Heritage & Seaside

Welcome by our driver upon your arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport (KTI).

Transfer and hotel check-in. The rest of the day is free.

Rooms available from 2:00 PM. If we arrive a little early and our room is not yet ready, we can leave our luggage at the reception before going for a walk around town or resting by the pool.

Day trip by tuk-tuk

In the morning, we take the road to Kampong Cham. In Kampong Cham, we leave the city to head to the village of Steung Trong and explore the beautiful rice fields and other plantations (peanuts, jicama or winged beans) in this very fertile area by the river. A little further on, a different landscape appears in the Krouch Chhmar district. We set out to meet the villagers on a small 30-minute walk through tobacco fields. A discovery of authentic rural Cambodge.

We then continue our journey to Kratié, a city-province on the banks of the great Mekong with a peaceful reputation and magnificent rural landscapes.

Once we arrive at our destination, we settle into our room for this one-night stopover and can enjoy the rest of the day free to stretch our legs on the promenade along the great Mekong.

Let's continue with a short transfer to Kampi, a few nautical miles north of Kratié. We board the Mekong to search for Irrawaddy dolphins, one of the rare freshwater dolphin species, which is endangered.

Optional: if you are sporty by nature, there is the possibility of observing the dolphins by kayak (please contact us)

After returning to solid ground, if time permits, we visit nearby Phnom Sambok hill which hosts a picturesque pagoda and a religious community where monks live separately from nuns. We then return to Kratié to rejoin our accommodation.

This morning, before heading back on the road, we take a small boat to reach the river island of Koh Trong.

We then continue on our way, this time heading towards Kampong Thom province.

We're heading to the temples of Sambor Prei Kuk

60 km from Siem Reap, we stop in the village of Kampong Kdei to admire the superb Preah Tos bridge. Lined with Naga sculptures, this 100 m long structure that is 1,000 years old is still used by pedestrians and motorcycles. Once we arrive at our destination, we settle into the hotel; the rest of the day is free at your leisure.

A day of sightseeing by tuk-tuk of the wonderful temples of Angkor located around and within the Angkor Thom enclosure. We discover in particular Angkor Wat, symbol of the height of the Khmer Empire during the Angkorian era.

Within the Angkor Thom enclosure, discover Bayon and its numerous towers with gigantic faces, Baphuon and its gigantic 40m reclining Buddha statue, Phimeanakas, the Terrace of Elephants and its great diversity of sculptures as well as the Terrace of the Leper King.

Let's conclude with Ta Prohm famous for its immense trees with tentacular aerial roots. We can end this day with a sunset either at Srah Srang, or from the heights of Pre Rup or Phnom Bakheng if you are ready to brave the crowds (note: Phnom Bakheng is forbidden to children under 12 years old and authorities limit access to 300 people at sunset, creating a queue)

Due to an already busy schedule, we deliberately skip a few secondary temples of the small circuit such as Banteay Kdei, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda or Ta Keo. If you wish to visit these sites, do not hesitate to inform your guide at the beginning of the day so he can best arrange the schedule.

It is possible to do the visits in reverse order to avoid the crowds. You just need to indicate this to your guide at the beginning of the day.

Temples are sacred places, avoid short clothing, you must cover your shoulders and wear long pants or a long skirt.

In order to preserve these fragile monuments, it is forbidden to touch the sculptures or to sit on temple elements.

In Cambodian culture, it is offensive to misbehave inside a sacred place, calmness and respect are the keywords.

It is not recommended to buy items or sweets from child vendors, this only encourages begging and truancy, prefer a donation to an association if this concerns you.

If you wish to photograph the monks (called Bonzes), you must obtain their permission beforehand. Moreover, you must definitely not touch them, they have the right to touch you but not the other way around.

We then begin a short hiking trail necessary to reach the Kbal Spean site nicknamed "the underwater temple", 49 km north of Angkor. Temple ruins dating from the 9th century border a river whose bed is scattered with sculpted lingas. A nourishing source for Angkor, the waters of Kbal Spean once irrigated the rice paddies of the ancient city. In its riverbed, the Khmer people sculpted Shivas and stone squares used to bless the waters before they reached the Royal City. The site was discovered in 1968 by ethnologist Jean Boulbet, and following in his footsteps you can wander along the lush banks. A small waterfall near the sacred protected site will allow us to cool off or even swim (bring a small towel).

A very accessible hiking trail of approximately 1.5 km (or 3 km round trip) with a slight elevation gain over the last 700 meters.

Bring hiking shoes or sneakers as the trail is quite rocky.

After lunch, let's continue with a visit to Banteay Srei, a temple with human proportions compared to the gigantic Angkor Wat or Bayon. This pink sandstone temple nicknamed "The Citadel of Women" is known for the refinement of the bas-reliefs and sculptures that adorn its walls and columns.

If we still have energy, we can end the day with a visit to Banteay Samre temple or return to the hotel directly.

We first head to the village of Kampong Kleang located on Tonlé Sap Lake, approximately 1 hour 30 minutes by car from Siem Reap. We board a private boat there to discover and visit the floating village.

On the way after hitting the road, be bold to make the most of a brief "gastronomic" stop in the town of Skun, famous for its spiders and grilled insects. Once you arrive at your destination, we settle in at the hotel; the rest of the day is free at your convenience.

After breakfast, we take the road to Kampot.

Meeting with our driver for a car transfer (without guide) to the Sihanoukville pier, a seaside town in the south with beautiful sandy beaches and gateway to the paradise islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem.

Boat transfer to Koh Rong from Sihanoukville pier. Our team on site will wait for you at the pier to give you your boat tickets.

Once you arrive at your destination, we settle into the hotel; the rest of the day is free.

After breakfast and checking out of our room, we return by boat to Sihanoukville.

Upon arrival at the Sihanoukville pier, a driver will be waiting for us for a final transfer via the country's only highway (to date) which will take us directly to the Phnom Penh International Airport (KTI) for our return flight.

The driver will wait for you at the Buva Sea office, a few dozen meters away. Vehicles cannot always access the boat's exit directly.

Please note: this itinerary is only possible with a return flight at the earliest in the mid-afternoon (i.e. from 4:30 PM onwards). If the flight is in the morning, we will need to arrange one last night in the capital.