The Route of Delights

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

Transfer and check-in at the hotel.

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 drop off our luggage at the reception before going for a walk around the city or relaxing by the pool.

Road transfer to Kampong Thom, halfway between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Along the way, be brave and make the most of a short gastronomic stop in the town of Skun, famous for its grilled spiders and insects.

Upon arrival, we are welcomed in the rural community of Sambor Prei Kuk. Lunch prepared by our host for the day.

In the morning, transfer by road to Siem Reap, an essential stop during your stay in Cambodge. The city-province is home to the extraordinary temples of Angkor and the immense Tonlé Sap Lake. On the way, we make a detour towards the village of Kampong Kleang located on the Tonlé Sap Lake approximately 1.5 hours by car from Siem Reap.

Once you arrive at your destination, we will settle you into the hotel; the rest of the day is free. Day without an English-speaking guide

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

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

Concluding 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 off-limits to children under 12 years old and authorities limit access to 300 people at sunset, creating a queue)

Due to an already full schedule, we deliberately skip a few secondary temples on 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. Simply indicate this to your guide at the start of the day.

The 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 sculptures or sit on temple elements.

In Cambodian culture, making a disturbance inside a sacred place is offensive, calmness and respect are the watchwords.

It is not recommended to buy items or sweets from child vendors, this only encourages begging and truancy, prefer a donation to an organization if it is close to your heart.

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

We then begin the short hike needed to reach the Kbal Spean site nicknamed "the temple under water", 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 fields of the ancient city. In its riverbed, the Khmer people sculpted Shivas and stone squares meant 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 will be able to wander along the lush banks. A small waterfall near the sacred protected site will allow us to cool off and even take a swim (bring a small towel).

Very accessible hike of approximately 1.5 km (or 3 km round trip) with a small elevation gain over the last 700 meters.

Plan for hiking shoes/sneakers as the trail is quite rocky.

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

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

After lunch, transfer by road to Battambang. On the way, discover the pagoda Wat Slaket and Ek Phnom, an eleventh-century sandstone Brahmin temple now in ruins. It was ransacked by the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot, and looted by the Vietnamese at liberation. A place full of history. Take the opportunity to linger over the immense statue of the seated Buddha that stands near these ruins.

After check-in and lunch at the hotel, we can rest for a few hours before setting off mid-afternoon south of Battambang to visit the Banon temple erected at the top of a hill which offers, after climbing the 358 steps, a lovely panorama of the Cambodian countryside. Passing through traditional villages bordering the road, you can witness the family-made rice cakes and chat with locals about their daily life. Also take the opportunity to stop at the Battambang vineyards. A chance to admire the greenhouse work of Cambodian winemakers. And taste if you wish the wine, grape juice, ginger juice, and why not cognac! We then discover Phnom Sampov, "the ship-hill" where we stay until sunset to observe the flight of bats and their incredible choreography across the skies. Day without English-speaking guide. Return to the hotel.

In the morning, we set off by bike to meet local communities. Your morning will be dedicated to a great guided bicycle ride through the beautiful Cambodian countryside. This authentic immersion in a rural setting will allow you to visit a Buddhist temple with a dark history, observe the daily life of villagers and discover some artisanal productions of the region (bamboo cake, rice wine, banana chips, fish paste, rice paper…) as well as a crocodile farm. Rich exchanges full of smiles await you during this itinerary. Bike tour accompanied by an English-speaking local guide

Transfer by local bus to Phnom Penh. We take care of the tuk-tuk transfer to take you to the bus in Battambang and pick you up upon arrival in Phnom Penh. Day without English-speaking tour guide

Road transfer to Kep, a charming seaside town renowned for its crab market and national park ideal for a beautiful walk. Around Tonle Bati lake you will discover beautiful temples bearing witness to Angkorian architecture such as Yeay Pow and Ta Prohm. Visit to Phnom Chisor in Takeo province. This 11th century temple was originally dedicated to the Brahmanical deities Shiva and Vishnu. A peaceful return to the roots of the Khmer empire, ideal for those wishing to escape the crowds of the great temples of Siem Reap. Nicknamed "the maidens of the Mekong," giant freshwater shrimp are the great specialty of Takeo.

Enjoy yourselves! Once we arrive at our destination, we settle in at the hotel.

On the way, near Kep, exploring the caves of Phnom Kampong Trach holds some lovely surprises for you. Considered as natural temples by local Buddhists, they conceal numerous statues and altars. As the highlight of this "speleological" excursion, a beautiful representation of the reclining Buddha awaits you in an open-air clearing created by the collapse of the rock.

The Kampot region is internationally recognized for its exceptional pepper. It is therefore impossible to visit Kampot without taking a tour of one of the many pepper plantations in the region! We then visit the famous family-run pepper production farm, La Plantation, with one of their English-speaking guides who will explain the origin and reasons for the fame of this pepper. We will learn more about cultivation methods and how to cook this famous pepper.

Free program before your transfer directly to Phnom Penh international airport (we will arrange the transfer according to your flight schedule). You will need to check out of your room before noon. If your flight is in the evening, you can leave your luggage at the hotel reception before a last walk around the city.