Cambodia for small budgets

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 bit early and our room is not yet ready, we can drop off our luggage at reception before going for a walk around town or resting by the pool.

Free program in the morning.

By tuk-tuk, equipped with a digital tablet and headset provided, discover the heritage of the capital Phnom Penh inherited from the French protectorate era.

In late afternoon, embark on a boat trip on the Mekong and Tonlé Sap and enjoy an atypical view of Phnom Penh and a magnificent sunset.

Local bus transfer to Siem Reap.

We arrange tuk-tuk transfers to take you to the bus departure point in Phnom Penh and pick you up upon your arrival in Siem Reap.

Estimated journey time is 6 hours with a lunch stop.

Full day visit by tuk-tuk of the wonderful Angkor temples located around and inside 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 many towers with gigantic faces, Baphuon and its gigantic reclining Buddha statue of 40m, Phimeanakas, the Terrace of Elephants and its great diversity of sculptures but also 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 (warning: Phnom Bakheng is off-limits to children under 12 years old and authorities limit access to 300 people at sunset, thus creating a queue)

Due to an already busy 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 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 sit on temple elements.

In Cambodian culture, it is offensive to misbehave inside a sacred place, calm and respect are key.

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 you wish.

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

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

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

After lunch, let's continue with a visit to Banteay Srei, a temple on a human scale compared to the gigantic Angkor Wat or Bayon. This pink sandstone temple, nicknamed "The Citadelle 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.

This morning, we depart by tuktuk towards the village of Kampong Pluk located on Tonlé Sap Lake. We board a private boat to discover and visit the floating village.

Within the village, there are small canoes that can take you on a tour through the mangrove forest.

In the dry season, if the water level compromises access to Kampong Pluk village (generally between February and August), we can visit the village of Mechrey

Return to the hotel, the afternoon is free. Late checkout of your room is included in this quote.

At 9:30 PM, our tuk-tuk takes us to the departure of the night bus to Kampot.

Bus departure scheduled at 10:30 PM but Giant Ibis reserves the right to modify the departure time.

Transfer by tuk tuk from your hotel, then take the boat to Koh Rong from the new port in Kampot. The boat staff will take the first part of your ticket. Keep the other half carefully for your return!

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

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

Upon our arrival in Sihanoukville, a driver will be waiting for us at the pier for a final transfer to Phnom Penh via the country's only highway.

Free program before our transfer to Phnom Penh International Airport.

We will need to vacate our room before noon. If our flight is in the evening, we can leave our luggage at the hotel reception for a final stroll around the city.