Angkor And Mekong Expeditions Tour - 9 Days. The tour starts in Siem Reap and ends in Phnom Penh or vice versa. The overland cultural tours to visit the main Angkor Temples in Siem Reap and the hidden treasures of Cambodia in the north city as much as the local cultures of Khmer people living along the Mekong River. his tour combines the cultural wonders of the Angkor Archaeological Park with the enchanting beauty of the Mekong River. Get ready for an unforgettable journey through Cambodia's history and natural landscapes.

Day 1: Siem Reap – Arrival (morning flight) – Bakheng Sunset

Upon arrival, meets and transfer by the local guide to the hotel for check-in (the early check-in is not included and is subject to the hotel’s availabilities) or drop off the luggage and start the tour for Siem Reap Orientation. Visiting Wat Damnak, which is one of the most beautiful pagodas in town with French colonial architecture reflecting its history and a large garden filled with statues. Then we continue to visit the Angkor National Museum, which opened its doors in 2007, offering a comprehensive collection of Cambodian artifacts showcasing the origins of Khmer art, culture, and architecture. With eight galleries in total, it covers in depth the history of Cambodia and the Khmer Empire as well as a fascinating collection of Buddhist artifacts. Enhance your knowledge of Khmer history and culture by attending a lecture by a Khmer archaeologist who has over 11 years of experience in this field. He has been working for the World Monuments Fund on projects including the Angkor Wat temple. He is also a lecturer at the Faculty of Archaeology at the Royal University. Get one of the local restaurants for lunch and drive to visit Wat Thmei, which was one of the killing fields of Pol Pot in 1975-79 to learn more about the Khmer Rouge Regime, and the civil war of Cambodia from 1979 to 1999.,At about 4.00 pm we drive to visit Phnom Bakheng temple and view the sunset from the top of this mountain temple. Phnom Bakheng temple was built on a natural hill in the 9th century. Commonly referred to as le-mountain because it is an earthly facsimile of Mount Meru, it is located on the left side of the road from Angkor Wat to Angkor Thom and attracts scores of tourists who come to watch the sunset. Return to the hotel in Siem Reap, dinner on your own.

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English-speaking guide

Meals: Lunch

Accommodation: Stueng Siem Reap Hotel (superior room) or a similar standard hotel

Day 2: Angkor Temple Highlights

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 the hotel for relaxation, and dinner on your own.

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver (and boat ride)

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 3: Phnom Krom Sunrise – Floating Village – Countryside Tour by Scooter – Village Cooking Class

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. After breakfast, take the boat ride visiting the Chong Kneas Floating Village on Tonle Sap Lake and take a boat trip to see the daily life in the village. The natural wonder of Tonle Sap offers an insight into the old tradition of riparian life and the natural splendor of the countryside and is followed by an Artisan Dangkor workshop. Return to the hotel for relaxation, and lunch on your own.,At about 3 pm, our guide and the scooter driver (a tuk-tuk is available to ride instead of a scooter if you prefer a tuk-tuk better) pick you up and ride you to Krabei Riel Village to visit the daily activities of the villagers working in the vegetable gardens, rice fields, and weaving, a lot of stops for pictures and interaction with villagers. Then we get to Mr. Ron’s house and are greeted by his family, we will enjoy the cooking class that will lead by his wife, Mrs. Sina. Our guide will assist to do the presentation of his family and also bring you around his vegetable garden before we begin to learn to cook 3 Cambodian dishes with his wife. Taste the food you cooked as dinner, then say goodbye to Mr. Ron’s family and our scooter driver(s) ride you back to your hotel in Siem Reap.

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English-speaking guide

Meals: Breakfast, dinner (village cooking class)

Accommodation: Viroth’s Hotel (deluxe garden view) or a similar standard hotel.

Day 4: Siem Reap – Preah Vihear Temple – Koh Ker

Breakfast at the hotel.,Heading out of Siem Reap to drive to Preah Vihear Temple, 208km from Siem Reap and it will take us 4 hours to drive. On the way, a quick stop to visit Ta Mok’s house, on a peaceful lakeside site, Ta Mok’s house is a spartan structure with a bunker in the basement, five simple wall murals downstairs (one of Angkor Wat, four of Prasat Preah Vihear) and three more murals upstairs, including an idyllic wildlife scene. The only furnishings that weren’t looted are the floor tiles. Ta Mok was the general commander of Pol Pot and he died in July 2006. Lunch at the local restaurant in Saem, then we visit Preah Vihear temple. Get to the checkpoint and change to ride the 4WD to the top hill of Phnom Dangrek where the Preah Vihear temple is, at the Thailand border. 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. Drive down the hill by 4WD again and continue by our vehicle again drive to Koh Ker for dinner and overnight in the campsite at the Koh Ker temple area. Late afternoon arrives Koh Ker, get to one of the local houses where we will get refreshments, take shower, and have dinner before we going for overnight at the campsite.

