Classic Cambodia

Monday. Welcome to Cambodia! Upon arrival you'll be met and transferred to our hotel. Enjoy free time before a group dinner this evening.

Today we’ll enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Phnom Penh, starting at the National Museum of Fine Arts which houses the world’s finest collection of Khmer sculptures. We continue to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, famed for its lavish decorations. The floors are paved with silver tiles and statues of Buddha encrusted with thousands of diamonds.

Later, come face to face with the horrors of the Pol Pot regime as we visit Tuol Sleng (Security Prison - S21), a school that was gruesomely transformed into a torture chamber under the Khmer Rouge. Continue to the notorious Killing Fields, where over 10,000 people were executed.

Phnom Penh - Siem Reap. This morning we fly to Siem Reap. Upon arrival we visit the Angkor National Museum (if open), for an introduction to Khmer civilization. This archaeological museum is dedicated to the preservation and presentation of Angkorian artefacts found locally dating from the 9th - 14th centuries. Next we visit the mother of all temples – legendary Angkor Wat, which is believed to be the largest religious building in the world, containing thousands of exquisitely crafted wall carvings and bas-reliefs.

Early this morning there's an optional excursion to see Angkor Wat bathed in the spectacular golden light at sunrise (book and pay locally). Our included touring today starts when we drive out to visit the well-preserved temples of Banteay Srei, stopping at an exotic butterfly sanctuary, and the village of Preak Dak where you have the opportunity to plant a tree sapling as part of a local initiative to help low income farmers.

Returning to the Angkor Temple Complex we explore the ancient city of Angkor Thom. The last capital of the Great Khmer Empire, it is home to the fascinating Bayon Temple, the Baphuon royal enclosure and the Terraces of the Elephants and Leper King. We continue on to Tra Prohm Temple, which unlike the other temples here has been left in the same ruined state that it was first discovered, with a tangle of trees growing out of its ruins. Tonight we attend the remarkable Phare NGO circus project which teaches children living on the streets how to become circus artists. Enjoy circus tricks and their interpretations of modern life and issues in Cambodian society in this popular show.

This morning we drive to Kampong Phluk, a cluster of three villages of stilt houses built within the floodplain of Tonle Sap Lake about 16 km southeast of Siem Reap. After a boat trip on the lake we return to Siem Reap for some free time. Pick up some last minute souvenirs at the central market or head down to lively Pub Street.

Saturday. After breakfast and hotel check-out, an included departure transfer takes you to the airport.