foot. The Royal Palace (Wat Pra Keo) is the number one attraction in Bangkok. It’s a 20-minute walk from the hotel and it’s open until 3.30pm. Giant statues guard the entrance gates and inside you’ll find the famous Emerald Buddha, revered by many Thai and considered the most important statue here. If you have some time left, pop next door to the Wat Po to see the enormous reclining Buddha. |
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Day 2: Bangkok - Cycling TripAfter breakfast, you’ll have the rest of the morning to do as you please. We recommend to get out and explore the city a bit, there will be plenty of time to relax on the Cambodia beaches later in your trip!In the afternoon you’ll begin your bike ride through the streets of Bangkok. The tour begins at 1pm in Chinatown, where you'll meet up with your guide and the other group members. Once you’ve picked out a nice shiny bike, you will hop on and pedal away down tiny alleyways, past simple houses and busy workplaces and a wonderful food market where locals come for their groceries. In these traditional Thai districts you’ll notice a distinct absence of modern life: no air-conditioning, no shopping malls and no traffic jams. You’ll then cross the Chao Phraya river by longtail-boat. On the other side it’s like you’ve suddenly landed in a lush green oasis, far away from the city chaos; the major roads here are narrow bike and footpaths above the khlongs. On the way your guide will point out all the fruit trees and you’ll stop off for a snack or a drink. Heading back into the city at the end of your tour you’ll be even more amazed at the stark contrast between Bangkok’s hectic centre and peaceful suburbs. |
Day 3: Bangkok - Phnom PenhYour flight from Bangkok to Phnom Penh on day 3 of your Cambodia beach trip departs in the morning, and you'll make your own way to the airport by taxi or tuk tuk. On arrival at Phnom Penh, you’ll be picked up at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day you can spend exploring the city or just relaxing; we’ve saved the city tour until tomorrow. Phnom Penh is a beautiful city with lots of historic colonial buildings and by Cambodian standards it’s quite modern with asphalted roads, modern shops, a nice boulevard and lots of cash machines. You could pay a visit to the National Museum of Cambodia, which was built in 1917 and houses an impressive collection of Khmer artefacts. Then head to the Silver Pagode, which gets its name from its solid silver floor. In the afternoon you can climb the hill to the Wat Phnom, the temple after which the city was named. You’ll be staying in a comfortable, cosy hotel in Phnom Penh. |
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Day 4: Phnom Penh - Tuol Sleng Museum and Killing Fields TourOn day 4 of your Cambodia trip you will be picked up from your hotel around 8:30am to visit some more remote Phnom Penh locations with your guide, such as the Tuol Sleng museum and the Killing Fields.Cambodia has had a turbulent past and this tour visits sites which provide information about some important moments of the country's dark past. Some of the sites can be quite confronting. The Tuol Sleng museum is an impressive museum, capturing moments of the past through photography. You will also see an old elementary school that was used as a torture prison for alleged political enemies during the rule of the Red Khmer. For many this was a last stop before ending up at the mass graves of the Killing Fields. At approximately 3:00pm you will be dropped back off at your hotel. |
Day 5: Phnom Penh - KepOn day 5 you will start your travels south towards the Cambodia beaches. In the morning you will be picked up by your driver for the 4-hour drive to Kep. On the way you’ll stop off at Phnom Chisor (Phnom = hill), an ancient Khmer temple on, you’ve guessed it, a hill. It’s a steep climb to the top but the view is definitely worth it. You’ll find the two entrance temples at the foot of the hill. The area is very rural with farmers working the land and cows grazing in the green fields. The trip continues to Angkor Borei, a small town with some interesting historic excavations, the result of which can be found in a small museum.In the afternoon you’ll finally arrive at the Cambodia beaches, to the coastal village of Kep. It’s very peaceful here, with a couple of fish restaurants and a nice beach. These small fishing villages are very popular weekend retreats for people coming down from Phnom Penh, but you’ll find mainly locals here and few tourists. You’ll be staying in a small bungalow built onto a hillside with views across the sea and Bokor mountain to the right, and the Vietnamese island Phu Quoc to the left. Kep is a good base from which to explore the uninhabited islands off the coast, or for a cycling or hiking trips in the nearby hills. |
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Day 6: Kep - free time: active or relaxed?Today it’s up to you what you want to do. Laze around in your hammock with a good book and take a dip in the sea if you like, but there’s plenty to do here if you’re looking for something a bit more active. Just behind the bungalow is the starting point of a trail leading around the mountain of Kep. You can rent mountain bikes, a scooter or a jeep to explore the area, or go hiking in the forests with some amazing views across the sea. Just ask at the hotel reception for more information.For some exceptionally beautiful Cambodian beaches in this area, go to the islands of Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island) or Koh Poh (Coral Island). Koh Tonsay has three sparkling white beaches but Koh Poh is even better. The island is surrounded by a coral reef which makes it excellent for discovering the underwater world. The hotel can arrange a transfer to the pier, a half-hour boat trip and a picnic basket for you, and what you’ll find is a soft white, deserted beach. |
