Depart your home country on your flight to Cambodia.
Most suited for
Family
Ideal time to visit
October - March
Family Classic Cambodia
As with all our holidays, this itinerary is just a starting point. We will create a bespoke package which will be completely unique for you.
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Day 1
Your adventure begins
Days 2 - 5
Siem Reap
Your guide will meet you when you land in Siem Reap. You’ll be fast-tracked through the airport and whisked to your lovely hotel.
There will be plenty of time to explore the Angkor temples. You’ll discover some genuinely magnificent sights that impress young and old (including jaded teenagers!). Children seem to particularly enjoy including the mysterious off-the-beaten-path structures left to the jungle over the years.
An absolute must is an evening at the Phare Circus – an excellent activity that tells stories of Cambodian life through a blend of traditional and modern theatre. The circus employs disadvantaged young people and is a tremendous all-around initiative everyone will enjoy.
Another must is a visit to Kampong Phluk Village on the edge of Tonle Sap Lake, known as the lifeblood of Asia. Here you’ll explore the narrow channels by boat, learning about the unique way of life lived by the community who live over the water in stilted houses.
Days 6 - 7
Battambang
Today you’ll transfer to Cambodia’s second city of Battambang, awash with French-era villas and home to some of the country’s best street food. During your stay, your guide will help you explore the heart of town with its bustling market and colonial architecture while experiencing some of the great food. There is also time to discover the countryside on a bike adventure – take in local life, stop for some traditional snacks and end the day with a sunset ride through the surrounding paddy fields on the famous Bamboo Train.
Days 8 - 10
Phnom Penh
Head south to the capital. Here you’ll spend a day and a night at a wonderful homestay privately hosted by a well-known chef. The story of how she has researched old recipes is fascinating and is about much more than just food.
Head back into the city centre for two more days where you can visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, Emerald Buddha and the National Museum. Enjoy a tasty lunch of Khmer fusion tapas at an NGO-run restaurant and training school for street kids. You’ll also have the chance to visit Toul Sleng Museum, formerly used by the Pol Pot regime as a detention centre and the killing fields. This is a moving example of the difficulties faced by Cambodia between 1975 & 1979.
For those who would rather miss the museum, there is the option of taking a cycle tour of Koh Dach island – just a short boat ride across the Mekong from the city centre.
Days 11 - 12
Botum Sakor National Park
Onwards with your guide and driver to Botum Sakor National Park. Nestled between the Cardamom Mountains and the coast – the park is a vast rainforest protected by Wildlife Alliance. Your accommodation is at an eco-lodge where you’ll stay in safari-style accommodation.
Here you can enjoy a range of exciting nature-based activities. Whilst trekking in the forest and kayaking down the river, you’ll discover the wildlife and scenery of the region and learn about the challenges faced.
Days 13 - 16
Koh Rong Sanloem
The next journey is to Sihanoukville, where you’ll board a boat for the 45-minute crossing to Koh Rong.
Enjoy spending your last few days in the country on a beautiful beach, relaxing, swimming, snorkelling and enjoying the local food.
Day 17
Fly home
Today you’ll transfer to the capital Phnom Penh for your flight back to the UK. A night or two can be added here and recommended if your schedule permits.
Cambodian dream
Travelling with two children under 10, spending time at the temples and then on the beach. Experience Travel really listen to what you want as a family and do their very best to organise an itinerary that works. This is the second holiday we have booked with them and each one was great.
Hayley
7 January 2025Excellent
850 Reviews
850 Reviews
What’s included:
With ETG, what’s included goes well beyond the basics. From the moment your trip begins to your final farewell, the essentials are already taken care of, leaving you free to immerse, explore and enjoy without the hassle of hidden extras.
Here’s what comes as standard in all of our holidays:
All flights (unless you’ve booked your own!)
