Cambodia Tour 13 days: A deep insight

Morning you will be picked up at Poipet (Cambodia-Thailand border) by our Cambodia guide. From here we drive you to Sisophon. After lunch we will continue to head north to Banteay Chmar and discover this seldom visited temple which was one of the capitals of Jayavarman II. It was rebuilt by Jayavarman VII and dedicated to his son and four generals who were killed in the battle repelling a Cham Invasion in 1177. Continue to Samrong and transfer to your guest house. Dinner and overnight in Samrong
 

Depart to Preah Vihear via Anlong Veng, the last stronghold of The Khmer Rouge leaders and visit Ta Moks House and Pol Pot’s quarter. Continue to visit the majestic Preah Vihear Temple located near the Thai border and took over 300 years to complete the construction by a few famous Khmer king, was firstly built from 893 by the king Yasovarman I who ruled the country from 889 to probably 910. It dominates the plain from its prominent position in the Dangrek Mountains at an altitude of more than 700m and was only returned to Cambodia by a ruling of the International Court of Justice in The Hague in 1963 (previously occupied by the Thais. Descend Dangrek Mountain and continue to Tbeng Meanchey, city center of Preah Vihear. There’s not much to the town itself, which sprawls north for more than 2km from the traffic circle at its southern end, with wide, straight red-dirt roads laid out on a simple grid, thus it makes a useful place for an overnight stop en route to Preah Vihear. Dinner and overnight in Tbeng Meanchey

Today we will take the trip back to Siem Reap and stop to visit the remoted temples of Koh Ker. On the way you will have an excellent opportunity to observe the Cambodian countryside and local rural life After around two hours on car, you will arrive at the group of rediscovered temple of Koh Ker which was one of capital city of Angkor. The Koh Ker site is dominated by Prasat Thom, a 30 meter tall temple mountain raising high above the plain and the surrounding forest. Great views await you at the end of an adventurous climb. Garuda, carved into the stone blocks, still guard the very top, although they are partially covered now. Lunch and continue the road to Siem Reap. Arrival late in the afternoon. Overnight in Siem Reap.
 

Today, we will take the whole day to explore Angkor Highlighted Temples Complex.
Recognized as World’s Heritage Site, Angkor Complex was the largest and also the most important archaeologist sites in Southeast Asia. Stretching over 400 km2, including forested area, Angkor Complex contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. The Complex comprises numerous monuments in Khmer architecture which is naturalistic, complicated and full of symbols.
The first destination is Ta Prohm, which is nearly disappeared in jungle and seems to be abandoned with many ruins and surrounded tropical forests. It was a monastery and a Mahayanist Buddhism School, constructed by the king Khmer Jayavarman VII in late 12th century and early 13th century in Bayon architecture style. We continue to visit Angkor Wat, the largest religious heritage site all over the world. The King Khmer Jayavarman II constructed Angkor Wat in early 12th century as his own mausoleum. It is a mixture in 2 basic Khmer architectures: mountainous – temple architecture.
In the afternoon, we will continue to explore the mysterious Angkor Thom – the longest and the last capital of the Khmer Empire. Lying beside Tonle Sap Lake, it was constructed by the king Khmer Jayavarman VII in late 12th century in Bayon architecture. Then, we visit 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 those which was constructed under the reign of King Jayavarman VII.
You will be free until we pick you up to have a dinner with Apsara dance performance. Apsara is the Khmer traditionally cultural dance, created by the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, going back to the period of King Suryavarman II  in the 12th century. The Apsara was played by women wearing a tight-fitting traditional dress - the symbol which can be seen on many the carved Khmer sculptures. Nowadays, the Apsara is played by both men and women.
 

Breakfast at the hotel and take a bus drive for around 6 hours to transfer to Phnom Penh. In the afternoon we will visit the Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town, and the Silver Pagoda. Located within the grounds of the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor, which is made up of 5000 silver tiles. The treasures found inside include a solid gold Buddha encrusted and weighing 90kilograms and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha. End your afternoon with the visit of the Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh's namesake, from where you can enjoy views over the tree-lined avenues of the city during sunset. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Today we depart by road from Phnom Penh city to Takeo province (78Km from the city). Explore four caved into the walls before reaching four caves with shrines carved into the walls before reaching Phnom Da temple.  Visit Ashram Moharosei, an Indian style sandstone temple constructed in a style unlike any other temples in Cambodia. Picnic lunch provided at the side. Visit the museum of Angkor Borei where reproductions of objects found in the region are displayed. Overnight in Phnom Penh.
 

Today we take an early breakfast before visiting the Toul Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields a telling reminder of the tragic civil war Cambodians have recently been through. After this we transfer to Chambok Community-the based ecotourism site next to Kirirom National Park, taking about 2 hour-driving from Phnompenh. We start to walk or ride the ox-cart to go around the village. Lunch will be provided on site, then we continue walking into the jungle at the north of the village, which is protected by the community. It will require you a little bit climbing a 40-meter-high rocky hill to take a sight to all of villages and forests beneath. You can even swimming in the natural pool until late afternoon and we return to the village for dinner and overnight.
 

After breakfast we transfer from Kirirom foothill to Sihanoukville, Cambodia's foremost beach resort with fantastic views over the Gulf of Thailand on-route. The afternoon is free to explore the area's beaches before dining at night at a local sea food restaurant. Overnight in Sihanoukville.
 

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before transferring to ream National Park, only 20 kilometres from Sihanoukville. Located just about 18 km from downtown Sihanoukville, there is no man-made intervention spoiling the park. Ream National Park was constructed in 1993 under the effort of Government in protecting endangered wildlife. The ecosystem in the park includes: mangroves, beaches, wildlife animals, coral reefs, marine lives,…
A local guide will join us for a short trek through the jungle paths, pointing out the varied flora and fauna, beautiful creeks, mangroves and wildlife. We will walk to the beach where a boat awaits to take us to Koh Sam Pouch. Enjoy lunch on the quiet white sand beaches and take a swim before boarding the boat again and heading to the Koh Dam Mangroves. Here our transportation awaits to bring us back to Sihanoukville. Overnight in Sihanoukville 

We depart for Kampot today, a quiet colonial town with great views over the river and the Damrei Mountains. Upon arrival in Kampot, take a short tour before getting on the bicycles for an eight kilometre ride out of town. In the afternoon we visit the rapids of Toek Chhou where, water level permitting, it is possible to swim. Overnight in Kampot.
 

Today we ride to road 25 kilometers towards the beach resort of Kep. Upon arrival in Kep, transfer to our hotel which overlooks the Gulf of Thailand. After check-in we head for Koh Tonsai (Rabbit Island) by boat, where you can swim in a crystal water, walking along or even sunbathing on the beach with white sand. What a romantic scenery! You can take your time to relax, having lunch with grilled seafood and then back to Kep. Overnight in Kep
 

Today we transfer through the stunning countryside back to Phnom Penh, arriving just in time for lunch. After lunch you are free to explore the town further or ask to be transferred to the famous Russian Market where you will find an eclectic array of items on sale. Farewell diner in local restaurant. Overnight in Phnom Penh