Learn the amazing history of Khmer Rouge in this Cambodia Vacation

Arrive in the beautiful capital city of Phnom Penh to start the Cambodia vacation package which would take you to more than 10 locations in seven days. Check out the details of the trip here in the following section.

Day 1: Arrival in Phnom Penh

On the first day of the tour, you will be arriving nice and early in the capital city of Cambodia where you will be meeting the tour operator and guide who will take you to the pre-booked hotel where your reception will be made. Here, you can relax and recharge yourself after the long flight. Depending upon the timing of the arrival, you can make the itinerary for the day with your tour operator. If you want, you can come out and start exploring the city which has a lot to offer to its tourists. Visit some cafes which serve local delicacies along with drinks that have both local and international flavors as well. Check-in here for the night as the tour takes you to the next destination tomorrow.

Day 2: Visiting Banteay Chhmar

On the second day of the tour, you will start with a traditional breakfast that would be served on a leaf and the local delicacies would be on offer to those wishing. After breakfast, you will then leave Phnom Penh behind and head to another beautiful destination known by the name of Banteay Chhmar which would take around 3-4 hours of road journey. This journey would include if you want some snacks or break time in the way. Banteay Chhmar is a beautiful place is also been called the Citadel of the Cat and is a little far off from the tourist trail because of its location. This is why this place is less traversed and hence you can full-on fun here. The area has a lot of temples that you can visit today with a local guide who would be more than willing to explain the history of these temples and why they impact the culture of the region. In the evening, you can experience some hospitality from the locals when you go to live with a local family in a Khmer house which would be perched on a wooden stilt. In the night, you can have some delicious Khmer dinner on the grounds of the temple or with the local community and stay here for the night.

Day 3: Visiting Siem Reap

On the morning of the third day, you would be gearing up for the biggest adventure in the tour as you would be visiting Siem Reap. But first, you will be visiting some temples in Banteay Chhmar in the middle of the town. These temples are mostly similar to the Khmer temples in Cambodia and they would be surrounded by water which represents the ocean surrounding the Temple Mountain: an architectural representation of the Hindu god’s home, Mount Meru. The design of these temples has had influence over the Khmer temples in the period when Angkor temples were built and the water around the area helps the building's foundation to stabilize and last for a longer period of time. it prevents the groundwater from rising or falling. So once you have visited the temple entirely in Banteay Chhmar, you will be then transferred to Siem Reap where you would be visiting the Angkor wat temple complex the next day. The journey would take around 4 hours and hence after your arrival, you can visit the central market to pick up some delicious foods. Stay here for the night in the accommodation made available by the tour operator.

Day 4: Visiting Angkor wat complex and Siem Reap area

Today is the day when you would be achieving the purpose for which you have arrived in the country. You will be visiting the Angkor complex with your guide today and hence you should keep your camera and yourself ready as the Angkor ruins are spread in around 160 square kilometers area.  This temple was built when the Khmer Rouge was at the top of its regime in South East Asia in the times between the 9th century and 13th centuries. The temples were said to represent the cosmic world and hence you will find them in perfect balance, symmetry, and composition even if only ruins are left of them. Your tour guide will help you understand the reasons, culture and other important things about the temple which will leave you wanting more. Though the area is scattered over 160 square kilometers, the main cluster of temples is closer to the town of Siem Reap and hence you can have the time to check out the temples completely. You will be visiting the larger-than-life Angkor Wat, the grand Bayon and the jungle-covered Ta Prohm in a span of 4-5 hours with the guide.

You will then go for an awesome street food snacking in the local market of Siem Reap which is known for such snacks. Though the temples make most of Siem Reap for the tourists, it is also a place where there is room for some sort of adventure. You can opt to go for an Angkor zip-line course which will take you over the rainforest to show various unheard places in Siem Reap. You can then go for a landmine museum visit, a workshop on recycling trash into treasure, and many other important places for the rest of the day or can stay back in the hotel as well. if you think you have not had the best of the tour of Angkor, you can even talk to the tour guide in leisure and they would be happy to make you understand the awesome culture of Angkor and Khmer Rouge empire.  

