Overview
Karl began working in Cambodia back in 2001. In 2013, he moved to Siem Reap Cambodia to live full time. Now, after more than 7 years in residence, he’s excited to share with you the things he loves most about his adopted country. This unique trip provides an inside look at authentic Cambodia, an experience that most visitors to Cambodia miss. Explore hidden jungle temples far from Siem Reap devoid of tourists. Stroll through French Colonial Battambang with its charming markets, villages, and the surrounding rice fields, considered the rice basket of Cambodia. Witness the playful pink dolphins and rushing waterfalls of the Mekong River and ply the floating fishing villages of Southeast Asia’s largest lake, the Tonle Sap, This is a trip for those with an adventurous spirit and a genuine desire to understand the “real Cambodia”. Although we’ll be staying in some fantastic hotels, we will also experience homestays and local hotels where we will choose “best available” accommodations. Don’t miss this opportunity to get to know Cambodia, the friendly, hardworking Khmer people, and the amazing temples of the lost Angkorian civilization.
Itinerary
(SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Days 1, 2 & 3:
We start our trip by enjoying the best of Siem Reap and its environs, including Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Ta Prom, traditional weaving, and the floating villages of the Tonle Sap. Overnights in Siem Reap.
Days 4 & 5:
Head to Battambang by private boat, passing through Prek Toal, a bird sanctuary located within the Tonlé Sap Biosphere Reserve. In Battambang, we ride the bamboo train, visit a working rice mill, and witness the evening flight of thousands of bats at Phnom Sampeou all while staying at a beautiful resort in Cambodia’s second-largest city, and home to Cambodia’s best-preserved French architecture. Overnights in Battambang.
Day 6:
Explore Banteay Chhmar temple, a remote, seldom visited Angkorian temple complex that is currently on the UNESCO “tentative list”, being considered for UNESCO World Heritage designation. Here, we’ll have the opportunity to do a traditional Cambodian homestay. Overnight at a homestay near the temple.
Day 7:
Stop to see Pol Pot’s cremation site and his jungle-clad underground bunker on the Thai border as we learn about Cambodia’s dark period of the mid-1970s when millions of Cambodians perished at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. Overnight in Preah Vihear.
Day 8:
Visit remote Preah Vihear Temple. Preah Vihear is an ancient Khmer temple built during the period of the Khmer Empire, that is situated atop a 525-meter cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains, in the Preah Vihear province, Cambodia on the border of Thailand. Overnight at Preah Vihear.
Day 9:
Drive to the beautiful Koh Kher temple in the morning, then photograph the Khon Phapheng waterfalls north of Stung Treng on the Laotian border. Khon Phapheng means “four thousand islands”. This impressive waterfall complex is home to some of the bravest fishermen on the Mekong River. Overnight at a resort in Stung Treng.
Days 10 & 11:
Take a boat ride to visit the endangered Irrawaddy Dolphins near Kratie. About fifteen to twenty of these rare freshwater dolphins make their home on a beautiful stretch of the Mekong River near a small set of rapids. They make upward arches, breaking the surface of the water as they swim about the area. Later we’ll visit a local Muslim community on the banks of the Mekong river. Overnights near Kratie.
Days 12, 13 & 14:
Finally, we head back to Siem Reap for our last few days when we have the opportunity to rest and relax before ending our tour with a farewell dinner including a private traditional Apsara dancer performance. Overnights in Siem Reap.
Day 15:
Guests are transported to the airport to catch their flights home.