Grand tour of Cambodia - Absolute Asia Tours

On arrival in Cambodia, you'll be met by your private guide, who will accompany you to your hotel.

Begin your exploration of Angkor Wat, and the complex of ruined temples and palaces around it. You’ll be driven between them, so you can fit quite a few in (if you want to), and our guides know when to see the ruins at uncrowded times. If you wish, start the day with the magical (but popular!) sunrise over Angkor Wat, and let your guide know what kind of pace you prefer, whether you want to fill your day with archaeology, or spend some of it on Tonle Sap lake, or even back at your hotel pool.

Explore the Tonlé Sap Lake aboard a private boat, visiting a floating fishing village, and a flooded forest, where - if water levels are high enough - you can kayak amongst the branches, and paddle out over the lake to enjoy the scenery, keeping an eye open for its diverse birdlife. Much of Cambodian rural life takes place on rivers and lakes, and you can only truly comprehend what this lifestyle is like by taking to the water yourself. Once you're back in Siem Reap, your afternoon will be at leisure until 6pm, when it's time for an evening tour with a difference.

Riding pillion on a Vespa, you’ll experience the city by night from a local perspective, enjoying authentic Cambodian food and drink along the way. Start in a chic bar where you'll join your fellow passengers and local guide for a cold beer, before heading to a food market to learn about the ingredients found in Cambodian cuisine. At a buzzing local night market you'll sample street food, including the country’s infamous bug snacks, and enjoy a picnic style dinner. Although food is the focus of the evening, you'll also stop at a popular local shrine. Finish the evening at a winery, where you'll have the opportunity to taste Cambodia’s famous (and quite potent!) rice wine.
   

Journey through the Banteay Meanchey Province, which borders Thailand in the far north, arriving at Banteay Chmar, where you'll be accompanied to your appointed homestay to meet your hosts. The accommodation is basic but comfortable with a private room, bed, mosquito net, and a shared outdoor bathroom. After a typical rural-style lunch, explore the village and its surroundings by oxcart, stopping to visit the Enfant du Mekong project, a weaving workshop helping to fund the care of orphans from the local area. Visit the temple of Banteay Chmar, the ‘Temple of the Cat’, a breathtakingly beautiful temple famed for its intricate carvings and long walls of bas-relief. In the evening you will dine at the temple, with your makeshift dining area being lit by homemade torches to create a very atmospheric scene as the light dances on the temple walls.

Head off through a picturesque region of roadside hamlets and rice paddies to Anlong Veng, one of the last Khmer Rouge strongholds to fall. Here you can visit the house of Ta Mok, the Khmer Rouge military commander, and the grave of Pol Pot. You may be surprised to discover that both men are still revered by many in this northern region, with fresh flowers often being laid on Pol Pot’s grave. Continue onwards to Dengrek Mountain, which forms a formidable natural border with Thailand; at its summit, you'll find the temple of Preah Vihear. One of the most impressive and remote of the Angkor Kingdom’s temples, the site offers views across both Thailand and Cambodia. End the day at Srah Èmm Village and your hotel, where the rest of your day will be at leisure.

Drop in at the nearby 'Weaves of Cambodia' Silk Project to learn about the excellent work being done for the region's disabled and disadvantaged (who have no state support), before heading to Banlung, Ratanakiri's provincial capital. Spend a few hours nearby at a stunning crater lake surrounded by lush tropical forest, which local people believe is home to mystical water spirits. It's unquestionably the finest natural swimming pool in Cambodia, and the perfect place to spend your first afternoon in this wonderful region.

Spend this morning visiting some of the fascinating minority villages nearby, such as Kres, where the Kreung people live in houses clustered in circles, and Krala, where unmarried adults’ bamboo houses are built separately in front of their family homes. Bachelors’ houses are always quite high on stilts, whereas the women’s are low to the ground. Bokeo is a small mining village where entire families are involved in hunting for gems. It’s hard and relatively dangerous work, in rough ‘mines’ that are generally no more than a meter wide, but 10-15 meters deep. The miners are nonetheless pleased to welcome visitors who wish to learn more about their lives and the challenges they face. Head back to Banlung for lunch at a local restaurant, before travelling by boat to a village with an unusual cemetery, complete with jauntily carved effigies. You can also visit a picturesque Chinese village which has been here for about 200 years and, time permitting, visit one of the many Lao settlements in the area.

