Cambodia Grand Tours - 15 Days. The tour starts and ends in Phnom Penh.Cambodia Grand Tour allows you to learn about Khmer culture and way of life and also visit all the most beautiful parts of Cambodia including world heritage temples in Siem Reap, Tonle Sap Lake, the lost temples of Koh Ker and Preah Vihear, the local lives in Mekong, beautiful beaches in Kong Rong Island as much as the bamboo train in Battambang.Embark on a scenic drive to Banteay Srei, known for its exquisite pink sandstone carvings. Explore this temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, and marvel at the intricate details. In the afternoon, take a boat trip on the Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Witness the floating villages and learn about the unique lifestyle of the people living on the water.

Day 1: Phnom Penh Arrival,,Upon arrival at Phnom Penh Airport, meets and transfer by the local guide to the hotel for check-in (early check-in is not included and is subject to the hotel’s availability). Free at leisure,,Included for the day:,Transport: Private vehicle and driver,Tour guide: English-speaking guide,Meals: No,Accommodation: Anik Palace Hotel (urban room) or a similar standard hotel,Day 2: Phnom Penh City Tour,,Breakfast at the hotel.,Set the tour to visit Wat Phnom, which is the center of Phnom Penh that gives the city its name. At 27 meters above sea level, it is the highest point in the area, and as a town gradually grew up around it, the settlement became known as Phnom Penh, the hill of Penh. It is the zero point of the city. Then continue to visit Wat Unalom (Buddhist Monastery), this pagoda serves as the headquarters for one of Cambodia’s most revered Buddhist patriarchs. In addition to the pagoda, there is a post-Angkorean stupa at this monastery. And continue to visit the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, it was a high school prior to 1975, an interrogation prison known as S-21 during the Khmer Rouge era and today it is a genocide museum. It tells the sad story of the thousands of innocent Cambodian people who were tortured on its grounds. Walking through the narrow corridors and former classrooms of the buildings will give you an eerie feeling of being part of Cambodia’s turbulent past. The stories of the victims are documented and some torture devices are on display for visitors to learn about the suffering the people endured. Photographs were taken of each prisoner passing through the prison and hundreds of the haunting black and white photos are now on display in the museum. While this experience may be depressing, it is recommended to visit in order to truly understand the cruel methods of control the Khmer Rouge implemented over the country. Lunch at the local restaurant (Khmer Sorin),Afternoon, visit to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, two of the finest examples of Khmer architecture in the capital. The Royal Palace was built in 1866 by the French for King Norodom. The grounds of the palace are also home to the Silver Pagoda, which received its name because its floor is made up of 5,329 silver tiles. The palace has been inhabited by kings at all times with the exception of the period when the radical Khmer Rouge party took control in 1975. And visit the National Museum which houses Khmer art and sculptures from different periods of Cambodian history. Dinner at the local restaurant,,Included for the day:,Transport: Private vehicle and driver (and boat ride),Tour guide: English-speaking guide,Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, dinner,Accommodation: Anik Palace Hotel (urban room) or a similar standard hotel,Day 3: Phnom Penh – Kampong Cham – Kratie,,Early morning at about 6 am, your guide and the cyclo driver (a 3-wheeled often motor-driven taxi) ride you along the Boulevard Norodom Sihanouk, then continue to Orussey Market, stopping at one of the small valleys (Deourng Hem 7 Makara Guesthouse) which is the best place for local breakfast. The guide will take you on a walk through this valley and let try local breakfast such as noddle or steamed rice, a cup of coffee or soft drink, and other snacks that are available. After breakfast (if the local breakfast does not make you full, you still can take a proper breakfast from the hotel), we return to the hotel on a cyclo ride again and prepare to check out to get ready for a long drive to Kratie province.,At 08.30 am, we head out to Kratie, the first stop will be at Skuon for the restroom and visit the spider market where you will see the deep-friend crickets, spiders, grasshoppers, scorpions, and water bugs are on sale. Continue to drive to Kampong Cham City and visit the local village in Koh Pen (one of the islands in the Mekong River in Kampong Cham Province). The interesting of Koh Pen is the Bamboo Bridge, the longest bamboo bridge in Cambodia, it is built only in the dry season (lower water period from December to June). Our tour guide will walk you through this bamboo bridge to the island, visit the village, local