Quick View
Within one week and one more day, families will explore themselves the Landscape, cultures and a depth history of Cambodia. This tour shows visitors the best of Cambodian wildlife as well as the history of the ancient Khmer Empire.
Tour Route: Phnom Penh - Mondolkiri - Elephant Valley Project - Kratie & Koh Trong - Siem Reap
Duration: 8 Days/ 7 Nights
Date: Daily
Start/End: Phnom Penh/ Siem Reap
Tour Type: Landscape, Nature, Culture, and History
Tour Category: Cambodia Family Holidays
Tour Customizable: Absolutely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)
Active Level: Regular itinerary; Moderate walking
Tour Highlights
- Explore Phnom Penh's Royal National Museum, Royal Palace, and Silver Pagoda.
- Visit the stunning Bousra Waterfall and experience the simple life in Mondolkiri province.
- Spend a day with elephants at the Elephant Valley Project in Mondolkiri.
- Discover the riverside city of Kratie and explore Koh Trong island.
- Take a boat excursion to see rare Irrawaddy Dolphins and travel to Siem Reap.
- Uncover the treasures of Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat, including Ta Prohm temple and the Bayon temple.
- Experience life in a floating village in the Tonle Sap Lake area before departing from Siem Reap.
BRIEF ITINERARY
Day 1: Phnom Penh Arrival
Day 2: Phnom Penh - Mondolkiri
Day 3: Mondolkiri - Elephant valley project
Day 4: Mondolkiri - Kratie & Koh Trong
Day 5: Kratie - Siem Reap
Day 6: Treasure Hunting in Angkor Thom & Angkor Wat
Day 7: Pink Temple - Land Mine Museum & Cambodia Circus
Day 8: Explore Floating Village & Departure
Day 1: Phnom Penh Arrival
Upon arrival, your family is greeted by a local tour guide and driver who will take us to the hotel after that. On the way, the tour guide will deliver a very interesting briefing about the history of Cambodia, its culture, people as well as lifestyle.
Later today, start exploring the Capital city of Cambodia by visiting the Royal National Museum, Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. In the complex, your family will know all about the history of the Royal Palace, as well as the Silver Pagoda with a solid Buddha, encrusted with 9,584 diamonds weighing 90 kg and a small 17th-century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha. End of the day, enjoy a cyclo tour along the Mekong River front passing Wat Phnom and Phsar Chass. Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Day 2: Phnom Penh - Mondolkiri (B, D)
After breakfast, depart to Mondolkiri province to discover the ethnic minority people, nature here. the Mondolkiri province with its capital town called Senmonorom, situated on the northeast plateau of Cambodia. This area is very unique nature and surroundings while life is so simple. The ethnic minority people are still working with hand tools; living in hand-built stilts wooden houses, and they gather around the fire and share a warm meal and homemade rice wine…
Arriving in the afternoon, check-in and start a visit to one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Cambodia of Bousra waterfall. This is a great place for swimming, relaxing, enjoying nature. Later on, visit a minority village nearby the fall. In the evening, enjoy some local entertainment with folk songs, traditional music performed by the villagers and return to town for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Mondolkiri - Elephant Valley Project (B, L, D)
Elephant Livelihood Initiative Environment was founded in early 2005 with its goal of improving the health and welfare of captive elephants in Mondulkiri province, and the more important goal is to work with the owners and keepers about the problems that face them. The local people are trained on how to care for the elephants and improve the techniques used with treating working elephants.
Today, spend your full day with the elephants, shadowing two families of elephants in the jungle; learning about the elephants, local mahouts, the forest and conservation. This is a highly unique experience for a visit to the northeast plateau of Cambodia. Then return to the town for our dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Mondolkiri – Kratie & Koh Trong (B)
Kratie is one of Cambodia's lesser-populated, eastern provinces. The city with some nice-looking homes of French and Khmer style scattered about stands along the Mekong River bank. The citizens of the city life and make their living in the riverbank such as fishing and farming. Arriving this city after few hour driving, visit the local market and see the daily life of the local people.
