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ITINERARY Cambodia – 11 Days from Angkor Wat to the South Coast Day 1: Arrival in Siem Reap Upon arriving in Siem Reap, your local guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Overnight in Siem Reap: City River Hotel - Superior Room (3 Star); Sokaroth - Deluxe Room (4 Star); Le Meridien Angkor - Superior Room (5 Star).

Day 2: Discover the wonders of Angkor Wat Spend the day touring the many temples of Angkor. Angkor Wat dates back to the first half of the 12th century. King Suryavarman II constructed this magnificent masterpiece and built it to become the largest religious monument in the world. Its perfection in composition, balance, proportions, reliefs and sculptures make it one of the finest in the world. The temple of Angkor Wat is an expression of Khmer art at its highest point of development and took in its entirety roughly 30 years to construct. Continue afterwards to the former capital of the Angkor Kingdom, Angkor Thom, which translates to “Great City”. The city covers an area of 9x9km in which numerous breath-taking monuments were built. The South Gate offers the grandest access to the city where the Victory Gate grants access on the eastern side, leaving the actual East Gate, which is also known as the Gate of the Death beautifully untouched in a very quiet part of the complex. The centrepiece of the city is the Bayon. Its most distinctive features are the 216 serene stone faces that seemingly face all directions. The Baphuon and Phimeanakas are structures built in the 11th and 10th century respectively and both were built in the pyramid style. The Terrace of the Elephants is a 300 meters long terrace that has three main platforms and two subsidiary ones. The south stairway is framed with three-head elephants gathering lotus flowers with their trunks. The central stairway is decorated by lions and garudas (bird-like sculptures) in bas-reliefs in a stance of support for the stairways. One of the main attractions of this terrace is the facade decorated with elephants and their riders depicted in profile. Likewise, the Terrace of the Leper King was constructed in the 12th century. The curious name of this terrace refers to a statue of the Leper King that is on the platform of the terrace. Lunch can be enjoyed in between the visits and may be back at the hotel or at a local restaurant in the Angkor area. The remainder of the afternoon is dedicated to Ta Prohm, which is considered to be the most photographed temple within the Angkor complex. Constructed in the Bayon style between the late 12th and early 13th century, Ta Prohm was left pretty much untouched by archaeologists. The trees that grow out of the ruins allow for a mysterious feeling filled with photogenic opportunities. King Jayavarman VII constructed the temple as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university and it is estimated that close to 80.000 people resided at the temple. Overnight in Siem Reap: City River Hotel - Superior Room (3 Star); Sokaroth - Deluxe Room (4 Star); Le Meridien Angkor - Superior Room (5 Star). Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

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Day 3: Take the country road to Battambang After breakfast you will be collected for your overland journey to the colonial city of Battambang. En route you will stop at the Silk Farm of Artisans d’Angkor where they will show you the traditional weaving of Khmer Silk. After that short stop you will drive to Me Chrey. Located on the north-western tip of the Tonle Sap, Me Chrey village allows for an authentic floating village experience. The small village is home to families who unlike other floating communities still live in wooden house boats. The village moves throughout the year, depending on the water levels of the lake. At the end of the dry season when the lake’s water levels are at its lowest, the villagers move closer to shore and live primarily from agricultural activities on land. By visiting a local home you get a better understanding of life on the lake and your guide would be more than happy to translate your questions to your hosts. Return to the port and continue to Battambang (approx 2.5 hours driving time), check-in at your hotel. Overnight in Battambang: Stung Sangke Hotel - Deluxe Room (3 Star); Bambu Hotel - Standard Room (4 Star); Bambu - Superior Room (5 Star). Meals included: Breakfast

Day 4: Explore rural Battambang Start the day early and drive by TukTuk through villages in rural Battambang. Take a hike through the village and visit a local house. Meet with the family and get to understand the daily chores of the family. Your guide is happy to explain their way of life and translate your questions. Continue the tour and learn how the local people produce sticky rice, rice noodles, rice paper and fish paste. Observe how rice paper is made, taste some rice wine or try to make some rice noodles yourself. Continue afterwards to the Bamboo Train. This small engine powered train has a bamboo platform of 3 by 3 meters and can be considered the smallest passenger train in the world. The train can be completely dissembled to allow other transportation to pass on the single railway. A 45 minute ride will take you through Cambodia’s countryside and without a doubt will put you in touch with friendly local people transporting anything from fresh market produce to motorbikes and construction materials on the way. Return to town for lunch and visit in the middle of the afternoon Phnom Banan. The hillside temple is located 25km south of Battambang and is like a smaller version of Angkor Wat. Built in the 10th century, its location is stunning, providing a beautiful view over the plains below. Return to Battambang for a free evening afterwards. Overnight in Battambang: Stung Sangke Hotel - Deluxe Room (3 Star); Bambu Hotel - Standard Room (4 Star); Bambu - Superior Room (5 Star). Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

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Day 5: Travel to Phnom Penh via the former capital of Oudong Today you will head South to Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh. Pass the great Tonle Sap Lake and stop at Oudong that was Cambodia's capital between 1618 and 1886. On the top of the hill, along with a spectacular view, there are several stupas containing the ashes of Khmer kings, including King Ang Duong, the founder of today's capital of Phnom Penh. Continue to Phnom Penh, the city once referred to as the “Pearl of Asia.” Nowadays Phnom Penh is a bustling capital and home to over two million people. The city is in a constant state of transformation as it has been recently discovered by foreign investors, giving the city a more and more modern outlook. Check-in at your hotel and spend the afternoon at your leisure. Overnight in Phnom Penh: Kolabsor Hotel - Comfort Room (3 Star); Green Palace Hotel - Deluxe Room (4 Star); Sofitel Phnom Penh - Superior Room (5 Star) Meals included: Breakfast

