Cambodia Overland 15 days

This trip takes you on an amazing overland journey throughout the country and is a perfect choice for who has more time & truly feels interested in this mystery land.

15 days 14 nights

Cambodia

Classic Highlights

Attractions

Battambang - Phnom Penh - Kep

Duration

15 days 14 nights

Code

CAC9

Overview

Overview

The Cambodia Overland tour is a 15-day adventure that allows you to explore the highlights of Cambodia. You will start in Siem Reap and discover the world-renowned World Heritage Site Angkor Wat, with its ancient capital city Angkor Thom and other fascinating attractions. You will also visit the pretty temple of Banteay Srei, take an ox-cart ride through rice paddies, and enjoy a special kayaking activity through the Mechrey village during Oct to Feb.

You will travel from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh through the rural areas of Cambodia and visit the famous sites, such as the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and Tuol Sleng Museum. You will also take an excursion to Rabbit Island and enjoy BBQ fresh seafood, go on a boat ride in Ream National Park and relax at Sihanouville beach.

The tour offers a half-day cycling tour in Battambang to visit traditional villages, giving you a chance to learn about the local culture and lifestyle. You will also have a chance to watch the traditional Apsara performance and dine at the Crystal restaurant.

Overall, the Cambodia Overland tour is a great way to experience the history, culture, and natural beauty of Cambodia while enjoying delicious cuisine, meeting friendly locals, and exploring the country at a leisurely pace.

Highlights

Explore Siem Reap & World Heritage Site Angkor Wat. Visit the ancient capital city Angkor Thom and many attractions inside its walls
Travel to the pretty temple of Banteay Srei “Citadel of the Women”.
Enjoy the dinner in Crystal restaurant with Apsara Performance.
Escape from the bustling city, take 30-minute old mean vehicle ox-cart ride through the rice paddies to see the local family’s activities & take part in family lunch to know more about the village life
From Oct to Feb, get to know the Mechrey village by our special activity – Kayaking through houses, schools and even shops all sit bobbing on the water
Enjoy the beautiful scenery en route from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap though the rural areas of Cambodia – Kampong Chang, Kampong Luang & Battambang
Experience half day cycling tour in Battambang to visit the traditional villages
Learn more about the culture & history of the capital Phnom Penh by visiting the most famous sites Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, Tuol Sleng Museum
Take an excursion to Rabbit Island for relaxation and enjoy the BBQ fresh seafood in Rabbit island
Join a boat ride in Ream National Park, view the mangrove forest
Relax at the natural Sihanouville beach - situated in the center of a small peninsula on the Gulf of Thailand

Itinerary

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Upon arrival, you will be warmly welcomed by our guide outside the terminal and transferred to the hotel for check-in or luggage drop off if the room is yet to be ready for you. During the transfer, our guide will give you the introduction of Siem Reap City and general information about traffic, currency, shopping area and more. We will drive you around the city through Sivutha Street, Old Market/Pub Street and Wat Damnak bridge before going to your hotel so that you will have a good idea on where to spend at your own leisure time. Free time at your own leisure at the hotel

7am, drive to the rural outskirt 35km from Angkor area to visit the smallest, but magnificent, Banteay Srei built in the 10th Century and dedicated to Shiva. The temple was the birthplace of Khmer classical style architecture and the pink sandstone structure bears a series of striking and beautiful sculptures, lintels, pediments and friezes.
Continue to the ancient Khmer civilization site of Hariharalaya which flourished in the late 9th and earlier 10th centuries. These are the earliest temples in the Angkor area and are referred to the Rolous group we visit the main one called Bakhong temple. Lunch is hosted at the local family, a great chance to chat with the survivor former village chief during Khmer Rouge regime.

Enjoy sunset with a bottle of champagne in the rice paddies (Place to set up the table is flexible depend on season and suggestion from guide). Enjoy the dinner in Crystal restaurant with Apsara Performance.