farms, and Buddhist monastery, and drive back to have lunch in Kampong Cham town. After lunch, visit Kampong Cham Market and drive upstream of the Mekong River to Kratie. On arrival, check-in at the hotel and free at leisure. Later afternoon, the tour guide will arrange the tuk-tuk to ride you around the city and get to one of the local restaurants for dinner.,,Included for the day:,Transport: Private vehicle and driver,Tour guide: English-speaking tour guide,Meals: Lunch, dinner,Accommodation: Mekong Dolphin Hotel or similar standard hotel,Day 4: Kratie – Irrawaddy Dolphins – Stung Treng – Koh Han,,Early morning at 730 am, we drive along the Mekong Riverside upstream to Prek Kampi to see the dolphins. Enjoy the traditional wooden boat ride for 45-60 minutes to spot the Fresh Water Dolphins in the Mekong River (Irrawaddy Dolphins). And continue to drive to Stung Treng City for lunch, and proceed further north to Koh Han where you will take the boat ride to visit the most beautiful part of the flooded forest in Cambodia Mekong, we will stop at different small islands to swim, so don’t forget to bring the swimming suits with you. Dinner with the local community and overnight in a tent on the island of Koh Han (the tent will be very basic with a matt, pillow, and blanket),,Included for the day:,Transport: Private vehicle and driver (and boat ride),Tour guide: English-speaking tour guide,Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner,Accommodation: Adventure Tent,Day 5: Koh Han – Preah Romkel – Laos Village – Koh Ker,,Have a delicious breakfast made by the Koh Han local community in the early morning, and then take a 2-hour boat ride upstream in the Mekong River to the Laos border called the Preah Romkel community. The beauty of the flooded forest of the Mekong and the water birds will make your boat trip enjoyable and fun. We will take a quick stop at Laos village, walk through the village and try a cup of Laos coffee before getting to have lunch in Preah Romkel,After lunch, we drive to visit Sopheak Mitt Waterfall, the is one of the biggest waterfalls in the world located on the border of Laos and Cambodia. Proceed to Koh Ker which will take us about 3 hours to drive, we will get a coffee break in Preah Vihear town. Dinner and overnight at a hotel in Koh Ker,,Included for the day:,Transport: Private vehicle and driver (and boat ride),Tour guide: English-speaking tour guide,Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner,Accommodation: I am Koh Ker Resort (standard) or Adventure Tent, or Homestay,Day 6: Koh Ker – Preah Vihear – Siem Reap,,At 6.30 am, we visit the Koh Ker temples earlier than others, it will bring us a peaceful atmosphere and a sense of jungle temples. Koh Ker was built in the 10th century and functioned briefly as the Khmer Empire’s capital between 928 and 944 A.D. The style of the Koh Ker temple is different from any other temple in Cambodia and has more of a resemblance to the ancient pyramids of Egypt. Partially overgrown by the forest and inhabited only by birds, this temple and its surroundings are an exceptional experience. Then continue to drive to have lunch at the local restaurant in Saem before we ride the 4WD up to the top of Phnom Danret to visit Preah Vihear temple. Preah Vihear dates back to the beginning of the 11th century. It dominates the plain from its prominent position in the Dangrek Mountains at an altitude of over 700m. The temple is located near the Thai border and was previously occupied by the Thais. It has recently been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Explore this historic temple and take in the sweeping views from the summit over Thailand and Cambodia.,And then, we drive to Siem Reap, and if time permits, we can take a quick stop to visit Ta Mok’s house in Anlong Veng.,Arrive in Siem Reap in the late afternoon, check in at the hotel, dinner on your own.,,Included for the day:,Transport: Private vehicle and driver (and 4WD ride),Tour guide: English-speaking tour guide,Meals: Breakfast, lunch,Accommodation: Stueng Siem Reap Hotel (superior room) or a similar standard hotel,Day 7: Siem Reap,,Breakfast at the hotel,Free at your own leisure,,Included for the day:,Transport: No,Tour guide: No,Meals: Breakfast,Accommodation: Stueng Siem Reap Hotel (superior room) or a similar standard hotel,Day 8: Angkor Temples,,Breakfast at the hotel at 6 AM,At 7.30 AM, our guide and driver pick you up from the hotel for the full day to visit the main temples (Angkor Wat – Bayon – Banteay Srei – Ta Prohm temples) in Angkor Archeological Park.,We start the visit with Angkor Wat temple another way opposite to others by entering from the East Gate and exiting at the west gate. We walk further to visit Angkor Wat Temple at level 1, level 2, and level 3, an architectural marvel, one of the world’s most impressive ruins to understand in depth Khmer Culture and Civilization. The temple has fine carvings of Apsaras in stone made during the Angkor period. Continue to explore the mysterious Royal