Day 6: Explore the museums, pagodas and palaces of Phnom Penh A traditional cyclo will pick you up from the hotel for the first stop of the day: the National Museum built in 1917 in traditional Khmer architecture and inaugurated in 1920 by King Sisowat. The museum houses more than 5000 artefacts and it is the world best collections of Khmer archaeological, religious and artistic artefacts – notably sculpture – throughout the ages. Most of the exhibits date from the Angkor period but there are several examples from the pre-Angkor era, from the kingdoms of Funan, Chenla and Cham. The Silver Pagoda (or the temple of the Emerald Buddha), was originally built by King Norodom in 1892 to enshrine royal ashes and then rebuild by King Sihanouk in 1962. The Pagoda’s steps are of Italian marble and inside its floor is comprised of more than 5000 silver tiles, which together weigh nearly 6 tonnes. In the centre of the pagoda is a magnificent emerald Buddha statue made of Baccarat crystal. In front is a 90 kg golden Buddha studded with 9584 diamonds, dating from 1906. It was made from the jewellery of King Norodom. The Royal Palace was mainly built by the French in 1866 on the site of the old town. The main building on the compound is the Throne Room. It was built in 1917 in Khmer style; it has a tiered roof and a 59-meter tower, influenced by Angkor’s Bayon Temple. It was used for coronations and other official occasions such as the reception of foreign ambassadors when they presented their official credentials. Finally visit the Wat Phnom located on a man-made hill, 27 meters high, in the middle of Phnom Penh. The pagoda was built for the first time in 1372 to house four Buddha statues said to have been deposited by the waters of the Mekong River. Overnight in Phnom Penh: Kolabsor Hotel - Comfort Room (3 Star); Green Palace Hotel - Deluxe Room (4 Star); Sofitel Phnom Penh - Superior Room (5 Star) Meals included: Breakfast

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Day 7: Drive South to Kep via the resort of Tonle Bati Tonle Bati is a small lake situated about 30km South of Phnom Penh. This resort is popular with Khmers over the weekend but remains deserted during weekdays. Its prominent attraction is the small Angkorian temple called Ta Prohm, not to be confused with the illustrious Ta Prohm at Angkor Wat. The small temple of Ta Prohm remains in great shape and its beautiful garden and hidden location gives the temple a unique and photogenic appearance. It was built in the 12th century by Jayavarman VII, but the location seems odd, some 320km away from Siem Reap. Small shrines inside the temple are guarded by elderly monks who help you light incense and pray for good luck and wealth. Further down the road to Takeo, Phnom Chisor is located 20km from Tonle Bati. This hillside temple requires an optional climb of 461 steps. From atop the views are astonishing. The temple ruin of Chisor was built in laterite bricks in the 11th century by King Suryavarman I. A small Buddhist worship place can be found on ground level at the foot of the hill. Continue on to Kep, the town that was once a getaway for the French elite. Overnight in Kep: Veranda Nature Resort - Bungalow Deluxe (3 Star); Knai Bang Chatt Resort Garden Room (4 Star); Knai Bang Chatt Resort - Sea Room (5 Star) Meals included: Breakfast

Day 8: Visit Kampot In the morning depart for Kampot. This laid back provincial capital is a perfect place to observe the real local life style and take in the beauty of the country. Kampot is famous for its colonial style buildings, the relaxing atmosphere and the beautiful riverside that provides a stunning view of the Elephant Mountains. Visit Kampot town and step into a small local boat to explore the palm fringed canals along the foot of the Elephant Mountains. Pass by local homes and take in the real rural scene. If time allows, we can also visit one of the famous pepper plantations in Kampot. Return to shore for a local lunch at one of the riverside restaurants and continue afterwards to Bokor Hill. This plateau is located on top of the Elephant Mountain Range and provides a stunning view over the Gulf of Thailand. The French colonial rulers built their own retreat on the plateau with villas, a church and a casino. The Casino these days has been renovated and is back in business whilst the church, retreat villas and other structures remain untouched, standing mysteriously on the plateau overlooking the forest and sea below. Drive back to Kep in the afternoon. Overnight in Kep: Veranda Nature Resort - Bungalow Deluxe (3 Star); Knai Bang Chatt Resort Garden Room (4 Star); Knai Bang Chatt Resort - Sea Room (5 Star) Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

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Day 9: Relax in the beach town of Sihanoukville After breakfast you will be collected and transferred to Sihanoukville (without a guide) on Cambodia’s South coast. Check-In at your beach resort and spend the day at leisure. Overnight in Sihanoukville: Cambodia Resort - Superior Room (3 Star); Independence Hotel - Deluxe Room (4 Star); Sokha Beach Resort - Deluxe Room (5 Star).

Day 10: More relaxing in Sihanoukville Take a beach holiday, explore the town or many beach restaurants or simply sit back and relax at your hotel. Overnight in Sihanoukville: Cambodia Resort - Superior Room (3 Star); Independence Hotel - Deluxe Room (4 Star); Sokha Beach Resort - Deluxe Room (5 Star). Meals included: Breakfast

Day 11: Time to go home or onto your next adventure Today the tour ends. You will be transferred to Phnom Penh Airport (approx 4 hours) in time for your flight.

Meals included: Breakfast

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