Day 1 Phnom Penh - Arrival (L/D)
Transfer from Phnom Penh International Airport to the hotel.
Lunch at local restaurant
Afternoon, 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 – from 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 found inside 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, from where you can enjoy views over the tree-lined avenues of the city during sunset.
Dinner at local restaurant and accommodation at hotel.
Day 2 Phnom Penh - Siem Reap (B/L/D)
Breakfast at hotel,
Transfer to Phnom Penh International Airport and departure by Siem Reap Airways International or similar to Siem Reap. Arrive at Siem Reap International Airport and transfer to the hotel (rooms may not ready until the afternoon).
In the morning, visit Prasat Kravan with its unique brick sculptures and Ta Prohm. One of the area's most beautiful temples, Ta Prohm has been 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. Visit as well Takeo, Chau Say Tevoda and Thommanon.
Lunch at local restaurant.
Visit Preah Khan temple. Built by the King Jayavarman VII, Preah Khan is, like Ta Prohm, a place of towered enclosures and shoulders-hanging corridors. Unlike Ta Prohm, however, Preah Khan is in a reasonable state of preservation and ongoing restoration efforts should maintain and even improve this situation. Continue your visits to Neak Pean, a fountain built in the middle of a pool and representing the paradisiacal Himalayan mountain-lake and visit the temple of Ta Som as well as Srah Srang ("The Royal Baths"), undoubtedly used in the past for ritual bathing.
Dinner at local restaurant and accommodation at hotel.
Day 3 Siem Reap (B/L/D)
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.
Lunch at local restaurant.
Visit the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century). See the South Gate with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephants Terrace, the Terrace of the Leper King and Bayon Temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), until sunset.
Dinner local restaurant and accommodation at hotel.
Day 4 Siem Reap- Departure (B/L)
Breakfast at hotel.
Morning, transfer to Banteay Srei temple (10th c), regarded as the jewel in the crown of Classical Khmer Art.
Visit the floating village of Chong Khneas, located 10 kilometers south of Siem Reap. Take a traditional wooden boat for a ride on the Tonle Sap Lake, the "Great Lake" of Cambodia, one of the largest in Asia.
Lunch at local restaurant.
Visit "Les Artisans d'Angkor - Chantiers Ecoles" of Siem Reap and time at leisure at the local market (if time permits). Transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for departure flight to the next destination.
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:
Visit to the Dance school of Aspeca where you can watch young children learn the ancient traditional Khmer dances. Visit Wat Inkosei built on the site of an ancient temple, which still remains. Continue to Wat Bo pagoda to view its well-preserved paintings. You will also observe monks making the various moldings, which adorn the pagodas. Visit a workshop where traditional shadow play puppets are made.
