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8 Days SMALL GROUP Departure Phnom Penh to Battambang and Siem Reap

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8 Days SMALL GROUP Departure Phnom Penh to Battambang and Siem Reap
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8 Days SMALL GROUP Departure Phnom Penh to Battambang and Siem Reap

Explore our carefully selected highlights of Cambodia on this short but compelling tour of the Khmer Kingdom, whilst staying in charming boutique hotels. After checking out the cosmopolitan capital Phnom Penh travel overland to the provincial town of Battambang to see local lifestyles and explore the surrounding countryside. Continue your journey to the lively city of Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor. Spend the first day at Angkor visiting the most significant temples close to the city, then head off paste with a trip to the remote temples of Beng Mealea and Koh Ker

Itinerary

Day 1: Day 1: Welcome to Phnom Penh

Stop At: Independence Monument, City Centre, Phnom Penh Cambodia
Fly to Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA
Meet & Greet: Welcome to Cambodia. Upon arrival in Phnom Penh, obtain your Cambodia visa (please refer to your Special Program Note), and then clear Immigration and Customs. After collecting your baggage, exit the airport to meet outside a local Guide of Global Travel & Tours. He/she will be holding a sign with your names on it. Please note that local guides are not allowed inside the airport.
Private transfer: From the airport, you will be privately transferred to your lovely boutique hotel. This city was once considered one of the most beautiful in Orient, and despite its recent turbulent history it still retains a colonial charm. Settle in and enjoy the evening at your leisure.
Tour begins: La Rose Suites Boutique Hotel at 6:0o PM. Please join us this evening to meet your Global Travel & Tours Guide and your fellow travelers at our welcome cocktail reception and dinner.
Duration: 15 minutes

Meals included:
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Lodging: La Rose Suite Boutique Hotel (Deluxe Room) – Phnom Penh
Meals included: Dinner

Day 2: Day 2: Phnom Penh

Stop At: Royal Palace, Sothearos between Street 240 & 184, Phnom Penh Cambodia
Begin your exploration of Phnom Penh drive to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek (16 km south of Phnom Penh). Between 1975 and 1978 about 17,000 men, women, children and infants (including nine westerners) detained and tortured at S-21 prison were transported to the extermination camp of Choeung Ek. They were often bludgeoned to death to avoid wasting precious bullets. Fragments of human bone and bits of cloth are scattered around the disinterred pits. Over 8,000 skulls, arranged by sex and age, are visible behind the clear glass panels of the Memorial Stupa, which was erected in 1988. You'll then continue to visit the notorious Tuol Sleng Museum. In 1975 Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot's security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). It soon became the largest such center of detention and torture in the country. More than 17,000 people held at S-21 were taken to the extermination camp at Choeung Ek to be executed; detainees who died during torture were buried in mass graves in the prison ground. Room after room the museum displays photographs of men, women and children covering the walls from floor to ceiling; virtually all the people pictured were later killed. Next, continue visit the Russian Market (Psah Tuol Thom Pong), a lively outdoor market where you will find antiquities, silver and gold jewelry, gems, silk, kramas, stone and wood carvings, as well as T-Shirts, CDs and other souvenirs.
Enjoy our lunch at Romdeng Restaurant, included with our tour price.
After lunch, visit the Royal Palace built in 1866 by King Norodom. See the different structures of this pagoda-style compound and stroll in its beautiful garden. Visit the Silver Pagoda so named because of its floor that is comprised of 5,000 silver tiles. A gold Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha are also housed here. Next, visit the National Museum. Built in 1917 it is an exceptional example of traditional architecture and is exclusively devoted to preserving and displaying Khmer art and sculptures. Hundreds of pieces are housed here including both pre-and post-Angkorian pieces. Finish your tour at the city's namesake, Wat Phnom. Founded in 1373, the pagoda was built to house Buddhist relics washed ashore by the river. Later this afternoon enjoys one-hour sunset cruise on the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. The boat will pass past floating villages, providing great views of the city’s rapidly changing skyline.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
Duration: 1 minute

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Lodging: La Rose Suite Boutique Hotel (Deluxe Room) – Phnom Penh