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and diver

Tour guide: English-speaking guide

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Adventure tent

Day 5: Koh Ker – Preah Romkel

Early picnic breakfast at the campsite.,Drive to visit Kok Ker temples earlier than others, 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. And then, we drive to the Preah Romkel community on the Mekong Riverside at the Laos border and stop for lunch at Preah Vihear Town. Arrives Preah Romkel around 3 PM and the Sopheakmit Waterfall of the Mekong River at the Laos border. One of the biggest waterfalls in the world separates Laos and Cambodia on the Mekong, beautiful and the falls flow over the 26km rock of the river. Dinner and overnight in the local house at Preah Romkel community.

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and diver

Tour guide: English-speaking guide

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Homestay or adventure tent

Day 6: Preah Romkel – Laos Village – Koh Han (Mekong Island)

Breakfast at the community.,Get ready for the next destination, say goodbye to the community, and embark on the long tail boat to ride across the river to visit the Laos village, learn about the Lao villagers, and taste a glass of Lao coffee before we continue to ride the boat downstream to Koh Han (boat trip to Koh Han that about 2 hours). In the Koh Snaeng commune, O Svay district, the Stung Treng province, where the Somros Koh Han Community-based Ecotourism (CBET) is located, is inhabited by a total population of 2,749 people, 1,297 of which are women. Somros Koh Han CBET lies on a unique biodiversity-rich landscape in the middle of the Mekong River’s Ramsar site. On arrival, we are welcomed by the local hosts and have lunch. After lunch, our guide will take you through the community and give you a presentation of the Koh Han community in detail, free at your leisure on the island (the guide is available to bring you around and take you swimming in the Mekong River).

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English-speaking guide

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Adventure Tent on the Mekong Island

Day 7: Koh Han – Stung Treng – Kratie – Kampong Cham

After breakfast, we will drive to Stung Treng downtown and visit the Stung Treng Local Market. It is the begging market in northern Cambodia Mekong, all fresh fish are on sale in the open air, and you may not find other fish that are fresher from here. Continue to drive southward to visit the Irrawaddy Dolphins in Prek Kampi. Embark on the local boat, and enjoy the gentle boat ride to the dolphin’s pools where you can spot them easily and closely.,Drive to have lunch in the local restaurant in Kratie downtown before we proceed to Kampong Cham City, arrive at the hotel around 3 pm, check-in, and have refreshments.,At about 4.30 pm, 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 Kampong Cham town for dinner and overnight.

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English-speaking guide

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: LBN Asia Hotel (superior room) or a similar standard hotel.

Day 8: Kampong Cham – Phnom Penh

Breakfast at the hotel.,We drive to Phnom Penh and get one bathroom stop at the Spider Market after an hour of driving. At the spider market, you will see the ladies selling live tarantulas, and some are deep-fried as crickets, water bugs, grasshoppers, scorpions, and local seasonal fruits. Continue to drive to Phnom Penh, and visit Wat Phnom upon arrival. 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 Central Market, a landmark building in the capital, the art deco Psar Thmei (literally ‘New Market’) is often called the Central Market, a reference to its location and size. The huge domed hall resembles a Babylonian ziggurat and some claim it ranks as one of the 10 largest domes in the world, then our guide will take you through the food hall of this market to taste different types of snacks, drinks, fruits, juices, and food (as your lunch).,Next, we drive to visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, two of the most striking buildings in the capital which are considered some of the finest examples of Khmer architecture. They were initially constructed in 1866 by the French. The Royal Palace is home to the current King Sihamoni. The neighboring Silver Pagoda stands out in its own distinctive way. The floor consists of 5,329 solid silver tiles to which the building owes its name.,The farewell dinner at the local restaurant (Malis Restaurant – All drinks on your own)

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English-speaking guide

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Anik Palace Hotel (urban room) or a similar standard hotel

Day 9: Phnom Penh – Departure

Breakfast at the hotel.,Free until transfer to Phnom Penh International Airport for departure.

Included for the day:

Transport: Private vehicle and driver

Tour guide: English-speaking guide

Meals: Breakfast