Days 7 and 8: Kep - SihanoukvilleAfter breakfast you will be picked up by your driver and after you bid farewell to Kep you’ll head off on the 2½ hour drive to Sihanoukville. This tropical Cambodia beach resort with its four outstretched beaches and clear blue waters is still relatively new; the resort is more developed than Kep and Kampot in Cambodia, but it’s unspoiled and quiet. You’ll be staying two nights on Ochheuteal beach in a small bungalow full of charm, just one minute (literally!) walk from the beach. At sunset Cambodian vendors sell fresh shrimp, lobster and squid which they grill for you on the barbecue. There are also several island and snorkel excursions available from Sihanoukville.Not far from your resort is the Ream National Park with pristine tropical beaches, mangrove forests and dense jungle. We can definitely recommend it on your ‘free’ day... |
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Day 9: Sihanoukville - Phnom PenhAfter your relaxing Cambodian beach you’ll make your way by comfortable bus north to Phnom Penh. You can easily arrange the transfer to the bus station yourself. The Cambodian signs are impossible to decipher so finding the right bus is no small feat but the ever-friendly Cambodians will be happy to assist; just ask someone for directions at the station. You’ll be staying a final night in Phnom Penh before you travel on to Siem Reap. |
Day 10: Phnom Penh - Siem ReapOn this morning you'll be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the pier to meet your boat to Siem Reap, the next stop on your Cambodia holiday. You will board your boat and glide over Tonle Sap Lake from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap which will take approximately 5 hours (sometimes much longer, depending on river levels).This is a unique experience, however please keep in mind that the boats are quite basic, delays are common, and seats cannot be guaranteed inside the boat..... so many people sit on the roof! This is a great opportunity to take photos, but we do recommend you carry plenty of water, something to shelter you from the sun or rain (such as a hat, rain jacket or umbrella) and perhaps something soft to sit on. When you arrive in Siem Reap you will make your own way to your hotel in the city centre; the hotel has air conditioned rooms and friendly staff. |
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Day 11: Siem Reap - Angkor Tour with GuideToday you will visit part of the Angkor temple complex with your guide. You'll need several days to cover everything because the dozens of temples are scattered across an area of 25 square km. You could wander through the temples, statues and ruins forever but make sure to stay on the paths, as there are lots of mines in this area. The temples date from different periods as each ruler built his own temple, which gives each temple a unique character. The most famous temple Angkor Wat is strongly Hindu influenced, whereas Angkor Thom is more Buddhist. After a day of temples and culture you’ll be spending another night at your hotel in Siem Reap. |
Day 12: Siem Reap - Angkor Independent VisitThere are no activities planned on day 12 of your Cambodia itinerary, and many travellers use the extra day to visit Angkor independently.Angkor is the name of the ancient capital of the Khmer-empire that was established during the 8th century after Christ. The empire was enormous and included territory all the way down to Southern Vietnam and China. Later on the Thai ruled this territory during the Siamese empire and introduced many Buddhist influences. "Siem Reap" literally means "victory by Siam". It was very generous of the Khmer to allow the city to keep its name. For centuries this city was covered by jungle until a French expedition discovered the ruins early in the 1900's. Several of the temples have since been restored. Several others still show how the jungle swallowed the temples from sight. The Ta Prohm temple has not yet been completely restored. It's quite interesting to see how towering trees have taken the temple prisoner. The tops of the trees shoot up into the sky, far beyond the temple roof and the roots of the trees have wrapped themselves around the walls of the temple..... truly an impressive sight. You'll spend another night in Siem Reap. |
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Day 13: Siem Reap - BangkokThe quickest way to get to Bangkok is our own Siem Reap – Bangok express. In the morning you’ll be picked up at your hotel in Siem Reap and transferred to the Cambodian border. After 5 hours you’ll arrive in the small town of Poipet where you’ll collect the necessary stamps and make your way on foot across the border where you’ll find your Thai driver waiting to take you to Bangkok. During the 5-hour drive by comfortable minibus you’ll pass through beautiful green countryside and small villages, arriving in Bangkok at the end of the afternoon. You’ll be staying in the same hotel as the beginning of your trip. |
Day 14: Bangkok - End of itineraryToday marks the end of your Cambodia travel adventure, having explored the breathtaking Angkor temples and relaxed on Cambodia beaches. If you would like to organise a transfer to the airport to meet your international flight, speak to hotel reception, they would be happy to help you organise transport at a time that suits you.Or perhaps you would like to linger in Bangkok a while longer, perhaps spend an extra night or two to for a bit of last-minute shopping or to enjoy the infamous Thai cuisine? Just ask one of our travel specialists, we would be happy to add this to your travel plan for you. |
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