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Passage through Cambodia Laos to Cambodia overland - Angkor Wat and Killing FieldsAfter Laos you'll travel to Cambodia overland. In Cambodia you'll find a very genuine and untainted Asia; endless green (rice) paddy-fields, an open, honest and curious population and the mystical cultural heritage of the Khmers. The temples, palaces and tombs of these Khmers are a few of the world's most miraculous structures and they are sure to leave a lasting impression on you. Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are typical Asian cities with an abundance of Eastern allure and a tumultuous past. |
Duration | 6 days / 5 nights | Accommodation | Basic accommodation in small towns and standard hotels in larger cities (see accommodation) |
Price | £395 per person - based on 2 people | Included | All transport mentioned in the daily itinerary, accommodation with breakfast, guides |
Transport | Minibus, air-conditioned car and hydrofoil | Excluded | Other meals and drinks, entrance fee to Angkor |
Day 1: Phnom Penh - no activities plannedAfter leaving Laos for Cambodia, one of our representatives will be waiting to pick you up at Phnom Penh airport. You'll find scores of rickshaw drivers waiting at the jetty to take you to your hotel for just $1. The rest of the day is free of planned activities and free to spend as you wish; a tour of the city will take place on the second day of this travel module.Penh is a very interesting city with lots of historic colonial buildings and a great atmosphere. Compared to other Cambodian cities it’s quite modern with paved roads, modern shops, a beautiful boulevard and many cash machines. You can visit the Cambodia National Museum, which was built in 1917 and houses an impressive collection of Khmer artefacts. Phnom Penh actually means the hill (Phnom) of Penh. Legend has it that a woman named Penh found four Buddha statues that had been washed up by the Mekong river, and placed these statues in a small shrine. This shrine still exists in what is now the Wat Phnom. In the afternoon, climb the hill to the temple. Market stalls now line the hill and little monkeys run amok. You’ll be staying in a small, comfortable hotel in Phnom Penh. |
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Day 2: Phnom Penh - Tuol Sleng Museum and Killing Fields monumentToday on the Laos to Cambodia overland you'll be visiting Phnom Penh's major attractions with your guide. You'll visit the Silver Pagoda and the National Palace but you'll also see the haunting remnants of the Pol Pot regime at the Tuol Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields. In 1975 the Red Khmer invaded the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. Pol Pot became prime minister of Cambodia and made a very cruel and bloody attempt to turn Cambodia into a communist agricultural state. Cities were destroyed and everyone was forced to become a farmer. Currency, education, religion and private property were abolished. From this point on marriages were arranged and children were separated from their parents. Anyone who did not cooperate was executed. Intellectuals and college-graduates were also executed; even wearing glasses or speaking a second language was enough to make someone a suspect. Pol Pot did not believe in their ideas and considered them annoying nuisances.The Tuol Sleng Museum is an incredibly moving museum. It confronts visitors quite directly with Cambodia's brutal past by means of a series of photographs. An old primary school was used as a prison for torturing political enemies during the rule of the Red Khmer. For many this was their last stop before they were taken to the mass graves of the Killing Fields, located just outside of Phnom Penh in an orchard. Over 17000 people were killed. The Silver Pagoda, or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is famous for its solid silver floor, made up of 5000 silver tiles weighing over 1kg each. At the Aspara Foundation in Phnom Penh poor Cambodian children can take singing and entertaining lessons. Opening hours permitting, your guide will take you to see this interesting project. You'll be staying another night in your small, comfortable hotel. |
Day 3: Phnom Penh - Siem ReapOn this morning you'll travel by hydrofoil over the Tonle Sap Lake and the river with the same name and on to Siem Reap. A car will take you to the boat pier. The trip should take about 5 hours, which is much shorter than the trip would take by road, however it's best to count on the trip to Siem Reap taking most of the day. During the trip you can sit on the roof of the boat and enjoy the view of life on the mighty lake and its banks. Keep in mind that the sun reflecting on the water increases the risk of sunburn, even when skies are cloudy. It's also possible to sit inside in the air conditioned cabin. You'll cross Cambodia's largest lake which eventually pours into a river. In some areas the lake is kilometres wide, in other areas only dozens of metres. This is why at times you'll enjoy a view of the wide open water and other times you'll see houses and the people that live on the water. Villages on poles, floating islands, boats, rafts, cormorants, playing children on the banks of the lake and river and pigs in floating cages will pass you by. On arrival in Siem Reap you'll be greeted by a mass of pushy hotel representatives. Luckily your own guide will be waiting for you, carrying a sign with your name on it, and he will take you to your hotel. The hotel is located in the centre of town, has very spacious air conditioned rooms and has a friendly staff. |