Beat the crowd early morning by 7am, visit the picturesque Ta Prohm. The magnificent roots of a tree, pushing between the huge stone blocks of the temple in a sort of embrace, evoke feelings that you may remember forever. And continue to visit the intricately carved Khmer ruins at Angkor Wat - one of the world’s most impressive ruins. The temple still owns fine Apsara carvings in Angkorian era art. Lunch is own account.

Afternoon, explore the mysterious Royal city Angkor Thom. City & Bayon Its 54-tower temple is an awesome sight. At first glance it seems a shapeless mass of stone, but further scrutiny reveals a face, and then another and another until suddenly you are engulfed by the silent, heavy, enigmatic and silent gaze through half-closed eyes, staring out from a primitive and remote time. Further, visit to the surroundings of the complex including the Baphou, Elephant Terraces, Lepper King Terrace and Royal Place area and visit one more ruin in Angkor Area of Preah Khan temple, built in 12th century by King Jayavarman VII and it is the same style to Ta Prom Temple.

Morning transfer out of the Siem Reap town to a beautiful village in the countryside, you will start to walk through the village houses, witness with very nice and different activities from the locals for their daily life. Just as some examples: how the locals wash vehicles, selling gasoline in whiskey bottles or the small shops where the locals sell food on the side of small streets.

On the way, you can take some fruits from the plants, enjoy a view of this wonderful area and interact with very kindly people in the village, a 30-minute old mean vehicle ox-cart ride through the rice paddies to reach at one big local house to see how this family doing daily work such as making rice wine and handicraft works meanwhile the member of the family will offer you of fresh coconut and some manmade rice wine to taste. Lunch is served at this clean and basic hygiene village house while chatting with the family to get in-depth understanding of the village life. Hop in your van for driving onward to the next destination, a floating community, Mechrey village where you take Kayak through houses, schools and even shops all sit bobbing on the water — though not in the dry season — as locals paddle around in traditional wooden boats. (Recommended from October – February)

Transfer onwards to Battambang and check into your hotel upon arrival late afternoon. Lunch is at hotel (own account). Enjoy the hotel facilities and relax until taken to experience the best element of Battamang.
Enjoy bamboo train just before the sun goes down. Battambang is all about the arts scene as much as it is the typical sites and the architecture is quite simply stunning.
Tonight you are recommended to visit Lotus Bar and Gallery or Bric a Brac for a glass of wine following by the dinner at Jaan Bai restaurant (own account). The menu was created by a Michelin Star chef who resides in Bangkok, Thailand.

Spend your day exploring the countryside around Battambang on a bicycle visiting Cambodian families who produce traditional products (such as rice paper, dried bananas, bamboo sticky rice, and rice wine), made in the same way they have been for generations. You will learn first-hand about everyday life in rural communities which make up over 70% of Cambodia’s population. Lunch is in town (own arrangement).
Visit to the well preserved 11th century Angkorian temple of Prasat Phnom Banan, located atop a hill bearing the same name. After climbing the 350+ steps you are treated to a peaceful setting with superb views across the surrounding countryside.
End of the day with a visit to Phnom Sampeau, which is a massive limestone outcrop that is dissected by a number of caves of which some are more accessible than others. Some caves contain unexpected reminders of Cambodia’s turbulent history. Every evening at nightfall, thousands of bats make their way out of caves in the hillside to feed before returning at dawn. This natural phenomenon really is a "must see" for the visitor.

Bid farewell to Battambang and drive 3 hours further southeast to the seldom visited Kampong Chnnang, well known for its fine clay pottery. The name of the province says it all in Khmer; Kampong Chhnang means "Port of Pottery". The people of this province enjoy making pots, vases and various others types of ceramics during the off harvest seasons.

Learn how the community makes pottery the traditional way and observe how sugar is collected from the sugar palm trees. Let your guide assist you with translating if you are interested to learn more about village life.
Continue to Kampong Luong which is a silversmith village. Observe silversmiths creating ornate and fashionable silver objects. Arrive into your hotel, check in and remain of the day is free at your own leisure.

