Heritage and seaside resorts
Siem Reap - Angkor - Battambang - Phnom Penh Sihanoukville - Kêp
Duration: 12 days
Réf : CCR12J-REPBBPNH-SHVKêP
DAY 1
Siem Reap - Welcome
Qualified English-speaking guide for 1, 2, and 3 people Our English-speaking guide and private vehicle driver will meet you at the airport. This day's visits are scheduled according to your flight arrival time. You will see some of them on site with the guide. If your flight arrives the day before, meet the guide at 8:00 a.m. at your hotel reception. This morning, you will depart by private car to discover the magnificent Tonlé Sap Lake, located 15 km from the city center. You will take a private boat tour to observe the unique and fascinating fishing villages of Kampong Pluk. On the way back, enjoy a short rowboat excursion in the flooded forest of Kompong Phluk, home to a vast mangrove forest. On your return, continue your stroll through Siem Reap town: discover the artisans of Angkor and the Satcha Craft Center, and the main market of Psar Chas, a very lively area in the evening. Restaurants, massage parlors, and Khmer handicraft shops are all nearby. Check-in and free time at your booked hotel. Overnight in Siem Reap.
DAY 2
Siem Reap - Discover the famous temples of Angkor
Continue your journey to the magnificent Banteay Srei Temple, the Citadel of Women, famous for its exceptionally fine pink sandstone sculptures. If time permits, you can also explore Banteay Samre Temple, a lesser-known architectural gem. Lunch at your leisure. In the afternoon, continue your visit to the famous Angkor Wat. Then, head to Phnom Bakheng, known for its sunset views. Overnight stay in Siem Reap
DAY 3
Siem Reap - Angkor Temples (Dinner Show)
Meet your guide at your hotel. In the morning, depart by private car to visit the magnificent Khmer temples on the short circuit: Prasat Kravan, Prasat Banteay Kdei, Prasat Ta Prohm, and Prasat Takéo. If time permits, you can also visit Prasat Thommanon and Prasat Chao Say Tevada. Lunch at your leisure. In the afternoon, continue your visit to the famous Angkor Wat. Then, head to Phnom Bakheng to watch the sunset. In the evening, you will attend an "Apsara" dinner show with your guide at the Amazon Angkor restaurant. Return to the hotel by car! Overnight in Siem Reap
DAY 4
Siem Reap - Battambang via the lake
Without a guide As planned in the tour, you will depart by private boat from Siem Reap to Battambang this day. It's just you on the boat. OPTION: If you don't want to spend the day on the boat, you can depart by road for Battambang: 170 km, approximately 3 hours of travel with a break included. Arrival in Battambang in the afternoon. Discover the colonial quarter, the main market (Psar Chas), Wat Damrei Sor (White Elephant Pagoda), the governor's house, and a traditional Khmer house. Transfer to the hotel of your choice and free time. Overnight in Battambang. FROM SIEM REAP TO BATTAMBANG Only you on the boat. 7:30 a.m.: The private driver will transfer you to the pier, then you'll depart with your guide by private boat to Battambang, crossing Tonlé Sap Lake, the Prek Toal floating village, the bird sanctuary, and the flooded forests. You'll be aboard a clean and comfortable local boat, equipped with hammocks, chairs, and toilets. The trip lasts between 6 and 8 hours depending on the season. Good to know: Bring ear protection! During this trip, you'll discover magnificent picturesque landscapes along the Upper and Lower Sangker Rivers, on Tonlé Sap Lake, floating villages, transport by rustic boats, scenes of daily life, and especially fishing activities. It's best to make the most of the important stops along your journey: Prek Toal Village: known for its water hyacinth weaving workshop, a project supported by OSMOSE. And Wat Chhoeu Khmao: This is a black wood pagoda built in the 19th century by a Buddhist monk. Under Pol Pot's regime, the building was used by the Khmer Rouge as a strategic point. Arrive in Battambang in the mid-afternoon. Transfer by vehicle and check-in at the hotel. Overnight in Battambang.
DAY 5
Battambang - Charming City
Morning tuk-tuk ride to discover the city of Battambang and its surroundings. Departure with the tuktuk driver towards the north of the city along the Sangker River. You will pass through colorful markets, then visit Wat Samrong Knong, where a temple was built in the early 18th century. Between 1975 and 1979, this temple was converted into a prison by the Khmer Rouge. Nearby, there is a mass grave where thousands of people were massacred. En route, stop at the Prahok Market (fish market), where fermented and salted fish, smoked fish, and dried fish are sold. This is a Cambodian specialty. Continue exploring daily life activities: making rice cakes, preparing krolann (sticky rice prepared in bamboo tubes), distilling rice wine, and more. Before returning to the city, visit an ancient Hindu temple built during the Angkorian era, Ek Phnom Temple. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon, continue your tour by car. An optional ride on the Bamboo Train, Cambodia's high-speed train (TGV). You'll continue south of Battambang to the Banan Temple, built at the top of the hill, up 350 steps. The driver will then take you to Phnom Sam Pov, located about 10 km from the city. The driver will drop you off at the foot of the hill, and you'll continue on foot to the top of the hill, where a colorful pagoda stands. You'll have a beautiful view of the plain. Before nightfall, you'll observe the bats emerging from the hill. Overnight in Battambang.