Day 5: Coming back to Phnom Penh

On the morning of the fifth day of the Cambodia vacation package, you will come back to the capital city. You will be taking a bus from the countryside of Siem Reap to reach Phnom Penh in 6-7 hours journey which would include two stops at most. Though you had arrived in the capital city, you didn't have the chance the visit the capital city. Phnom Penh is located at the junction of three rivers - Mekong, Bassac and Tonle Sap rivers and that is why it used to be called as Krong Chaktomuk (‘City of Four Faces’), as this river junction forms an X crossing, which represents four geographic ‘faces’ of the city and surrounding area. So, today, you would be visiting many places in the capital city such as the main center which is located on the Western bank of the Tonle Sap/Mekong Rivers. Here, you will get the chance to have some cocktail or mocktail, whichever enthralls you more. You can visit the visit here as the making class as part of the Futures Factory project – an initiative begun by Friends International to give at-risk youth the opportunity to gain hospitality skills in a safe, welcoming environment. You will then visit the bustling city with a walking tour to learn about the country’s history and the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge at the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek and the infamous Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21). You can have the rest of the day free for you to explore the city.

Day 6: Another day at Phnom Penh

The tour has reserved another day for Phnom Penh when you can visit some of its exotic places and indulge yourselves in fun activities other than archaeology and history. On the morning of the sixth day, you would be exploring the city in a different way. If you want to do some shopping, you can go to check out some at the Psar Thmei (Central Market) which is located in the old French colonial building. Here, you can find a lot of variety in clothing or sarongs or otherwise you can stip by the temple of the famous Wat Phnom, the National Museum, Royal Palace or the French Quarter. In the evening, do go for some local wine tasting and dinner at a traditional Khmer restaurant, the food of which is sure to mesmerize you.

Day 7: Departure from Phnom Penh

Today is the last day of the tour and you would not be willing to come out and say goodbye to one of the best experiences you have ever had in any South Asian country. Today, your tour operator would help you to get transferred to the airport depending upon the timing of the departure. Meanwhile, you can visit the Psar Thmei or the central market for some more shopping of the souvenirs to take them back home.

Arrive in the beautiful capital city of Phnom Penh to start the Cambodia Vacation package which would take you to more than 10 locations in seven days. Check out the details of the trip here in the following section.

Day 1: Arrival in Phnom Penh

On the first day of the tour, you will be arriving nice and early in the capital city of Cambodia where you will be meeting the tour operator and guide who will take you to the pre-booked hotel where your reception will be made. Here, you can relax and recharge yourself after the long flight. Depending upon the timing of the arrival, you can make the itinerary for the day with your tour operator. If you want, you can come out and start exploring the city which has a lot to offer to its tourists. Visit some cafes which serve local delicacies along with drinks that have both local and international flavors as well. Check-in here for the night as the tour takes you to the next destination tomorrow.

Day 2: Visiting Banteay Chhmar

On the second day of the tour, you will start with a traditional breakfast which would be served on a leaf and the local delicacies would be an offer to those wishing. After breakfast, you will then leave Phnom Penh behind and head to another beautiful destination known by the name of Banteay Chhmar which would take around 3-4 hours of road journey. This journey would include if you want some snacks or break time in the way. Banteay Chhmar is a beautiful place is also been called the Citadel of the Cat and is a little far off from the tourist trail because of its location. This is why this place is less traversed and hence you can full-on fun here. The area has a lot of temples that you can visit today with a local guide who would be more than willing to explain the history of these temples and why they impact the culture of the region. In the evening, you can experience some hospitality from the locals when you go to live with a local family in a Khmer house which would be perched on a wooden stilt. In the night, you can have some delicious Khmer dinner on the grounds of the temple or with the local community and stay here for the night.

