Itinerary

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1. Day 1: Phnom Penh Arrival.

   Welcome to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s vibrant and bustling capital city. Despite its recent turbulent history, Phnom Penh’s wide tree-lined boulevards and faded colonial mansions hold an undeniable charm. Upon arrival, your guide and driver will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel for check-in. Meals: N/A. Accommodation: Hotel in Phnom Penh.

2. Day 2: Phnom Penh City Tour – Fly to Siem Reap.

   Spend the day on a tour of Cambodia’s vibrant capital city. Start by learning about the Khmer Rouge and Cambodia’s recent, bloody history on a guided tour of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the notorious Choeung Ek “Killing Fields”. After lunch in the downtown, visit the National Museum and the Royal Palace – home to the Royal family and the opulent Silver Pagoda. In the late afternoon, take a short flight to Siem Reap, the provincial capital and gateway to the ancient Angkor Temples. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Angkor Archaeological Park encompasses dozens of temple ruins including Bayon, Banteay Srei and the legendary Angkor Wat. Upon arrival, your tour guide and driver will welcome you at the airport and drive you to the hotel to check in. Meals: Breakfast. Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap.

3. Day 3: Siem Reap – Explore Angkor Temples.

   Enjoy an entire day dedicated to discovering the mysterious Angkor temples. Wake before dawn and take a “tuk-tuk” ride to visit the magnificent Angkor Wat - the largest Khmer temple and finest example of Angkorian art and architecture. For your most convenience, a table with hot tea or coffee and breakfast box are arranged and served right on site of Angkor Wat. After breakfast, you will visit Angkor Thom’s imposing South Gate, topped with the four serenely smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara. Next, venture to Bayon to become hypnotized by the smiling stone faces of the temple. Gain fascinating insight into the temple’s ancient origin from your guide, hearing of vicious battles and attempting to decipher the intricate bas-reliefs that detail scenes of cockfighting and childbirth. Later, you will visit the Elephant Terrace, the Terrace of the Leper King and finally Ta Phrom Temple. Back to your hotel and remain day is at leisure. TIP: No visit to Cambodia is complete without at least a quick glimpse of women performing the ancient art of Apsara dance, as depicted on the walls of Angkor’s temples. Wearing glittering silk tunics, sequined tops (into which they are sewn before each performance to achieve the requisite tight fit) and elaborate golden headdresses, they execute their movements with great deftness and deliberation, knees bent in plié, heels touching the floor first at each step, coy smiles on their faces. Every position has its own particular symbolism – a finger pointing to the sky, for instance, indicates “today”, while standing sideways to the audience with the sole of the foot facing upwards represents flying. Ask your travel consultant to reserve seats for dinner with Apsara dance (excluded) in advance or your tour guide in Siem Reap to get recommendations about the show. Meals: Breakfast. Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap.

4. Day 4: Siem Reap – Bantaey Srei – Tonle Sap Lake.

   After breakfast, drive 25 kilometers to the countryside to see the “gem” of the Angkor area: Banteay Srei Temple. Banteay Srei, also known as “Citadel of the Women”, remains the best preserved temple in Cambodia. It displays some of the finest examples of classical Khmer Art as this small temple is noted for its truly remarkable fine bas-reliefs. Banteay Srei is unique in that it is constructed of pink sandstone, which is seen nowhere else in Angkor. Return to your hotel for lunch break then continue to visit Tonle Sap in the afternoon. Immerse yourself in the rich culture surrounding Siem Reap on a boat tour along the Asia’s largest freshwater lake, where you will have the opportunity to learn about life on the lake. This visit includes: flooded forest, floating village, crocodile & fish farm… (Due to low water levels during the dry season, the boat trip is possible from July to February, however, an alternative floating village at Chong Kneas can be arranged instead). Meals: Breakfast. Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap.

5. Day 5: Siem Reap – Fly to Luang Prabang.

   This morning is free at your leisure until your driver transfers you to the airport for your regional flight to Luang Prabang. Situated on the peninsula formed by the Mekong and the Nam Khan River, Luang Prabang is a perfect spot to unwind, eat good food and enjoy the scenery. This relatively small, palm fringed place is packed with fabulous colonial villas, top class restaurants, coffee shops and stunning Buddhist temples. Rest of the day you are free at leisure. Meals: Breakfast. Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang.

6. Day 6: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou Caves – City Tour.

   Take a morning cruise along the Mekong River, about two hours upstream from the centre of Luang Prabang, and discover the numerous Buddha images at Pak Ou Caves. Pak Ou (mouth of the Ou river) includes the Tham Ting (lower cave) and the Tham Theung (upper cave) are caves overlooking the founder name Mekong River. Then take a short drive from Pak Ou Caves to the village of Ban Xang Hai where you'll learn about LauLao (Lao whisky) and LauHai (Lao wine). Before returning the old town, stop to visit Ban Xangkhong where the Lue peoples of this village are noted in particular for their arts and crafts. In the afternoon, begin with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, then head to Wat Mai, the largest and most richly decorated of the temples in Luang Prabang. Continue to visit the magnificent Wat Xiengthong - representative of classic Laotian architecture. Later that day, adjourn to the Phousi hill to enjoy the marvelous panoramic views of the town at sunset. At the night market, you can find a lovely collection of handmade textiles crafted by local and hill-tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Meals: Breakfast. Accommodation: Hotel in Luang Prabang.

7. Day 7: Luang Prabang - Kuang Si Waterfall - Fly to Vientiane.

   Today you will explore Ock Pop Tok craft living center. Meaning “east meets west”, it brings the fascinating world of traditional Lao handicrafts alive for visitors. The beautiful Living Crafts Centre overlooking the Mekong, set in a tropical Mekong garden it serves as a resource center for learning about textiles, crafts and culture. Then visit the morning Phosi Market where you will see such diverse offerings as dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings. Laos is also known for its traditional crafts, and today you will take a soft trek to visit the Ban Ouay, Hmong Hill tribe and Ban Ou, Lowland Lao. Continue driving to the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall where you can splash around in the pools or walk along the forest paths. Transfer to the airport for the flight to Vientiane. Meals: Breakfast. Accommodation: Hotel in Vientiane.

8. Day 8: Vientiane City Tour - Buddha Park.

   Today you have a full day to explore Vientiane - the charming and fascinating capital of Laos, one of the classic Indochinese cities which conjure up exotic images, with its intriguing mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, American and Soviet influences. Your visit will take you to the key sites of Vientiane such as: National Museum, Wat Sisaket - the city's oldest surviving temple with thousands of silver and porcelain images in the gloriously authentic temple compound that offers you a glimpse into the Vientiane of the past. The next stop is Haw Phra Kaeo. This large temple is beautiful both interior and exterior, it was built to house the famed Emerald Buddha in courtyards filled with frangipani trees. You will also visit Pha That Luang, the giant golden stupa is a sight to see as the bright gold holds a sharp contrast to the pure blue sky. Then you will climb to the Arc De Triomphe of Laos, Patuxai. The massive arch has a beautiful mosaic tiled ceiling and once at the top you can see for miles around Vientiane. In the afternoon, take a half day tour to Buddha Park, also known as Xieng Khuan (as well as other variations of the spelling), is a sculpture park located 25km southeast from Vientiane. Meals: Breakfast. Accommodation: Hotel in Vientiane.

9. Day 9: Vientiane Departure.

   This morning is free at your leisure for last minute shopping or sightseeing before transferring to Vientiane International Airport to catch your departure flight. Meals: Breakfast. Accommodation: N/A.