Temples & Trekking in Ratanakiri

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 ready yet, we can leave our luggage at the reception before going for a walk around the city or resting by the pool.

Day trip by tuk-tuk

In the morning, depart by road with your driver for Ratanakiri, one of the most natural and remote provinces of Cambodge where many minorities live. Upon arrival in Banlung, the provincial capital, check-in at your hotel and rest.

Then, transfer by road to Steung Treng, a quiet small town situated on a sandy bank overlooking the Mekong, at the confluence with the Sé Kong River. Hotel check-in.

We stay at the Mekong Bird Resort, a charming small family establishment nestled in nature and on the waterfront.

Transfer to Preah Vihear province.

Transfer to Siem Reap, an essential stop during your stay in Cambodge. The city-province is home to the extraordinary Angkor temples and the immense Tonlé Sap Lake.

Upon arrival at your hotel, check-in and rest/free time.

Along the way, discover Koh Ker, capital of Cambodge during a brief period in the 10th century. You visit in particular Prasat Thom, a temple-mountain 30 m high and Prasat Pram, known for its brick towers and elegant sculptures. You will also visit the Linga temple of the same site, a fascinating sanctuary dedicated to the Hindu divinity Shiva, famous for its impressive sculptures and stone lingas which symbolize fertility.

Then visit the temple Beng Mealea devoured by the roots of strangler ficus trees. It served as a backdrop for the film "Two Brothers" filmed in 2004 by Jean-Jacques Annaud.

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 peak 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 the Elephants and its great diversity of sculptures as well as the Terrace of the Leper King.

Let us 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 intentionally 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 start of the day so he can best arrange the schedule.

Possibility to do the visits in reverse order to avoid the crowds. Simply let your guide know at the beginning 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 the sculptures or to sit on temple elements.

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

It is inadvisable to buy items or sweets from child vendors, this only encourages begging and truancy, prefer a donation to an association 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 never touch them, they have the right to touch you but not the other way around.

We then begin the short hiking trail needed to reach the Kbal Spean site nicknamed "the temple under water", 49 km north of Angkor. Ruins of temples dating from the 9th century border a river whose bed is scattered with sculpted lingas. A nurturing source for Angkor, the waters of Kbal Spean once irrigated the rice fields of the ancient city. In its bed, the Khmers sculpted Shiva statues and stone squares used to bless the waters before they reached the Royal City. The site was discovered in 1968 by ethnologist Jean Boulbet from Ariège, 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 and even 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.

Bring hiking shoes or 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 to the hotel directly.

In the morning, transfer by road to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodge. We first head towards Kampong Thom, halfway between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Along the way, we make a detour towards the village of Kampong Kleang located on Tonlé Sap Lake, approximately 1.5 hours drive from Siem Reap. We board a private boat there to discover and visit this floating village that lives primarily from fishing

On the way after hitting the road, be bold to fully enjoy a brief "gastronomic" stop in the town of Skun, famous for its spiders and grilled insects.

Upon arrival in Phnom Penh, our driver drops us off at the hotel for our check-in.

The rest of the day is free

Free program before our transfer to Phnom Penh International Airport. We will need to check out of our room before noon. If our flight is in the evening, we can leave our luggage at the hotel reception for a last stroll around the city.