Cambodia Highlights Explorer

Arrive in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s riverside capital where the Mekong and Tonlé Sap converge and recent history is powerfully told. Around 6pm we meet our tour leader and fellow travellers to hear about the journey ahead. We then share a welcome dinner at Eleven One Kitchen, celebrated for its zero plastic ethos and fresh Khmer flavours – transfers take around an hour return. If you would like more time in Phnom Penh, you can arrange extra pre tour nights through your sales representative. You can also upgrade to a junior suite – speak to your sales representative for details.

We delve into Cambodia’s recent past with a specialist guide at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21), once a secondary school and later an interrogation and detention centre, then continue to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, where a memorial stupa containing more than 8,000 skulls bears witness to the tragedies commemorated here. Shifting to modern city life, we browse Central Market, an art deco landmark whose domed hall opens to aisles of clothes, jewellery and local snacks. In the afternoon moto remorks – Cambodian tuk tuks – carry us to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, famed for a floor of more than 5,000 silver tiles and intricate Buddha images. We pause at the riverside shrine of Preah Ang Dong Ker before a gentle stroll along the waterfront as the city lights up with vendors and lanterns. If you have prebooked the optional sunset cruise on the Mekong, you can enjoy it this evening. You can upgrade to a junior suite – speak to your sales representative for details.

We leave Phnom Penh for Battambang, a journey of about five hours excluding stops. En route we pause in the riverside pottery hub of Kampong Chhnang to step inside local workshops, meet artisans and see clay shaping techniques passed down through generations. On arrival, we discover a town of French elegance, welcoming Khmer hospitality and beautifully preserved colonial architecture. Late afternoon we drive to Phnom Sampeou for a gradual walk past shrines and small caves with wide countryside views, then return to the base to witness the mesmerising stream of bats emerging to feed – a natural spectacle that lasts several minutes. You can upgrade to a deluxe room – speak to your sales representative for details.

We begin with a hands on Khmer cooking class, starting at a local market where our teacher explains common herbs, pastes and spices before helping us choose ingredients. Back in the kitchen we prepare several dishes and enjoy them for an early lunch. In the afternoon we drive to Siem Reap, gateway to Angkor – a World Heritage site widely considered the most important archaeological complex in Southeast Asia. If time allows, we stop at the Angkor Silk Farm to follow the journey from mulberry and silkworm to dyeing and weaving. You can upgrade to a deluxe pool view room – speak to your sales representative for details.

We rise before dawn for sunrise at Angkor Wat, whose western orientation makes it a superb place to watch the sky brighten and an inspiring start to our exploration, with cooler temperatures and fewer crowds. We then pass through the South Gate of Angkor Thom, flanked by giant carved faces and lines of figures holding the semi divine naga serpent. Around 9am we return to the hotel for breakfast, then head back to explore Angkor Thom in depth, visiting the Bayon with its serene stone faces and walking through Ta Prohm, where tree roots wrap towers and galleries in extraordinary forms. A short stop at a local pagoda brings a private blessing by Buddhist monks, who gently tie red strings around our wrists – a gesture of goodwill for the journey ahead. We close with sunset at a viewpoint recommended by our tour leader, chosen to suit the season. You can upgrade to a deluxe pool view room – speak to your sales representative for details.

With another morning to explore Angkor, we travel about an hour to Banteay Srei, renowned for exquisite pink sandstone carvings so fine that specialists believe master craftworkers were involved. On the return to Siem Reap we stop at the Cambodia Landmine Museum, founded by Aki Ra, whose decades of work clearing ordnance are explained through powerful exhibits; the museum also supports children affected by past munitions. Back in town, and after time for lunch, we browse the Made in Cambodia Market, where artists and craftspeople sell responsibly produced textiles, ceramics and artwork – an excellent place for authentic souvenirs. Afterwards you are free to continue exploring the shops and markets or relax by the hotel pool. You can upgrade to a deluxe pool view room – speak to your sales representative for details.

After an early breakfast we set out around 8am for a scenic two hour drive through the Cambodian countryside to Phnom Kulen, a mountainous national park central to Khmer spiritual history, arriving ahead of the crowds. We begin at the River of a Thousand Lingas, where carvings in the sandstone riverbed symbolise blessings for the waters flowing towards Angkor, then continue to a reclining Buddha carved from the summit rock. The trail leads to waterfalls that make an inviting place to cool off – bring swimwear if you would like to take a dip. A picnic lunch awaits in a riverside hut, giving us time to absorb the forest surroundings before we return to Siem Reap for a relaxed afternoon. You can upgrade to a deluxe pool view room – speak to your sales representative for details.

You have watched sunrise at Angkor Wat, witnessed the remarkable bat exodus in Battambang and stood beside ancient carvings in Phnom Kulen National Park – now it is time to begin your journey home. If you would prefer to extend your adventure, speak to your sales representative about adding time on Koh Rong Island or another extension.