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Day 4: Angkor - visit with guideToday you will visit part of the Angkor temple complex with your guide. You'd need a couple of days to cover the whole Angkor complex; the dozens of temples are scattered across an area over 25 square km. You could wander through the temples, statues and ruins forever but make sure to stay on the paths, as there are lots of mines in this area. The temples date from different periods as each ruler built his own temple, which gives each temple a unique character. The most famous temple Angkor Wat is strongly Hindu influenced, whereas Angkor Thom is more Buddhist. After a day of temples and culture you’ll be spending another night at your hotel in Siem Reap. |
Day 5: Angkor - independent visitToday you can spend another day exploring Angkor on your own. Angkor is the name of the ancient capital of the Khmer empire which was founded in the 8th century AD. The empire stretched all the way to southern Vietnam and China. Later it was the Siamese empire of the Thai that ruled the area and brought many Buddhist influences to the region. Siem Reap literally means ‘conquest by Siam’ so it’s rather noble of the Khmer to have kept the name to this day. The temples were once surrounded by a thriving city filled with wooden houses. Sadly they’re long gone but the temples themselves are magnificent enough. For centuries the city was overgrown by jungle until the ruins were discovered by French explorers in 1900. Several temples have been restored but others are still overgrown. At the Ta Prohm temple for example you can see how the jungle still has a hold on the buildings. Giant trees tower over them and the roots have wrapped themselves around the temple walls. It’s a strange but impressive sight. You’ll be spending another night in Siem Reap. |
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OPTION 1 Day 6: Siem Reap - BangkokThe quickest way to get to Bangkok is by our own Siem Reap – Bangkok express. You’ll be picked up at your hotel in Siem Reap in the morning and transferred to the Cambodian border. After a 5-hour drive you’ll arrive in the little town of Poipet where you can collect the necessary stamps and cross the border on foot. Here you’ll find your new Thai driver waiting to take you to Bangkok by minibus. It’s another 5-hour drive through beautiful green countryside and small rural villages. You’ll arrive in Bangkok late afternoon, marking the end of this module.OPTION 2 Day 6: Siem Reap - Battambang If you have more time and would like to end your trip on the paradise beaches of Ko Chang, this is the best option. You'll be picked up at your hotel in the morning and taken to the jetty just outside of Siem Reap where you'll board a boat to Battambang, your next destination. Along the way you'll pass floating villages filled with waving children. You'll travel through small waterways and later on you'll travel across the mighty Tonle Sap Lake. At the end of the afternoon you'll arrive in Battambang. Here you can on a ride on a bamboo train. The train is little more than a bamboo raft and a carriage that has been placed on a train track; it is however a traditional mode of transport for this area. The train trip will take you through rice fields and will give you a glimpse of traditional country life and houses on wooden poles. Battambang is a provincial city with a lively market where people come from all around to stock up on ingredients for their meals. You'll spend the night in a comfortable but basic hotel across from the local market. |
Day 7: Battambang - Trat - BangkokYou'll head out of Battambang for the Thai border quite early in the morning. You'll travel by private car since the roads in this area are quite poor. After a bumpy 3-hour drive you'll reach the border. Having collected your exit stamp for your passport, you can take one last look at Cambodia over your shoulder and cross the border by foot. You'll be amazed to see that the border is nothing more than two small offices across from each other and a gate between them. On the Thai side of the border another driver will be waiting to take you to Trat. The difference between Cambodia and Thailand will be noticeable immediately when you set foot on Thai soil; the roads are much better in Thailand. The sandy road you crossed in Cambodia will transform into a paved road, making the trip to Trat much more enjoyable. |
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Laos to Cambodia overland |
