Angkor to the Beach

Siem Reap

Upon your arrival in Siem Reap, you will be welcomed by your local English speaking guide who will accompany you to your hotel for check-in.

Spend the afternoon at leisure with a visit to the Old Market. The riverside market has dozens of souvenir stalls offering a fairly wide range of souvenirs. The opposite side of the market carries items of interest primarily to locals, and also harbours dozens of small food stalls serving various inexpensive local foods that gastronomically adventurous visitors may find inviting. The central aisle, where fruits, vegetables and meat are sold, is colourful and very photogenic. The Old Market is also an important landmark as several restaurants, hotels, bars and shops are in the area.

Siem Reap

Begin your day early with a visit to Angkor Park. Start with Ta Prohm, the temple made famous by the Angelina Jolie film Tomb Raider, which is otherwise best known for the trees and vines growing atop the temple walls. The temple is a perfect example of how nature has crept in and reclaimed its land after the fall of the Angkorian empire. Enter from the east, just as the temple opens, to avoid the crowds.

After exploring Ta Prohm, the next temple you’ll wish to visit is Bayon, the forested grounds are beautiful in the morning. The temple is at the centre of Angkor Thom city, built by the last great king: Jayavarman VII. Next, take a stroll around the lower galleries of carvings of Bayon, which depict fascinating scenes of life from the late 11th century, then find a quiet spot on the exterior of the temple to appreciate the 54 towers featuring faces of the Buddha looking out into the jungle around you.

In the afternoon, visit APOPO visitor’s centre for an exclusive tour of this fascinating and life-saving organization. Learning about the devastating impact of explosives that lie buried in the Cambodian countryside and get first-hand experience about this creative solution to the problem. 

Siem Reap

Today embark on an authentic rural Cambodia tour to learn about life in a typical village. Meet friendly locals and discover traditional village customs and cultures.

Like most villages in Asia, Ta Brak is busiest in the morning hours. Sit down with a local family and enjoy breakfast (take-away from the hotel) while observing the activities of the village. Visit the local market and explore the colourful displays of vegetables, herbs and other locally-grown produce, and mingle with the shoppers who come every morning to buy the fresh ingredients.

Continue through the village, providing ample opportunities to stop and chat with locals and to observe their activities. Depending on the time of year, they may be planting rice, weaving thatch coverings for their roofs, harvesting vegetables, or other similar tasks. 

Before leaving the village, head to Khmer smokehouse and meet a welcoming warm family. Learn the process of smoking fish, discover Cambodian rural life through stories shared amidst fragrant smoke. Over a fresh coconut juice, get to know the family, engage in discussions, and gain a better understanding of the countryside lifestyle in Cambodia. Conclude the morning, by partaking in a special Buddhist tradition. Local monks will impart wishes of good luck and success in a solemn, age-old ceremony.

Continue to Sacha, a local enterprise where craftsmen and women find a safe and clean space to work as well as receive training to further hone their talent and grow themselves into artistic entrepreneurs. Walk through the serene, natural gardens and watch the artists carve stone, wood, weave baskets, paint and more while your guide explains some specific traits about each field of work and how the enterprise supports the Cambodian artists. You will also have the opportunity for a little retail therapy if you wish to do so.

End the day by visiting Angkor Wat, as the only west-facing temple, it is best to visit and photograph in the late afternoon, enjoy the uppermost platform and admire the setting sun shining over this amazing temple.

Siem Reap

Drive to the outskirts of Siem Reap, past expansive rice fields and through local villages where rice and fish can frequently be spotted drying alongside the road. We will stop at a small but vibrant local market along the way. 

Next, board a private, local wooden vessel for a boat trip along a canal that leads to the Tonle Sap Lake. As we cruise along the canal you will see houses on either side: depending on the time of the visit, the houses will either have immediate access to the water or stand perched on stilts high above the ground, a phenomena caused by the annual rising and receding waters of the Tonle Sap Lake, Southeast Asia’s largest lake. Pass by the boats and nets used by local fishermen, some of whom will be fishing in the waters through which the boat passes. Nearing the lake, see floating houses that move location with the annual ebb and flow of the lake’s waters. 

Along the way, gain a better understanding of the local lifestyle with lunch in a family house. This is a unique opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the way of life of the local people - sitting inside a stilted house while watching the boats pass outside. 

Spend the rest of the afternoon free at leisure to enjoy the city on your own or rest at the hotel. 

(Note: Due to fluctuating water levels on the lake and canals, the village visited will depend on the date and water levels at that time. As it’s a local community experience, the boats are older wooden boats).

Siem Reap - Koh Russey

After breakfast transfer to the airport for your flight to Sihanoukville. Transfer directly to The Ream Lounge Pier and take a short boat ride across to Koh Russey Resort.

Koh Russey

Spend time relaxing on the beach and making the most of the hotel facilities.

Koh Russey - Phnom Penh