Expert guides and drivers
All accommodation
Many meals and snacks
Immersive experiences throughout
All regional transfers
Tips
24/7 In-Country support
Personal travel consultant throughout
Pricing:
As every holiday is bespoke, prices vary depending on destination, flights, hotel choices, inclusions and travel dates. We aim to include as much as possible upfront, so you know exactly where you are. As an approximate guide:
Bespoke Holidays £4,500 - £8,500pp
Bespoke Luxury Holidays £8,500 - £14,500pp
Bespoke Family Holidays from £4,000 - £7,500pp
Meet Our Cambodia Experts
Ella loves all things Cambodia. She’s explored beyond Angkor Wat and knows how to mix the big sights with those offbeat moments that make a holiday sing. With a knack for finding hotels with real soul (and dodging the overhyped ones), Ella designs trips that show you Cambodia at its most authentic and unexpected.
“Discover Cambodia together: ancient temples, local adventures and shared moments your family will treasure forever.”
Ella
Regional Expert
Explore Our Hotels & Villas
Wherever you go, and whatever you do, at the end of every day you can always be sure of a comfortable rest. Every location on our list of hotels is handpicked, and in its own way, shares the history, the hospitality, and the soul of the destination. Below are some examples of the different hotels we use.
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Battambang, Cambodia
Bambu Battambang
Small boutique property with a restaurant and 16 rooms. A great location from which to explore Battambang.
Highlights
Highlights
Central location,
Swimming pool
Best for
Couples,
Families
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Botum Sakor National Park, Cambodia
Cardamom Tented Camp
Nestled in Botum Sakor National Park, the largest in Cambodia, the Cardamom Tented Camp aims to minimise the human footprint on the surrounding environment and support sustainable tourism.
Highlights
Highlights
Safari-style glamping
Best for
Families,
Couples
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Phnom Penh, Cambodia,
Chef Nak Homestay
Just 40 minutes from Phnom Penh, Chef Nak’s Homestay offers exclusive stays, Khmer cooking classes, and a tranquil tropical garden setting.
Highlights
Highlights
Culinary immersion,
Exclusive stay,
Cultural design
Best for
Couples,
Families,
Solo Travellers
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Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Palace Gate Hotel and Residence
Stylish and well-located, Palace Gate Hotel & Residence pairs contemporary comfort with easy access to Phnom Penh’s cultural heart.
Highlights
Highlights
Rooftop views over Phnom Penh,
Steps from the Royal Palace,
Best for
Couples,
Families,
Solos
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The ETG Guarantee
We guarantee you an experience no one else has ever had.
The travel magic you’ll remember won’t be found on a well-trodden – or over-Instagrammed – itinerary. It will be the surprises, discoveries and secrets that you’ll uncover along the way with us.
Do you ever feel like people aren’t listening to you?
We get it. And we will – that’s a promise. Your holiday starts with a proper, no-pressure call to understand what you want, what you don’t want, and what matters to you. From there, we create a completely unique adventure, inspired by our conversation together.
And because of our long-standing relationships with trusted partners across Asia, you’ll have access to experiences you can’t find on Google. The kind of special experiences that are literally impossible to find on your own.
Experiences in Cambodia
Crafting bespoke packages is the heart of what we do. Each holiday is specially designed to confound preconceptions and share magical, memorable, and truly exceptional experiences.
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Siem Reap, Cambodia
The Magnificent Angkor Wat
The jewel in the Angkor crown, Angkor Wat is inevitably at the top of every visitor’s wishlist. As one of Southeast Asia’s most recognisable sights, it can feel crowded at times – but with the help of our in-the-know guides and carefully curated Signature Angkor Experience, it can still feel magical.
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Siem Reap, Cambodia
Ancient City of Angkor Thom and Bayon
More than just another temple, the great Angkor Thom is in fact an ancient city, dating back to the 12th century, that was once the capital of the whole Khmer Empire. The city itself, its Bayon temple and Terrace of Elephants are a must-see when travelling to the region.
On our Signature Angkor Tour, you’ll explore the vast city walls with your guide, accessing intricate canals and dusty corners of the complex via avenues of stone gods and demons.
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Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tonle Sap Floating Villages
Just a short drive south of Siem Reap, you’ll reach the northern tip of Tonle Sap Lake – the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.
Tonle Sap is Cambodia’s lifeline, providing food, transport, and homes for millions of people. Although the water levels rise and fall dramatically throughout the year, you can visit the lake in any season (ask us for the most magical times to visit).
