Highlights of Siem Reap

Day 1: Sihanoukville – Siem Reap by flight (D)
After pickup from the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, you’ll be taken to the airport for a 50-minute afternoon flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, meet your private driver and guide who’ll bring you to the Angkor Wat Temple, a true wonder unrivaled in its scale, symmetry, and spirituality. Surrounded by a gigantic man-made moat, Angkor Wat is an architectural symbol of the Hindu world and an ultimate representation of Khmer god-kings’ creative aspiration.

Check out the enchanting apsaras (heavenly nymphs) that are carved into the walls, each of them different from the rest. Many of apsaras are being restored after chemical damages inflicted upon by Indians in the 1980s. Wander through the labyrinth of covered galleries, courtyards, and hallways as your guide explains the history behind these spectacular monuments. Enjoy sensational sunset views at Prasat Chroung by the wall of Angkor Thom with a bottle of champagne and a good selection of exotic tropical fruits. Afterwards, travel across the ancient moat aboard the royal boat. In the evening, get entertained by the Apsara Performance which depicts Khmer mythology, followed by a drop-off at your hotel. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Apsara dancers perform at Siem Reap.

Day 2: Explore the Temple Complex – Sihanoukville (B, L)
Start the day early with a hotel pickup by your guide. Then, visit Preah Khan, the largest temple complex built during Angkorian period. Not to be mistaken for a temple of the same name at Angkor, Preah Khan offers unexpectedly serene atmosphere – you can hear the birds singing and monkeys climbing trees.

After a picnic breakfast at the temple, continue on to Temple of Tah Prohm, where strangler figs are intertwined and tangled with ancient ruins, before heading to the Angkor National Museum. Then explore Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmer Empire. Entering from the west entrance, you’ll be greeted with four faces of Buddha and flanking statues of gods and demons.

Follow your guide to Terraces of Elephant and the Leper Kings, then onto the Baphuon Temple, a Buddhist temple that once worshiped the Hindu god Shiva. Complete the tour with a visit to the main temple of Bayon, which features 216 massive smiling stone faces on the many towers clustering around a central peak. Spend the rest of your day at the Central Market. End the tour with a hotel drop-off. Second overnight in Siem Reap.

Jungle Temple of Ta Prohm, Siem Reap.

Day 3: Floating Village & ATV Ride (B, L)

After breakfast at the hotel, head to the Chong Khneas Floating Village, where you’ll see fisherman and fishmongers bartering amid busy waterway traffic, boat merchants selling their goods to locals, and young children rowing wooden canoes to their floating school. Enjoy your seasonal fruit basket.

After a local lunch, get ready for some adrenaline rush in a thrilling 2-hour ride on ATV quad bikes. Zip through the scenic countryside, filled with vast rice paddies and narrow village roads. Observe the local way of life up close from the turbocharged ATV. Pass by tranquil Western Baray, a reservoir and a local favorite destination for picnic and swimming. As the sun begins to set, return to the airport for a late afternoon flight to Sihanoukville, and then to the port for your cruise departure. Trip ends.

Chong Khneas floating village.