Heart of Cambodge: Solidarity and Cultural Stay

Welcome by your driver upon your arrival at the airport.

Once this visit is completed, we settle into the hotel; the rest of the day is free.

Day trip by tuk-tuk

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

Day trip by tuk-tuk

In the morning, transfer to Kampong Cham, on the way, let's be bold to fully enjoy a "gastronomic" stop in the city of Skun, famous for its spiders and grilled insects.

On the way, just before arriving in town, we visit the AMICA association and the nearby pottery village. 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 yam beans) in this very fertile area on the riverbank. A little further on, a different landscape unfolds in the Krouch Chhmar district. We meet the inhabitants of the village during a short 30-minute walk in the middle of tobacco crops. A discovery of authentic rural Cambodge.

We then continue our journey towards Kratié, a town-province on the banks of the great Mékong with a peaceful reputation and magnificent rural landscapes.

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're of a sporty nature, you can observe the dolphins by kayak (please contact us)

Back in Kratié, we take a small boat to reach the river island of Koh Trong. Our host for the night will be waiting for us there. Dinner is also planned at her place.

We then continue on the road, this time heading towards Kampong Thom province.

After lunch, we cross back and meet up with our driver and head towards Kampong Thom Province.

We continue until we reach Sambor Prei Kuk.

We then head back to Siem Reap and make a short detour to the village of Kampong Pluk located on the Tonlé Sap Lake just under 1 hour's drive from Siem Reap. We board a private boat to discover and visit the floating village.

Note : during the dry season (March to September), the excursion may be replaced by another visit depending on the water level.

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 40m reclining Buddha statue, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace 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, 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 adjust the schedule.

Possibility to carry out visits in reverse order to avoid 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, it is offensive to misbehave inside a sacred place, calm and respect are key words.

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 it matters to you.

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

Not far from Angkor Thom, we pause our temple visits to visit one of the water purification stations of the NGO Teuk Saat. This organization provides affordable drinking water to rural communities through sustainable, locally-based filtration stations. Local entrepreneurs are trained by the NGO to manage these stations autonomously. One of these entrepreneurs will briefly present us with the positive impacts of this operating model.

We then begin the short hiking necessary 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 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 Shiva and stone squares serving to bless the waters before they arrived at the Royal City. The site was discovered in 1968 by Ariège ethnologist Jean Boulbet, and following in his footsteps you will be able to wander along the lush banks. A small waterfall near the protected sacred site will allow us to refresh ourselves or even swim there (bring a small towel).

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

Bring 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 known for the refinement of the bas-reliefs and sculptures that adorn its walls and columns.

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

Free morning in Siem Reap.

After lunch (free) and checking out of our rooms, road transfer to Battambang.

On the way, discover the pagoda Wat Slaket and Ek Phnom, an 11th century sandstone Brahmanical temple now in ruins. It was ransacked by the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot, and looted by the Vietnamese at liberation. A place steeped in history.

Take advantage of our passage to linger over the immense statue of the seated Buddha that stands near these ruins.

Once we arrive at our destination, we settle into the hotel before heading out for the final visits of the day.

South of Battambang, visit the Banon temple erected at the top of a hill which offers you, after climbing 358 steps, a lovely panorama of the Cambodian countryside. Passing through traditional villages lining the road, we can witness the family-made rice cake production and converse with locals about their daily life.

We finally set out to discover the temple of Phnom Sampov, "the ship-hill" where we stay until sunset to observe the flight of the bats and their incredible choreography towards the sky.

Traveling by bike is an excellent way to meet local communities, so our morning will be devoted to a guided bicycle tour through beautiful Cambodian countryside. This authentic immersion in a rural setting will allow us to visit a Buddhist temple with a dark history, observe the daily life of villagers and discover some of the region's artisanal productions (bamboo cake, rice wine, banana chips, fish paste, rice paper…).

Rich exchanges full of smiles await us during this itinerary. Half-day bike tour with an English-speaking local guide; the total route is 20km on flat terrain at a very leisurely pace.

In the morning, return by car to Phnom Penh.

About ten kilometers from Kampong Chhnang, admire the craftsmanship of the pottery artisans. The traditional village has been renowned for centuries for the quality of its clay pots sold throughout the country.

The tools have certainly modernized but the craftsmanship and techniques passed down from generation to generation remain.

Upon your arrival in Phnom Penh, you join the meeting point to take the ferry to the silk island Koh Dach. This island of 20,000 inhabitants in the middle of the Mekong is known for its silk weaving craftsmanship.

You discover this pleasant and authentic island on foot or by bike in nature, among fruit trees, fields and the banks of the Mekong with even a small beach set up for swimming.

First, you visit the silk factory Chamka Sne, where you can observe the different stages of silk production, from silkworm farming to thread weaving. Along the way, you can also observe a large number of pagodas.

Road transfer to Kep, a charming seaside town renowned for its crab market and national park perfect for a lovely walk.

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!

In the morning or early afternoon, transfer by road to Phnom Penh.

Upon arrival at your destination, we check into the hotel; the rest of the day is free. Free program before our transfer to Phnom Penh International Airport.