After having lunch, cross to Koh Trong island. This island is situated in the middle of the Mekong River directly opposite Kratie Town. A 9 km loop road around the island is great for cycling or an ox-cart ride. Relax in the rest of the day with ox-cart riding or cycling through traditional Khmer villages, orchards, and rice fields while observing the daily rituals and routines of traditional village life. Overnight in Kratie.
Day 5: Kratie - Siem Reap (B)
After breakfast, travel along the riverbank and take a boat excursion to see the home of a group of rare freshwater Irrawaddy Dolphins. Later, move to Siem Reap. It takes about 5-hour driving and you will cross the Mekong River, pass the rubber plantations and green villages. Take a short rest at Kompong Thom where you will get a never-forget memory of deep-fried spider, crickets and small birds that locals eat. On arriving in Siem Reap, check-in hotel and relax for the rest of the day. Overnight in Siem Reap – the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire.
Day 6: Treasure Hunting in Angkor Thom & Angkor Wat (B, L, D)
After breakfast, begin the magical day at the mystical Ta Prohm temple where ancient stones and massive tree roots engulf the ruins. The exploration will take approximately one hour, walking through this jungle temple. After that, journey into the ancient city of Angkor Thom to explore the treasures of this ancient walled city and visit to the mystical Bayon temple adorned with its smiling faces. Then head further into the temple complex and visit Baphoun, a hilltop pyramid-temple, consecrated to the God Shiva that just opened to the public recently after renovation. Next, visit the Elephant and Leper King terraces, the royal enclosure temple of Phimean Akas and the serene Preah Pithu groups of smaller temples. Later, enjoy a walk along the ancient walls of this city and relax with a hot Cambodian style picnic lunch in a shaded area or alternatively, have lunch at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, head to the jewel of the Khmer Empire and visit the amazing Angkor Wat which was constructed to express the wealth and power of the Khmer Empire at the time. Come and dig out some secrets of Angkor with our experienced guide, reveal the stories and legends behind the sandstone carved bas-reliefs, gables, and lintels. Stroll around this massive monument to admire the Khmer architectural masterpiece and engineering.
Later today, enjoy sunset time and stunning sightseeing of Tonle Sap Lake, Western Baray, Angkor Wat and dense jungle of Angkor Thom at the top of the mountain temple of Phnom Bakheng. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 7: Pink Temple – Land Mine Museum & Cambodia Circus (B, L, D)
After breakfast, head off with tour guide to the Mountain at Phnom Kulen National Park which was used as the ancient capital city in AD802 under the reign of King Jayavarman II, the King gave birth to present-day Cambodia. There are 56 Angkorian temples of bricks and volcanic stones but most of them are in poor condition here. See the Thousand Linga River, an enormous reclining Buddha, constructed in the 16th century. Before having our picnic lunch on the riverbank, relax or do swimming at the waterfall.
In the afternoon, descend from the mountaintop and head to see the pink sandstone temple of Banteay Srei, which stands alone in the jungle. This is a favorite site of many visitors. The special charm of this temple lies in its remarkable state of preservation, and the intricate, high-quality carvings in the solid sandstone. The unanimous opinion amongst French archaeologists who worked at Angkor is that Banteay Srei is a 'precious gem' and a 'jewel in Khmer art'.
Later today, visit the Cambodia Landmine Museum where your family can learn about the period of civil war in Cambodia which was only ended as recently in 1998.
Tonight, be amazed by the spectacle of the Phare Cambodia Circus; a troupe of young Cambodians offering a spectacular and exciting blend of traditional and modern theatre, music, dance, acrobatics, juggling and contortion beautifully choreographed and performed as a story about Cambodian life and society. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 8: Exploring Floating Village & Departure (B)
This morning, travel to the eastern part of Siem Reap to visit the Kompong Phluk or Kompong Khleang floating village in the Tonle Sap Lake area. Here, learn about the daily life of local people during the dry season and the wet season. Stop at local houses to touch with the local families, discover the culture of nowadays Khmer people…In the afternoon, our awaiting vehicle will take us back to the airport for our departure flight home. Trip ends.