Day 3: Visiting Siem Reap

On the morning of the third day, you would be gearing up for the biggest adventure in the tour as you would be visiting Siem Reap. But first, you will be visiting some temples in Banteay Chhmar in the middle of the town. These temples are mostly similar to the Khmer temples in Cambodia and they would be surrounded by water which represents the ocean surrounding the Temple Mountain: an architectural representation of the Hindu god’s home, Mount Meru. The design of these temples has had influence over the Khmer temples in the period when Angkor temples were built and the water around the area helps the building's foundation to stabilize and last for a longer period of time. it prevents the groundwater from rising or falling. So once you have visited the temple entirely in Banteay Chhmar, you will be then transferred to Siem Reap where you would be visiting the Angkor wat temple complex the next day. The journey would take around 4 hours and hence after your arrival, you can visit the central market to pick up some delicious foods. Stay here for the night in the accommodation made available by the tour operator.

Day 4: Visiting Angkor wat complex and Siem Reap area

Today is the day when you would be achieving the purpose for which you have arrived in the country. You will be visiting the Angkor complex with your guide today and hence you should keep your camera and yourself ready as the Angkor ruins are spread in around 160 square kilometers area.  This temple was built when the Khmer Rouge was at the top of its regime in South East Asia in the times between the 9th century and 13th centuries. The temples were said to represent the cosmic world and hence you will find them in perfect balance, symmetry, and composition even if only ruins are left of them. Your tour guide will help you understand the reasons, culture and other important things about the temple which will leave you wanting more. Though the area is scattered over 160 square kilometers, the main cluster of temples is closer to the town of Siem Reap and hence you can have the time to check out the temples completely. You will be visiting the larger-than-life Angkor Wat, the grand Bayon and the jungle-covered Ta Prohm in a span of 4-5 hours with the guide.

You will then go for an awesome street food snacking in the local market of Siem Reap which is known for such snacks. Though the temples make most of Siem Reap for the tourists, it is also a place where there is room for some sort of adventure. You can opt to go for an Angkor zip-line course which will take you over the rainforest to show various unheard places in Siem Reap. You can then go for a landmine museum visit, a workshop on recycling trash into treasure, and many other important places for the rest of the day or can stay back in the hotel as well. if you think you have not had the best of the tour of Angkor, you can even talk to the tour guide in leisure and they would be happy to make you understand the awesome culture of Angkor and Khmer Rouge empire.  

Day 5: Coming back to Phnom Penh

On the morning of the fifth day of the Cambodia vacation package, you will come back to the capital city. You will be taking a bus from the countryside of Siem Reap to reach Phnom Penh in 6-7 hours journey which would include two stops at most. Though you had arrived in the capital city, you didn't have the chance the visit the capital city. Phnom Penh is located at the junction of three rivers - Mekong, Bassac and Tonle Sap rivers and that is why it used to be called as Krong Chaktomuk (‘City of Four Faces’), as this river junction forms an X crossing, which represents four geographic ‘faces’ of the city and surrounding area. So, today, you would be visiting many places in the capital city such as the main center which is located on the Western bank of the Tonle Sap/Mekong Rivers. Here, you will get the chance to have some cocktail or mocktail, whichever enthralls you more. You can visit the visit here as the making class as part of the Futures Factory project – an initiative begun by Friends International to give at-risk youth the opportunity to gain hospitality skills in a safe, welcoming environment. You will then visit the bustling city with a walking tour to learn about the country’s history and the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge at the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek and the infamous Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21). You can have the rest of the day free for you to explore the city.

Day 6: Another day at Phnom Penh

The tour has reserved another day for Phnom Penh when you can visit some of its exotic places and indulge yourselves in fun activities other than archaeology and history. On the morning of the sixth day, you would be exploring the city in a different way. If you want to do some shopping, you can go to check out some at the Psar Thmei (Central Market) which is located in the old French colonial building. Here, you can find a lot of variety in clothing or sarongs or otherwise you can stip by the temple of the famous Wat Phnom, the National Museum, Royal Palace or the French Quarter. In the evening, do go for some local wine tasting and dinner at a traditional Khmer restaurant, the food of which is sure to mesmerize you.

Day 7: Departure from Phnom Penh

Today is the last day of the tour and you would not be willing to come out and say goodbye to one of the best experiences you have ever had in any South Asian country. Today, your tour operator would help you to get transferred to the airport depending upon the timing of the departure. Meanwhile, you can visit the Psar Thmei or the central market for some more shopping of the souvenirs to take them back home.