Hop aboard a wooden motorised boat and cruise across the open water to take in the lake’s sheer scale. Countless floating villages scatter the surface, where nomadic fishing families live in stilted houses and boats. They grow vegetables in floating garden plots and pots set on rafts, while dogs and pigs (somehow) roam this buoyant environment. This experience offers a rare, eye-opening look into a way of life few outsiders ever see.
You can visit the floating villages on our half-day tour from Siem Reap, either in the morning or afternoon (though the cooler morning hours are your best bet). Your driver will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the quay to step aboard the boat.
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Siem Reap, Cambodia
Phare Circus
This is a fun evening with impressive performances that all ages will enjoy, but importantly – it supports a fantastic initiative for young people in nearby Battambang.
At the circus, a traditional folk tale is told through modern theatre, acrobatics, contemporary dance, and live music. It all takes place in a high-top tent where the audience watches in the round while enjoying popcorn, drinks, and beer.
All profits from the circus support the Phare Ponleu Selpak school, set up in 1994 by nine returning refugees from the Khmer Rouge era. Inspired by an art teacher who had helped them through drawing therapy, they decided to found the school to offer other disadvantaged children a similar experience. Phare thus began as an art school before expanding to cover music, theatre, and eventually the circus school. Students can hone their skills at the school and earn a good wage – many go on to perform around the world.
The young performers you see will have been taught at the school, and profits are fed back in to support its current pupils.
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Phnomn Penh and The South, Cambodia
Cooking with Chef Nak
Just a short distance from the lively city of Phnom Penh, you cross the Mekong River and arrive at the garden oasis that local celebrity Chef Nak calls home. She will welcome you into her charming antique wooden house and let you in on the secrets of Cambodian cuisine.
Chatting with her as you wander her beautiful home and gardens is an eye-opening experience. We won’t spoil it for you, but the story of how she has researched old recipes is a fascinating one and is about much more than just food.
After settling in, you will either take a gentle walk or hop in a tuk-tuk to the nearby market, where you’ll see where the ingredients come from and how they’re chosen. Then, back in the kitchen, you will cook side by side with Chef Nak as she guides you through dishes like fish amok, traditional beef salad, and crispy fried river prawns.
If you’re even slightly interested in food, this experience is a must. Whether you stay overnight at the homestay or simply join the cooking class, you gain special insights into Cambodian culture, meet brilliant people, and dig into mouthwatering meals in a simply beautiful setting.
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Battambang, Cambodia
Battambang Bamboo Train
The bamboo train in Battambang is a unique, clickety-clackety rail journey that’s listed by Lonely Planet as one of the top things to do in Cambodia. As you may derive from the name, the train (which the locals refer to as ‘norry’) consists of a bamboo platform powered by a small motor. The train operates on a bumpy track and is held in place by gravity alone.
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Important FAQs about Cambodia
Cambodia is far more than the iconic Angkor temples. Travelling with ETG means exploring the country in a way that feels personal, thoughtful, and enriching.
We’ll show you life beyond the ruins: serene riverside towns, thriving local markets, and countryside where time slows down. Our itineraries are designed for a deeper connection, whether that’s dining with local families, gliding along the Tonle Sap in a traditional boat, or unwinding at hand-picked boutique stays. With expert guides and 24/7 in-country support, we make sure you see Cambodia in a way that’s inspiring, seamless, and uniquely yours.
Cambodia’s dry season runs from November to April, when clear skies and warm, sunny days make temple visits and countryside explorations most enjoyable. For fewer crowds, the shoulder months of May and October can be ideal, offering greener landscapes and quieter moments. The wet season (June to September) brings short, refreshing showers and vibrant scenery, and it’s a great time for photographers or those seeking a more tranquil experience.
Every ETG holiday to Cambodia is designed to feel seamless, immersive and stress free. We’ll arrange international flights (if you’d like us to), your drivers and guides, and stays in characterful hotels we know and trust.
You’ll experience Cambodia in a way that’s completely bespoke to you – from quiet moments to big adventures – all planned by our India specialists. And while you’re away, our local team is on hand 24/7, so you’ll always feel well looked after.
The Curious Traveller’s Guide to Cambodia
Cambodia is a truly fascinating country. Get our experts’ tips and tricks in a handy 10 minute read.
