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ITINERARY

Phnom Penh Capital city & Angkor – 4 Days / 3 Nights

 

DAY 1 – PHNOM PENH - ARRIVAL: MEALS [L|D]
  • Afternoon visits

Arrive in the morning – meet with guide for transfer to hotel (check in from 2PM)

Lunch on arrival.

Phnom Penh is the vibrant bustling capital and the largest city of Cambodia, situated at the confluence of three rivers: the mighty Mekong, the Bassac and the great Tonle Sap. Phnom Penh has been the national capital since French colonization of Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's centre of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security, politics, cultural heritage and diplomacy of Cambodia.

Once known as the "Pearl of Asia", it was considered one of the loveliest French-built cities in Indochina in the 1920s. 

The capital city still maintains considerable charm with plenty to see, reflecting a sort of provincial charm and tranquillity with French colonial mansions and tree-lined boulevards amidst monumental Angkorian architecture. Phnom Penh is a veritable oasis compared to the modernity of other Asian capitals.

Tour orientation and visits:

  • the Independence Monument, built in 1958 to memorialize Cambodia's independence from France in 1953. It stands on the intersection of Norodom Boulevard  and Sihanouk Boulevard in the centre of the city. It is in the form of a lotus- shaped stupa, of the style seen at Khmer temples and historical sites. The Independence Monument was designed by the Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann
  • the Cambodia –Vietnam Friendship Monument, a large concrete monument commemorating the former alliance between VIetnam and Cambodia, built in the late 1970s by the communist regime that took power after the Cambodian-Vietnamese war, which overthrew the Khmer Rouge regime. The monument is located at the Botum Park near the centre of Phnom Penh, featuring heroic statues of Vietnamese and Cambodian soldiers in the “Socialist realist” style developed in the Soviet Union in the 1930s, together with images of a woman and baby representing Cambodian civilians. The monument is in a popular park in the middle of the city.

Transfer back to hotel.

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

DAY 2 – PHNOM PENH – SIEM REAP: MEALS [B|L|D]

Road transfer 296 km, approx. 5 hours

  • Morning visit the capital city of Phnom Penh, afternoon transfer to Siem Reap

Breakfast at hotel.

Proceed to visit Phnom Penh capital city:

  • Wat Phnom pagoda, translated as "hill temple" - is the tallest and most important temple in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. The temple, first constructed in 1373, was erected on a man made, 27-metre-tall mound overlooking the city. It is the tallest religious structure in the city. Legend relates that Daun Penh, a wealthy widow, found a large koki tree in the river. Inside the tree she found four bronze statues of the Buddha. Lady Penh constructed a small shrine on an artificial hill made by the people living in the village to protect the sacred statues. Eventually this became a sacred site and sanctuary where people would make blessings and pray.
  • Royal Palace:The Royal Palace of Cambodia is a complex of buildings being built over one century ago to be the royal abode to the King of Cambodia, the royal family and the foreign guests. It’s also the place where take place the king’s audience, coronations and official ceremonies. The buildings with beautiful towering spires are a great example of classic Khmer architecture found in Cambodia today.

Along with numerous other interesting buildings within the 183,135 square meters (421m x 435m) compound is the Khemarin Palace, also known as Prasat Khemarin or the "Palace of the Khmer King." This is officially the residence of His Majesty, King Norodom Sihamoni.

The visit to the Royal Palace includes  the Throne Hall, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Stupas, a Royal Dining Hall, the Chan Chhaya Pavilion and a French-style building that was a gift from Napoleon III French King.

  • Silver Pagoda, also called Emerald Pagoda: is located inside the Royal Palace complex. It is called Silver Pagoda as there are 5,329 tiles of silver inlaid on the floor, each tile of silver is handmade and weighs 1,125 grams. The pagoda has a cultural function and keeps precious religious objects more than a place of worship. There are over 1650 valuable objects in the pagoda. The statue of Buddha sit atop throne in the main temple is in emerald.
  • National Museum, located at the North of the Royal Palace, is the largest museum of cultural history and is the country's leading historical and archaeological museum.

The museum houses one of the world's largest collections of Khmer art, including sculptural, ceramics, bronzes, and ethnographic objects. The Museum’s collection includes over 14,000 items, from prehistoric times to periods before, during, and after the Khmer Empire, which at its height stretched from Thailand across present-day Cambodia, to southern Vietnam. The Museum buildings, inspired by Khmer temple architecture, were constructed between 1917 and 1924, the museum was officially inaugurated in 1920, and it was renovated in 1968.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

PM: Route to Siem Reap, 319km from Phnom Penh, the 10th largest province in Cambodia. Much of Siem Reap southern border is surrounded by Tonle Sap Lake and is one of nine provinces creating the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve. Nowadays, the province is better known for the Angkor site and the ruins of Angkor Wat temples.

Stop at Stung Treng, capital of Stung Treng province to visit the insect market then continue to Siem Reap.

Check in on arrival at hotel.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

DAY 3 – SIEM REAP: MEALS [B|L|D]
  • All day visits Angkor Thom & Angkor Wat
Breakfast at hotel. Proceed to visit Angkor Thom. Transfer to the ancient city of Angkor Thom – called “the Great City”:  after Jayavarman VII recaptured the Angkorian capital from the Cham invaders in 1181, he began a massive building campaign across the empire, constructing Angkor Thom as his new capital city. He began with existing structures such as Baphuon and Phimeanakas and built a grand enclosed city around them, adding the outer moat. Visits: * South Gate - the mosted bustling gate as it is the best renovated gate and it leads directly to Angkor Wat. * Bayon Temple - a buddist temple but it still retains most of elements of the Hindu archeology and imagery. * Baphoun - a temple built in 1066, before the reign of Jayavarma VII. * Phimeanakas Temple - located in the middle of the old Royal Palace, symbolizing a Sky Palace and was a place of worship. It means: All of the kings had promoted themselves like the god king’s sons. * Terrace of the Elephants - served as a viewing platform for royal festivities and depicts elephants and garuda. * Terrace of the Leper King - The terrace of the Leper King lies just to the north of the Terrace of the Elephants, aligned with it but standing separately. It is named, or rather mis-named, for the seated statue which once occupied the platform and has now been moved to the National Museum in Phnom Penh for safe-keeping. The statue was formerly thought to represent a legendary "leper king," but is now considered to represent Yama, the Lord of the Dead; the terrace itself might have functioned as a cremation platform. Back to city for lunch. In the afternoon, visit Angkor Wat. The Temple was built during the early years of the 12th century by Suryavaram II and it honored the Hindu god Vishnu before becoming a Buddhist worship edifice in the 16th century. Climb up Bakheng hill (65m high) and enjoy the sunset over the wonder of Siem Reap at the end of the day. Transfer back to hotel. Overnight at hotel.
DAY 4 – SIEM REAP – DEPARTURE: MEALS [B|L]
  • Boat trip on Tole Sap Great Lake, Chong Khneas floating village

Breakfast at hotel.

Enjoy a boat trip on the Tonle Sap lake. This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in South East Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh.

Five provinces circled the area of Tonle Sap Lake, more than three million of population inhabited around the bank of the Lake and 90% of them earn a living by catching fish and making agricultures.

Join in a boat trip to Chong Khneas floating village at the edge of the lake for approximately two hours. You will explore the different of Khmer, Muslim and Vietnamese floating households and the floating markets, fisheries, clinics, schools, basketball course, pigsty and other boatloads of tourists.

Back to hotel for check out.

Transfer to a restaurant for lunch, then to the airport for departure.