The capital city of Phnom Penh was once considered the loveliest city of Indochina. Despite its recent turbulent history, it still maintains considerable charm. A city tour acquaints us with some major sights of Phnom Penh. Visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and then the National Museum, which is dedicated exclusively to Khmer art and sculpture. The majority of the exhibits are from the Angkor period from 9th to 15th century, but some date from as early as the 4th century. The private quarters of the Royal Palace are now home to the royal family and are therefore very close to the public. At the northern area of the palace grounds is Silver Pagoda, the most sacred temple in the country.

The peaceful stretch of green fields of Cheung Ek may not indicate what kinds of horrors have taken place there. Situated 17km from Phnom Penh town, Cheung Ek was made famous by the movie “The Killing Fields”. Nowadays, a large memorial has been built to commemorate the 17,000 victims who died here under the reign of Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot. The remnants inside the memorial and the mass graves that dot the area remind you of the suffering of the victims. This journey into Cambodia’s past will provide you with a background on the cruelty of the Khmer Rouge regime. It will also give you an appreciation of the struggle that Cambodian people have faced and their tremendous courage to move on and rebuild their nation. We continue to one of the city’s lively open markets, Psar Toul Tom Pong, all called the “Russian Market”, where anything and everything is for sales! In the later afternoon we enjoy the boat cruise 1 hour along the Mekong River to view the sunset.

Pickup at your hotel in Phnom Penh, Heading out of town we visit the Tonle Bati with Ta Prohm and Prasat Yeay Pov Temple and will stop for lunch at Meas Family Home which is in Ta Keo province. After lunch we visit the local houses and learning about the particular culture from this village, embark on local boat to visit the Phnom Da & Angkor Borei and continue to Kep with another 1 hour driving.

Before breakfast, today at 06:00am we will go deeper to learn more about the life of Cambodian people living along the southern coastline which is based on agriculture mainly. Walking through one of the villages and see the early morning activities of the local people trading in small market and activities in the rice field. By then the arm giving to Buddhist Monk will be arranged in one of the local family. 08:30 you will be returned to hotel for breakfast and then we do an excursion to Rabbit Island for relaxation and enjoy the BBQ fresh seafood until late afternoon we return to hotel in Kep.

Breakfast at hotel, visit to the pepper plantation, rice field, and ancient cave in Phnom Chngouk, lunch will be provided at local restaurant in Kampot province. We continue to Sihanouk Ville and stop to take the boat ride in Ream National Park, view the mangrove forest. Drop off at hotels in Sihanouk Ville. And remainder of the day is free at leisure for swimming and relaxation on the beach

Two full days are your leisure to enjoy Sihanoukville. Relax with a massage on the beach, head to one of the nearby islands for some snorkeling. Overnight in Sihanoukville

Today is at your leisure before checking out and transferring back to Phnom Penh midday or transfer to Phnom Penh airport for your flight home. End of our service

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Trip notes

Tour includes:

Accommodation in a double or twin share room with daily breakfast
Private air-conditioned vehicle during all tours and transfers.
Entrance fees for all visits as mentioned in the itinerary
Experienced English speaking guide during all tours and transfers
Meals as specified in the itinerary
Apsara Dinner show
Ox-Cart ride
Local private boat, Kayak
Bamboo train
Cooking class
Water & cool towels
Government taxes & service charge

Tour excludes:

Cambodia Visa stamp fee: USD 30/ person
International airfare and departure taxes
Meals, if not specified in the itinerary
Early check in/ late check out
Domestic flights and domestic airport taxes
Gala dinner on 24th and 31st December if any
Surcharge for Peak season
Drinks and meal not mentioned
Personal expenses such as laundry, telephone, drinks… etc.
Personal travel insurance (we highly recommend that you purchase adequate insurance).
Gratuities/ Tipping
All other services not specified in the itinerary