Grand Journey Around Cambodia

Depart The UK 

Depart the UK on your overnight flight to Phnom Penh

DAY 2-4 FARMHOUSE SMILING GECKO

On arrival in Phnom Penh, meet your guide and driver for a transfer directly to Farmhouse Smiling Gecko, an interesting place to ease into the adventure. The property is a social enterprise that doubles as a lovely boutique resort and an important training school. There is an impressive organic farm on the grounds where you can learn the ropes of rice and bamboo production and see how these resources are used in cooking and construction. 

If you'd rather take it easy, this is a relaxing spot too; you'll be supporting a great project even if you spend your stay relaxing by the pool with a book.

DAY 5 & 6 BATTAMBANG

Head north with your driver and guide bound for Battambang, Cambodia's second city. En route, break the journey with a boat trip to Kampong Loung, the largest floating village on Tonle Sap lake but one that tourists often overlook.

Once in Battambang - head to the bustling market and try out the famous local street - many say it's the country's best. You'll also have time to take in the surrounding countryside, explore paddy fields and caves, and ride on the famous Bamboo Train.

DAY 7-10 SIEM REAP & THE TEMPLES OF ANGKOR

Continue onward to Siem Reap where you'll stay for four days. 

Each day will be designed around your particular interests - to ensure you have the best possible experience of this remarkable area balanced with time to relax. This might mean focusing on remote temples such as Beng Melea, an early start for sunrise at Tonle Sap Lake combined with a lazy afternoon by the pool or a full day discovering the more famous Angkor temples by tuk-tuk. 

An after-dark food tour by Vespa is a fantastic way to experience the local food scene, and we a must is a visit to the Phare Circus - a great night out that supports a brilliant cause. 

Day 11 & 12 Mekong Life 

Bid farewell to Siem Reap and start the journey northeast towards remote Mondulkiri province, stopping for two nights in the Kratie region. The mighty Mekong dissects Kratie, and this stretch of the river is known for sitings of the rare Irrawaddy Dolphin. Spend time searching for the elusive species and stay at a lovely riverside colonial villa. Most people come here primarily to explore the Mekong river, but it's well worth taking time to experience the rhythm of typical rural Cambodian life in the sleepy, remote town.

DAY 13-14 Elephants & Gibbons in Remote Mondulkiri 

Continue the journey east to Mondulkiri Province, making stops on the way. 

Mondulkiri Province is a rural, naturally beautiful part of Cambodia that few tourists visit. The scenery is entirely different from the rest of the country, with rolling grass hills rather than paddy fields. There are villages to be explored and local markets and waterfalls where you can enjoy a scenic picnic lunch. Spend a full day at the fantastic Elephant Valley Project, a centre dedicated to preserving and protecting elephants, the forest and the Bunong ancestral lands and traditions.

Your stay will be in a hotel in Sen Monorom and you have the option to spend an extra night here to visit and stay at the Jahoo Gibbon Camp. This is another excellent conservation project in an area of biodiversity where you'll find globally significant populations of two endangered gibbon species. Accommodation is in basic safari tents, so this may not be for all, but it is a terrific addition to the itinerary if time permits.

DAY 15 THE ROAD TO PHNOM PENH

Much of the day will be spent travelling from Sen Monorom towards the capital. There will be opportunities to stop along the way as you snake along the Cambodia/Vietnam border down to Phnom Penh. Arrive in the afternoon and check in to your hotel.

DAY 16 & 17 PHNOM PENH - EXPLORING THE CAPITAL

During your time in the capital, your guide will reveal the stories of the past as you explore the emotive Toul Sleng Museum, formerly used by the Pol Pot regime as a detention centre. This is a moving example of the difficulties faced by Cambodia between 1975 and 1979 but a must-see to truly appreciate how Cambodia suffered during those dark times. There is also time to explore the impressive Royal Palace (best in the afternoon light when the crowds have dispersed) and to take in the bustling markets too. 

You can also join your guide for a cycle tour of Koh Dach island, where you'll see a different side of the city. A short boat ride across the Mekong will bring you to traditional weaving villages and lanes where monks wearing saffron robes collect morning alms. 

DAY 18-20 COLONIAL KEP 

Travel next to the sleepy seaside town of Kep, the resort of choice during the French colonial era. Until the mid-1990s, the area was heavily caught up in the civil war; it only re-opened to tourists at the turn of the century. You will stay at the renovated villas of Knai Bang Chatt, which have their own fascinating history. During a three-night stay, you can eat at the famous crab market, take a boat trip to Rabbit Island, wander amongst deserted villas and walk in the surrounding jungle-clad hills.

DAY 21 FLY HOME

Transfer back to Phnom Penh for the flight home. Alternatively, stay a little longer and head to an island off Cambodia's coast!