city of Angkor Thom. Its 50-tower temple is an awesome sight. At first glance, it seems a shapeless mass of stone, but further scrutiny reveals a face, and then another and another until suddenly you are engulfed by the silent, heavy, enigmatic, silent gaze through half-closed eyes, staring out from a primitive and remote time. Start from South Gate and further visit Bayon, Baphuon, Royal Enclosure, and Terrace of Elephant.,Enjoy the home-make lunch at the local house (Mr. Peout and his wife, Mrs. Gin living in a small house with a peaceful atmosphere and green garden will serve you a great lunch and share their lives story during the Khmer Rouge to present).,After lunch, we continue to visit, the jewel of Khmer art, Banteay Srei temple, located one hour from Siem Reap. This red sandstone temple is one of Angkor’s most significant structures as its walls are decorated with elaborate carvings in an amazing state of preservation. On the way back to Siem Reap we visit, the photogenic Ta Prohm temple of “Tomb Raider” fame, the temple that had nearly disappeared into the jungle and remains overgrown, an oddly haunting and exotic scene. The magnificent roots of a tree, pushing between the huge stone blocks of the temple in a sort of embrace, evoke feelings that you may remember forever. Undisturbed by crowds of tourists you can better appreciate the interplay of man and nature at this magical site. Drive back to Siem Reap, get an hour of Foot Khmer Traditional Massage before we get back to the hotel, and have dinner on your own.,,Included for the day:,Transport: Private vehicle and driver,Tour guide: English-speaking guide,Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (home-made at the local house),Accommodation: Stueng Siem Reap Hotel (superior room) or a similar standard hotel,Day 9: Phnom Krom Sunrise – Battambang,,Early wake up in the morning for a transfer to Phnom Krom (13km south of Siem Reap), we climb up the hill to view the sunrise over the rice paddies and the floating village of Tonle Sap Lake and enjoy the picnic breakfast on the hip of Phnom Krom. Return to the hotel for breakfast, check out, and drive to Battambang within 2 hours and 30 minutes. Visit the ancient Khmer Traditional House upon arrival, Battambang is the second biggest city in Cambodia, lunch at the local restaurant and check in at the hotel.,Afternoon, drive around the premises with your guide and walk through the village on the banks of the Sangker River, which is home to many well-preserved traditional Khmer wooden stilted homes and tropical fruit farms. This is a great opportunity to taste juicy oranges, sweet pineapples, and many other fruits available in the region as much as the activities of the villagers making rice paper, and the process of brewing Rice Whiskey. Continue to visit the striking hilltop pagoda of Phnom Sampeau. This massive limestone outcrop is dissected by a number of caves with some containing unexpected reminders of Cambodia’s turbulent history. On the top of the hill, we can view the surrounding countryside, small villages are dotted in and around the endless rice paddies, punctuated with sugar palm trees. Walk downhill back to the foot of the mountain to wait to see the bats flying out of the cave when the sky gets dark – enjoy a bottle of cold beer or one soft drink before we get back to the hotel in Battambang, and dinner at the local restaurant.,,Included for the day:,Transport: Private vehicle and driver (and boat ride),Tour guide: English-speaking guide,Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner,Accommodation: Deluxe Villa (deluxe room) or a similar standard hotel,Day 10: Battambang – Kampong Luong Floating Boat Ride – Kampong Chhnang,,To avoid the hit of hot weather, and also to get on time to see the activities of the villagers working in the field, we will wake up early today and at 6.00 am to drive to Bamboo Train Station. Enjoy the Bamboo Train riding through the villages and rice paddies, the unique creative bamboo platform attached motor-engine which runs over the train rails provides a beautiful landscape, and fresh air and you absolutely have fun. Return to the hotel for a late breakfast, check out, and drive to Kampong Luong in Pursat Province, which is one of the biggest floating villages in Tonle Sap Lake, take a boat ride to visit this village. The floating village of Kompong Luong offers the opportunity for you to discover the everyday life of Cambodian families on the Tonle Sap Lake. The families live in floating houses with a constant movement of boats that brings people and goods to the village. The village consists of both the Cambodian community and the Vietnamese community both living in the same floating village. Return to the mainland and drive to have lunch at the local restaurant in Pursat.,After lunch, continue to the small riverside town of Kampong Chhnang, it is famous for its beautiful landscape and local villages that produce pottery in the midst of the rice fields. Visit this pottery village and