Day 3: Day 3: Phnom Penh – Battambang

Stop At: Kompong Luong, Krakor Cambodia
Road journey from Phnom Penh to Battambang with sightseeing en route: Today, depart Phnom Penh for Battambang by overland transfer (290km. 4-5 hours’ drive). Journey to the busy riverside town of Kompong Chhnang where you stop to see the silversmith village and the pottery village. Continue drive to the small town of Krakor and turn off the main road to visit the incredible floating town of Kompong Luong. The largest floating community on the Tonle Sap Lake, there are almost 10,000 inhabitants living here. Everything floats on water, including the schools, the clinic, the shops and the petrol station. You will explore by boat and experience life in a real floating community untouched by mass tourism.
After lunch, drive to Pursat and visit the stone carving in Pursat. Later continue to Battambang, the second largest city in Cambodia. It is located on a rich and fertile plain, which provides much of the rice and other important crops for the country. Check into your lovely hotel and leave the rest of the afternoon free to soak up the atmosphere of this quixotic riverside town or walk through the town to discover its beautiful colonial architecture.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Lodging: Battambang Resort (Garden View Room) – Battambang

Day 4: Day 4: Battambang

Stop At: Phnom Sampeau, 57 Off NH, Battambang 02000 Cambodia
Full day tour of Battambang: After breakfast, drive along the picturesque Sangker River to Wat Slaket pagoda, the residence of the provincial Buddhist patriarch. Visit a Khmer Ancient House and make a stop to see the production of rice paper used for making spring rolls. Continue to visit Wat Ek Phnom. Visit the Provincial Museum and the local market. Next, transfer to a local village for a ride on the Bamboo Train. The train comprises of a simple bamboo platform on 4 wheels with a small motor, and was created by local villagers to facilitate the transportation of goods. Travel 8km on the train to the next village through beautiful landscape and rice paddies. On arrival at the village visit a workshop specializing in wooden sculpture.
Afternoon, visit Phare Ponleu Selpak, this centre supports around 30 orphans and trafficking victims and is schooling more than 1,200 pupils, over 400 of who study visual arts, music, Circus, drama and dance for leisure or vocational training. Then continue to visit Phnom Sampeau is the name given to a small mountain 8km outside of Battambang. It's elongated form means it runs parallel to the road which leads you there, it's dramatic limestone cliffs protruding from its otherwise forest cover. A charming village road leads you to the base of the mountain past a grand pagoda, a cave gaping from the rock face, and a carved Buddha's head built into the same rock face. Once on the winding road to the top, halfway up is a cave which was used by the Khmer Rouge to deposit bodies of its victims. Bones of these victims remain today, and the sight is a harsh reminder of Cambodia's recent history. Continue further to the top where there is a selection of modern pagodas and stunning views across some of Cambodia's most sublime landscapes. Enjoy a magnificent view of the surrounding plains until sunset.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Lodging: Battambang Resort (Garden View Room) – Battambang

Day 5: Day 5: Battambang – Siem Reap

Stop At: Angkor Wat, Sangkat Nokor Thum, Siem Reap Cambodia
Road journey to Siem Reap: This morning, we drive to Phnom Srok Village adjacent to the Baray is an agricultural Cambodian community, where silk yarn is pulled from boiled grubs and traditionally woven in looms under village house. Next, continue to Ang Trapaeng Thmor is a large Angkorian reservoir or Baray rebuilt by the Khmer Rouge and is still used today to irrigate the rice paddies to the south of the reservoir. In 2002 it was declared a Sarus Crane Reserve providing a crucial feeding ground for these near threatened and extremely elegant birds. It is now a haven for wildlife including the critically endangered Elds Deer, which emerges from the forest to drink as the waters recede during the dry season. Flocks of duck can be seen wheeling over the water while semi-submerged trees are laden with storks and pelicans and there are a couple of fruit bat colonies. Phnom Srok Village adjacent to the Baray is an agricultural Cambodian community, where silk yarn is pulled from boiled grubs and traditionally woven in looms under village house. Continue drive to the district of Puok to the Silk Farm. Learn the different stages of the complex process of producing handmade silk, including the growing of the mulberry trees, silk worm breeding, and training in the ancient craft of silk dyeing and weaving. From here you will be transferred to check into your hotel and enjoy the afternoon and evening at your leisure. Siem Reap by road. Siem Reap is the base for exploring the fabled temples of Angkor, the ancient capital of the Khmer empire.
Settle in and enjoy the afternoon and evening at your leisure.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
Duration: 3 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Lodging: Lotus Blanc Hotel (Deluxe Room) – Siem Reap