DAY 6
Departure for Phnom Penh via Pursat and Kg. Chhnang
Departure from Battambang to Phnom Penh via Pursat and Kampong Chhnang provinces, a distance of 293 km. On the way, you'll make your first stop in the town of Pursat to see the diverse marble sculptures locally called soapstone. Next, you'll pass through the main town of Kror Ko, where you'll board a small, rustic private boat to visit Kampong Loung, a floating village. This is one of the floating villages on Tonlé Sap Lake, home to over a thousand families. All daily activities, including restaurants, schools, clinics, and pagodas, are concentrated here. Impressive! Free lunch en route. Continue your journey to Phnom Penh via Kampong Chhnang province, famous for its floating villages and pottery. About thirty kilometers before arriving in Phnom Penh, you will visit Oudong, a former Khmer capital in the 17th century. The palace, dwellings, and pagodas are located at the foot of the hill known as Phnom Preah Jartroip, or Royal Treasure Mountain. Arrival in Phnom Penh at the end of the day. Book your hotel. Overnight in Phnom Penh.
DAY 7
Phnom Penh (Lunch included)
With a French-speaking guide. Discover the capital, Phnom Penh. This morning, discover the Royal Palace, originally located in Oudong and moved to Phnom Penh in 1863. Next, visit the Silver Pagoda, famous for its more than 5,000 silver tiles and its emerald Buddha statue encrusted with 2,000 diamonds, including one of 25 carats. This statue represents the future Buddha, Maitreya, in 90 kg of gold. Continue with a stroll through the Central Market, renovated thanks to a donation from France. This magnificent Art Deco building was built by the French in the 1950s. Around noon, we invite you to lunch at a restaurant on the banks of the Mekong to refresh yourself before resuming your visits. Continue with the National Museum, formerly the Albert Sarraut Museum, where Khmer objects, statues, and works of art from all over Cambodia are exhibited. Nearby, visit the Ounalom Pagoda, built in 1443, the most important in Phnom Penh. Finish with a visit to Wat Phnom, a pagoda built on a 27-meter-high hill and renovated in 1926. At the foot of the hill, a bas-relief sculpted by Théodore Rivière honors the Franco-Siamese treaty. In the evening, enjoy a short cruise on a private boat along the quays, passing by the confluence of the Mekong River. Depending on the season, weather, and time of day, you can enjoy a beautiful sunset over the Royal Palace and the capital. Overnight in Phnom Penh
DAY 8
Heading to Sihanoukville
In the morning, meet our private driver at the hotel and head to Sihanoukville. The journey to Sihanoukville covers a distance of 215 km and takes approximately 3 hours. Free time for lunch. Before arriving in Sihanoukville, you'll leave the main road and then continue along the 30-kilometer trail to discover the region's most beautiful waterfalls, Kbal Chhay, a series of picturesque cascades nestled in the jungle. A very popular site among local tourists. Swimming is possible. Transfer and free time at the hotel of your choice. Overnight in Sihanoukville
DAY 9
Sihanoukville and the beaches (Lunch included)
After breakfast, our driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to Ream, a picturesque coastal village. From Ream, you'll board a local fishing boat for a 30-minute trip to Koh Takiev. This island, still relatively uncrowded by tourists, offers an authentic and unspoiled experience. Enjoy a relaxing morning on the beautiful white sand beach. You can swim in the crystal-clear waters, sunbathe, or simply relax under the palm trees. At noon, return to Ream Beach where a typical Cambodian meal will be served, either at a local's home or on the beach. On the menu: steamed rice, sautéed vegetables, shrimp soup, and delicious fried crabs with green Kampot peppers. After lunch, continue exploring the beautiful Prince Island, followed by a short boat ride through the mangrove forest. Return to Sihanoukville in the late afternoon. The rest of the evening is free for you to relax or explore the city's nightlife. Overnight in Sihanoukville.
DAY 10
Departure for Kêp via Kampot
At 8:00 a.m., meet our driver at the hotel. You will then depart for Kep via the charming colonial town of Kampot. The journey covers a distance of 131 km and lasts approximately 3.5 hours, offering beautiful Cambodian countryside scenery. En route, visit fishing villages and then Kampot town center. Option to visit Bokor National Park at an additional cost. Lunch at your leisure. You will continue your visit to Phnom Chhngok Cave, perched on a limestone hill in Kampot, home to caves adorned with sculptures and shrines testifying to the ancient Khmer civilization. This archaeological site offers a unique experience to discover the history and culture of this region. Check-in and free time at your booked hotel. Overnight in Kep.
DAY 11
Kêp on the sea
8:30 a.m.: Discover Kep and its surroundings. A quick tour of the crab market, Psar Kdam in Khmer. It's bustling with happiness, a meeting place for fishermen, and offers an authentic experience. Boat transfer to Rabbit Island, or Koh Tonsay in Khmer, where you'll find some delicious local restaurants. Then relax on Koh Tonsay's most beautiful beach. Option to take a short hike on the island. To be discussed with your guide! Free lunch. Around 1:00 p.m., return to the mainland and continue your visit to Sothy's Pepper Farm. Kampot peppers are world-renowned. Free time and overnight stay at the hotel. Overnight in Kep.
DAY 12
Back
Free morning. Transfer to Phnom Penh airport according to your flight departure time. End of the trip.