DAY 1
PHNOM PENH

Arrival into Phnom Penh International Airport.

Your guide will meet you and transfer to your hotel in the city for check-in.

Late afternoon, we’ll transfer you to the riverside to board your boat for a sunset cruise

Experience the finest cruise boat in Phnom Penh and visit the mighty Mekong and see quaint floating Villages and local fishermen at work during this approximate 80 minutes cruise.

Your cruise includes a selection of appetizers and one beverage (beer, wine or soft-drink) for you to enjoy while witnessing a spectacular sunset over the Phnom Penh skyline and Royal Palace.

DAY 2
PHNOM PENH CITY TOUR

We explore “the hidden pearl of Asia” with a guided tour of the city stopping at sites of interest along the way, including the spectacular Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda (Emerald Buddha), the pagoda at Wat Phnom, the Independence Monument and the newly erected statue commemorating the late King Father (Sihanouk).

For an insight into Cambodian religious life, visit a pagoda. In the late morning, depending on your time of arrival at the pagoda, you may also be able to see the monks chanting, (not guaranteed) prior to their lunch.

After lunch (included), we continue our tour of Phnom Penh by taking a sobering walk through Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21). Here there are stark and moving reminders of Cambodia’s recent tragic past. Our expert guide will explain the historical, political and social context of the bleak period of Khmer history which followed the fall of Phnom Penh in April 1975.

Then continue on to Choeung Ek Memorial -one of the infamous Killing Fields, where the Khmer Rouge executed around 17,000 of the estimated 2 million Cambodians who perished under the Pol Pot regime.

DAY 3
GOOD DAY CAMBODIA

Our most popular day trip! Embark on a colourful journey of discovery to a rural village, learning key historical and cultural facts about the area and its people along the way. A guided ox-cart or horse-cart ride to the rice fields will reveal the farming techniques used in Cambodia, close up.

After a tasty home cooked lunch, meet and chat with the delightful family and learn about their lives. Explore the village, meet the locals and get a real feel for what it’s like to live in a rural Cambodian community.

Domestic flight to Siem Reap in the evening.

DAY 4
CYCLE TOUR OF THE TEMPLES

This gentle cycle ride gives you the chance to explore the hidden wonders of the Angkor complex, travelling along magical jungle paths and dirt roads only accessible by bike. Mango Cambodia developed this unique route specifically to avoid the throngs of tourists, and it’s become our most popular temple tour. In-between the main sights, there is often not another soul in sight.

We start the day early, transporting you to the temple complex by vehicle and then cycling to the stunning, jungle-clad temple of Ta Phrom. You’ll see how the tentacle-like tree roots are slowly strangling the surviving stones. It’s an evocative sight. Admire the temple in the early morning light and with fewer people around than later in the day.

Our journey continues with a tour of the South Gate of Angkor Thom, where we see the smiling faces of the Bayon Temple, the Terrace of Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King. After an early lunch we visit the spectacular Angkor Wat. During this time of the day the crowds are at a minimum letting you view this amazing structure at its most serene. If at any time you have had enough of cycling, we can relieve you of your bicycle and continue the tour in the support vehicle, which will never be far away, with copious supplies of ice cold bottled water available.

Please note: While Mango Cambodia has developed our own route, please discuss with your guide your expectations. We are happy to provide adventuresome cycling, single-track or a more sedate route.

DAY 5
KAMPONG KHLEANG, THE TONLE SAP AND BENG MEALEA

Today we visit the remote stilted village of Kampong Khleang, on the floodplains of the Tonle Sap Lake not far from Siem Reap.
During the dry season the 6-metre stilted homes tower above the low water line, exposing the various livestock of the villagers, including chicken, pigs and dogs.

The villagers are fishing folk with shrimp harvesting their primary source of income. Giant sheets covered with pink shrimp drying in the sun can be seen on the lake shore and along the main street.

In the afternoon we venture out to visit one of the larger, but further afield temples of the Angkor region, deep in the jungle at Beng Mealea. It has been described as “unquestionably one of the most beautiful Angkorian sites,’ and possibly served as the direct model for Angkor Wat itself.

DAY 6
ARTISANS D’ANGKOR

For your final morning in Siem Reap, our guide will escort you to Les Artisans d’Angkor where you’ll see local crafts being made.

Artisans Angkor is a Cambodian company which was originally created to help young rural people find work near their home village. As the offshoot of an educational project called Chantiers-Ecoles de Formation Professionnelle, aiming at providing professional skills to communities with limited educational opportunities, Artisans Angkor has maintained its commitment to education by developing its own training program.

Since its creation at the end of 1990s, Artisans Angkor has strived to offer good working conditions and social advantages to its employees. It has now opened 42 workshops in Siem Reap province and it provides employment to over 1300 people, including more than 900 artisans.

Afterwards, visit the old town of Siem Reap where you will explore the famous Old Market (Phsar Chas) by the river at the south end of the Old French Quarter.

Any time to suit you, we will drop you off at Siem Reap International Airport to catch your onward flight.