Day 6: Day 6: Siem Reap

Stop At: Ta Prohm, National Road #6 Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
These temples were built from the 9th to 12th centuries by a Khmer empire that controlled not only Cambodia but large parts of what are now Laos, Thailand and Vietnam as well. With their grandeur of scale and extraordinary delicacy in detail, the temples rank among humankind's most supreme artistic expressions. Spend the early morning visit the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century). See the South Gate with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk, visit Bayon temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), Baphuon (recently re-opened after years of restoration), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephants Terrace, and the Terrace of the Leper King. Next, you’ll continue to Ta Phrom. Built in 1186, Ta Phrom was dedicated to the mother of Jayavarman VII. Its atmospheric dark gray sandstone towers and courtyards exude an aura of reverence and mystery. Unlike most of the other inner temples of Angkor, Ta Phrom has been left to the elements and looks very much as it must have when "discovered" by Henri Mouhot in the 1860s. Navigating through its narrow passages, immense kapok trees and jungle-covered ruins is an unparalleled experience and one of the highlights of Angkor.
Enjoy our lunch at a local restaurant.
In the late afternoon and sunset hours, explore Angkor Wat, the largest and most breathtaking monument at Angkor. Built as the funeral temple for King Suryavarman II, who ruled from 1112 to 1152, Angkor Wat never fails to reward the first time, or repeat, visitor with its grand scale, surreal bas reliefs and unbelievable attention to detail. There are several great spots from which to watch the sunset and your guide will discuss the options with you.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
Duration: 3 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Lodging: Lotus Blanc Hotel (Deluxe Room) – Siem Reap

Day 7: Day 7: Siem Reap – Beng Mealea – Koh Ker - Siem Reap

Stop At: Beng Mealea, 40 km east of Angkor Wat Cambodia
Full day tour of Beng Mealea and Koh Ker: Today, travel to the lost temple of Beng Mealea, the titanic of temples, a slumbering giant lost for centuries in the forests of Cambodia. It is the most accessible of Angkor’s lost temples, a mirror image of Angkor Wat, but utterly consumed by the voracious appetite of nature. Constructed by Suryavarman II (1113-1150), the builder of Angkor Wat, the forest has run riot here and it is hard to get a sense of the monument’s shape amid the daunting ruins. Here it is possible to enjoy an Indiana Jones experience clambering about the vast ruin. For those who want a more gentle adventure, there is also a sturdy wooden walkway running right into the heart of the temple. It is also possible to visit a nearby Angkor-era quarry from where stone was cut to build these massive monuments.
We then head into the bush to the remote Angkor capital of Koh Ker is an Angkorian site in northern Cambodia 70 miles northeast of Siem Reap; it was briefly the capital of the Khmer empire between 928 and 944 under king Jayavarman IV and his son Hasavarman II. After the Khmer empire had been established in the Angkor area (Roluos), Jayavarman IV moved the capital in 928 to Koh Ker. Here a vast number of temples were built under his reign, until his successor returned to the Angkor area about twenty years later. 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 the visitor at the end of an adventurous climb. The area was only recently de-mined and the road improved. This makes Koh Ker very attractive for anyone who would like to experience what Angkor must has been like half a century ago. Picnic lunch at Koh Ker.
After exploring Koh Ker through the afternoon, begin the drive back to Siem Reap arriving this evening for a well-deserved opportunity to freshen up and good night's rest.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
Duration: 3 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Lodging: Lotus Blanc Hotel (Deluxe Room) – Siem Reap

Day 8: Day 8: Depart Siem Reap

Stop At: Banteay Srei, Siem Reap Cambodia
This morning, journey north to visit Banteay Srei. This petite pink temple is the jewel in the crown of Angkor-era sculpture. The elaborate carvings here are the finest found in Cambodia and the name translates as ‘Fortress of the Women', thanks to the intricate detail here, considered too fine for the hands of a man. Originally believed to date from the latter part of the Angkor period, inscriptions at the site suggest it was built by a Brahman in 967. However, some architectural historians have suggested that the inscriptions may date from an earlier structure on this site and the temple is in fact later, marking a high-water mark in Khmer sculpture. Stop at a local village to visit families who are producing palm sugar. Make a short stop at the Land Mine Museum, a rather humble look at the land mine problem, past and present, in Cambodia. Next, you’ll continue for a tour of the surrounding countryside and take an ox-cart ride through the villages and the rice fields. At the end of your ride, have a fresh coconut drink with the family and do not hesitate to talk with the local people to get to know more about their lives. Then drive to the fishing village of Kompong Pluk near Siem Reap and board a private boat. Visit Kompong Pluk village with its houses standing on stilts and board a pirogue to discover the seasonally flooded forest. Enjoy the natural splendor of the country during a cruise across the Tonle Sap Lake to the village of Chhong Kneas. Visit the floating village and discover the centuries-old lifestyle of the inhabitants of the lake.
You will have free time in the afternoon until transfer to the airport in time for your flight to the next destination. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey.
Meals included: Breakfast
Duration: 2 minutes

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.



Duration:8 days
Commences in:Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Country:Cambodia
City:Phnom Penh

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