Journey south by car to Sen Monorom, the provincial capital of Mondulkiri, where, on arrival, the remainder of your day will be at leisure.

Meet a local guide for a morning trek through an extremely picturesque landscape of rolling hills, pastures and valleys. You are likely to pass a few minority hillside farms, which grow a mixture of crops, including rice, corn and vegetables. You may also see the footprints of wild boar and deer on the trails. Afterwards you'll be driven to the Bou Sraa Waterfalls, believed to be the highest in Cambodia, and the Coffee Plantation, passing many more plantations that grow durian, mangosteen, sapodilla, avocado, strawberries, and other tasty produce. Enjoy a leisurely lunch under the thatched cottage roof of the Coffee Plantation's restaurant, before exploring the plantation grounds. Return to Sen Monorom, where the rest of your day will be at leisure.

Head to the Hefalump Café in Sen Monorom to meet the Elephant Valley Project team and other guests for the drive into the countryside. Just as you begin to suspect you may be getting lost, you’ll arrive at the unique Elephant Valley Project. Founded and run by an Englishman called Jack, the 1,600 hectare sanctuary has space for up to 20 elephants. It provides a safe habitat for retired elephants, and a sustainable income for local mahouts (elephant keepers), inviting visitors to join the herd for the day.

You'll walk with, rather than ride on, the elephants as they explore their natural forest habitat. It’s a unique approach in Cambodia, and one that undoubtedly enhances your understanding of the herd’s behaviour, and how the elephants interact with each other in their bonded family groups.

Receive an an informative briefing about the work of the Elephant Valley Project and what to expect from your visit, before trekking into the valley in search of the first elephant ‘family’ you’ll be meeting. Lunch will be a seasonal local-style meal with spectacular views over the valley, before an afternoon spent shadowing another group of elephants. You're also likely to observe the elephants bathing in the river and playing in the mud – both important parts of their daily beauty routine! Return to Sen Monorom in the late afternoon and drive up to Samut Chheu to enjoy the views across ‘Sea Forest’, as the sun sets over Mondulkiri.

Drive to Phnom Penh where the remainder of your day will be at leisure to begin exploring the city.

Spend the day exploring Phnom Penh’s contrasting neighbourhoods, journeying from the city’s traditional areas to its more modern; travelling, in true local style, by tuk-tuk. Over the course of the morning you will visit the old quarter, with time for a noodle soup breakfast; the 1960’s National Sports Complex and Royal University of Phnom Penh – the oldest and largest university in the country. The expansive Art-Deco styled Central Market is your location for lunch, and a shoulder massage if you wish. Your afternoon focuses on Phnom Penh’s more modern areas with a drive through the Boeung Kengkang quarter, with its high-end restaurants and coffee shops, contemporary apartment and office blocks, and the newly developed riverside area of Koh Pich (Diamond Island). Your day culminates in style with a tour and tasting session at a Craft Beer Brewery.

Head over the Japanese Bridge to board the public ferry to Koh Dach, or 'silk island', where you'll visit a village dedicated almost entirely to silk weaving. The village is a typical rural Cambodian stilt village, and you'll see a variety of silk weaving techniques while you observe the local weavers at work. People operate hand looms under most of the houses, while others busy themselves dyeing and spinning silk on wheels made of bicycles parts. Many of the silk products sold in Phnom Penh are weaved in Koh Dach, due to the very high quality of the work. Having stopped for lunch at a small restaurant in the village, you may wish to ride to the island's northern headland, a popular weekend spot for locals to picnic and enjoy a swim. If the water is high enough, you can take a dip before heading back over the Mekong for the drive back to your hotel, where the rest of your day will be at leisure.

NOTE: If you dont want to use cycle, We can change to by car.

Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.