Jour 1: Siem Reap
Siem Reap (Lunch)
Arrival and transfer to the hotel. Lunch in a typical restaurant. Departure to visit a unique fishermen's village on the banks of the great lake Tone Sap. Every boat is a house but there is also a floating school, church, shops, and public offices: everything floats and can move around the lake. Return to the hotel.
Jour 2: Siem Reap
Siem Reap (Breakfast, Lunch)
Visit the fortified citadel of Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmer kingdom, where the iconic Bayon, the most photographed site of Cambodia, is located, standing at its perfect center. Then we proceed to the Baphuon, the ancient royal palace flanked by the Phimeanakas and nearby we visit the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. Lunch in a typical restaurant. Visit the Angkor complex, one of the world's largest archaeological areas, where there are 276 monuments of great importance. The undisputed masterpiece of Khmer art and architecture is Angkor Wat, displaying exquisite bas relief, a spectacular testimony of the great refinement of the Khmer people. We proceed to Ta Prohm, where giant trees and huge roots have been wrapping around the galleries and the stones for centuries, blending the work of men and nature forever. Return to the hotel.
Jour 3: Siem Reap
Siem Reap (Breakfast, Lunch)
Visit one of the oldest sacred constructions, Prasat Kravan, built-in 921 to worship the Hindu god Vishnu. Then we reach Banteay Kdey, a Buddhist monastic complex, and we end the excursion at the public pool called Srah Srang. Lunch in a typical restaurant. Visit the temples Mebon, Pre Rup, Prah Khan and Neak Pean, all quite different in style and purpose. The Mebon is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva, built on a tiny island in the center of the now-dry Eastern Baray. The Pre Rup, a huge mountain temple, was used for royal funerals. The huge Buddhist temple Pra Khan, surrounded by jungle, was built to celebrate a victory after invading Cham armies whilst the Neak Pean, known for its coiled snakes, represented a mythological lake in the Himalayas. Return to the hotel.
Jour 4: Battambang
Siem Reap – Battanbang (Breakfast, Lunch)
We leave Siem Reap to reach Battambang, with a stop at Preah Netr Preah, a beautiful example of precious pink areanria skillfully worked by local artisans. We reach Sisophon. Lunch in a typical restaurant. In the afternoon, we enter a wonderful rural landscape up to Ek Phnom, an impressive Khmer shrine from the first half of the eleventh century. We continue with a visit to Phnom Sanpeu and arrive in Battambang at sunset. Transfer to the hotel.
Jour 5: Phnom Penh
Battambang – Phnom Penh (Breakfast, Lunch)
In the morning we visit the market and the colonial part of the city. Afterward, we stroll along the left bank of the Stung Sangker heading up the hill on which stands the temple of Phnom Banan. Lunch in a typical restaurant. After lunch, we visit Oudong, which was the capital of Cambodia from the 17th to the 19th century. Nothing remains of the ancient city apart from the Buddhist monument on top of a hill. We continue to Kompong Chhnang, the fishing capital at the mouth of a big lake. Arrive in Phnom Penh and transfer to the hotel.
Jour 6:
Phnom Penh (Breakfast)
Visit Tuol Sleng, a school that was the headquarter of the secret police under the Pol Pot regime. Then we climb the hill of Wat Phnom, which gave its name to the city. We reach Wat Ounalom, the pagoda where the supreme patriarch of the Buddhist monks lives. We end the excursion at O'Roussey Market, the famous Russian market. Lunch in a typical restaurant. Half-day visit to classic Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. We start with a visit to the National Museum where the masterpieces of Khmer art from the 5th to the 13th century are displayed. Next, we visit the nearby Royal Palace and the Throne Hall, where the King grants his hearings. The excursion ends with a visit to the beautiful Silver Pagoda. Transfer to the airport.