learn how the community makes pottery the traditional way and observe how sugar is collected from the sugar palm trees. Let your guide assist you with translating if you are interested to learn more about village life. Dinner at the local restaurant and overnight at a hotel in Kampong Chhnang,,Included for the day:,Transport: Private vehicle and driver (and boat ride),Tour guide: English-speaking guide,Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner,Accommodation: Sovann Phum Hotel (deluxe room) or a similar standard hotel,Day 11: Kampong Chhnang – Natural Hot Spring – Kirirom National Park,,Breakfast at the hotel.,We drive through the countryside to the Chambok Eco-tourism community in Kampong Speu Province with the scenery of rice fields, palm trees, and sugar cane plantations. On the way, we will stop to visit the Natural Hot Spring in Oral District, which is called Te Teuk Pus, 100 meters in diameter. The surface of the water, which comes from six sources and smells like sulfur or limestone, is 80 square meters. The water temperature is 70 degrees Celsius. The entire site covers 5 hectares and is full of tall grass, Kok (a kind of reed), and red rock. And continue to drive to the Chambok Eco-tourism community for lunch, and take a short trek to visit the Chambok Waterfall, it is a natural waterfall from the Kirirom National Park and only 2km trekking away from the community office.,Continue to drive up to the top of Kirirom National Park, check in at Vkirirom National Park, and get refreshments. Then, our guide will arrange the local motorcycle taxi to ride you through the jungle pine to the Thmor Loy which is the nicest spot to view the lush forest from the top of the hill. Return to the resort for dinner and overnight,,Included for the day:,Transport: Private vehicle and driver,Tour guide: English-speaking guide,Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner,Accommodation: Adventure Tent,Day 12: Kirirorom National Park – Koh Rong Sanloem,,Breakfast at the resort.,We drive around on the top of Kirirom Mountain Range, and visit the old silver houseware and the former King Residence before heading out to Sihanouk Ville. Lunch at the local restaurant in Sihanouk Ville, and then we drive around just to figure out how the city is before riding the speed board to Koh Rong Sanloem. The team from Eden Resort will come to welcome us at the boat pier upon arrival and assist us with check-in. Free at leisure,Dinner on your own,,Included for the day:,Transport: Private vehicle and driver (and boat ride),Tour guide: English-speaking guide,Meals: Breakfast, lunch,Accommodation: Eden Resort (garden view room) or a similar standard resort,Day 13: Koh Ron Sanloem,,Breakfast at the resort.,Free at your own leisure,Any activities such as diving, boat trips, and hiking can be arranged on spot with the resort (on your own account).,,Included for the day:,Transport: No,Tour guide: English Speaking Guide (at disposal),Meals: Breakfast,Accommodation: Eden Resort (garden view room) or a similar standard resort,Day 14: Koh Rong Sanloem – Sihanouk Ville – Phnom Penh,,Breakfast at the resort.,Ride the speed boat back to Sihanouk Ville, have lunch at the local restaurant, and drive to Phnom Penh. On arrival, check-in at the hotel. Free at leisure,,Option: Tour cost = US$ 65 per person (Minimum of 2 persons),At about 6 pm, our guide and tuk-tur driver pick you up from the hotel and enjoy the tuk-tuk ride for the food tours through the city via the riverfront, and get the first stop at one of the lovely bars on the riverside where you get a briefing and tour presentation by the tour guide along with one class of cocktails or one drink. Then, we take a thorough a lively local night market before sitting down with the locals at a popular local street food spot. Savor the flavors of Cambodian-style fresh seafood, a special recipe Saba (mackerel) fish dish, and squid with world-renowned Kampot pepper. We then ride through the bright city lights to a trendy nightspot with live music to enjoy some exciting local delicacies. Afterward, ride to the much-celebrated Independence Monument for a quick insight into the city’s history and a fantastic photo opportunity. We finish the evening at one of the city’s most stylish bar areas where trendy locals and foreigners on the top roof with a panoramic view of the heart of Phnom Penh City, get one soft drink or one local beer each before we return to the hotel. This tour includes a tour guide, and a tuk-tuk ride, free of soft drinks, and food.,,Included for the day:,Transport: Private vehicle and drive (and boat ride),Tour guide: English-speaking guide,Meals: Breakfast, lunch,Accommodation: Anik Palace Hotel (urban room) or a similar standard resort,Day 15: Phnom Penh – Departure,,Breakfast at the hotel.,Transfer to the airport for departure,,Included for the day:,Transport: Private vehicle and drive,Tour guide: English-speaking guide,Meals: Breakfast,,End of services – Thank you very much and have a safe flight back home!