Cambodia Northern Discovery

Upon arrival at Phnom Penh Int’s Airport, then get your luggage and walk straight to the Exit Gate where our guide is waiting. After self-introduced, you’ll transfer directly around 60 minutes to the hotel in the city for check in (check in time is 2pm). Time to fresh-up and relax at hotel. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

After breakfast, our guide will take us on a Cyclo ride, a unique way to explore vibrant Phnom Penh. Our first stop is Wat Phnom, a Buddhist temple at the city's center, built in 1373 and standing 27 meters tall. Next, we visit the Royal Palace, a colorful Khmer-style palace constructed in 1866, and the adjacent Silver Pagoda, adorned with diamond, emerald, gold, and silver Buddha statues. We continue to the National Museum, a red building constructed in 1917, housing over 5000 art objects made of sandstone, bronze, silver, copper, and wood. Our journey takes us to the Independence Monument, built in 1954 to mark Cambodia's freedom from French colonial rule. We make a stop at the Central Market, known as Phsar Thmei, a vibrant market built in 1937 during the French colonial era, featuring Art Deco architecture and bright ochre paint. Later, we enjoy a relaxing one-hour cruise to witness the sunset on the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers, a perfect way to experience the mighty Mekong. We spend the night in Phnom Penh

After breakfast, we travel to Kratie, a quiet Mekong port known for the rare Irrawaddy dolphins that live in the nearby Mekong River. On the way, there's an opportunity to stop in Skuon, where you can try the local specialty of deep-fried tarantula. In Kampong Cham, we visit Wat Nokor, an ancient Mahayana Buddhist shrine built in the 11th century with a large reclining Buddha and many alcoves containing Buddha images. We also explore Phnom Pros ("Man Hill") and Phnom Srei ("Woman Hill"). Our journey takes us to the Koh Pen Bamboo Bridge. During the dry season, a unique bamboo bridge connects this island to the mainland. Surprisingly, this bridge, although made of bamboo, is sturdy enough to support cars and trucks. It's rebuilt every year after being washed away by the rains during the wet season. We spend the night in Kratie

After breakfast, we stroll through Kratie's central market, observing local trades and exploring some old colonial buildings from the French era. We might also visit a local rice whiskey producer before leaving Kratie. Next, we visit the famous 100 Pillars Pagoda, a historic site built in the 16th century. It has a fascinating story: King Chann Reachea constructed it with 100 wooden columns in memory of his daughter Vorakpheak, who was tragically killed by a Mekong crocodile. Our journey continues to Kampi, a deep pool where rare river dolphins gather. We board a local boat, cruising on the mighty Mekong for a chance to encounter these gentle creatures. Leaving Kratie behind, we head southeast to Snuol, a small junction town serving as our gateway to the wilderness of Mondulkiri. Turning left, we leave the paved roads of civilization and venture onto the red earth roads of the hilly countryside. Mondulkiri, which means "Meeting of the Hills," is a fitting name for this province. We spend the night in Mondulkiri.

Certainly! Today, we're visiting the Bunong Elephant Project, a place where elephants are rescued from hard labor. We travel by road from Sen Monorom to a hilltop, about a 40-minute walk through valleys and forests to reach the project. There, you'll meet the elephants and learn about their history, behavior, and relationship with their caretakers. You can even feed them bananas. Around noon, the elephants need to graze in pastures for about 2 hours to eat enough food for the day (they eat up to 300 kg of vegetation daily!). During this time, you'll have lunch and learn more about the elephants and the community from a guide. In the afternoon, the elephants are taken to the river for a wash. You can join in and help. After the elephants are cared for, we walk back a different route to a nearby village where your driver will be waiting. There's a challenging hill near the village. We'll spend the night in Mondulkiri

After breakfast, we leave Sen Monorom and go east to Bou Sraa, a famous waterfall in Cambodia. On the way, we might stop at a local coffee farm (a unique product in the area). Then, we leave Mondulkiri and travel to Ratanakiri, a region with red earth. We drive on a new highway connecting Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri via Koh Nhek. The road is surrounded by dense jungle, and some locals say they've seen tigers here. Parts of the jungle are turning into pine tree clusters and grassy fields. This scenery is unique for Cambodia and has traditional indigenous hill tribe villages. We reach Ban Lung town in Ratanakiri, where we stay in a comfy hotel. In the afternoon, we relax at the beautiful Yeak Loam crater lake surrounded by lush jungle. We spend the night in Ratanakiri.

We start our day at 6:30am and visit Banlung market, which is most vibrant in the early morning. Local indigenous women (Chunchiet) gather outside the market, smoking large cigars made from rolled tobacco leaves. After breakfast at your hotel, we head to Kachon and take a scenic boat ride on the Sesan river to Kaoh Piek, a remote village. Here, you'll see a traditional Kachoch burial ground with carved effigies of the deceased. The village also has wooden statues guarding the tombs, and you'll learn about the animist beliefs of the Kachoch hill tribe from your local guide. Returning to Ban Lung, we explore local gem mining sites, although the exact location may vary as they frequently move. Your local guide will find the current mining spot. We spend the night in Ratanakiri

We leave Banlung and travel southwest to O’Pongman before heading north to Stung Treng. We then embark on a boat trip along the beautiful Mekong, exploring a unique flooded forest system. This area, accessible only by boat, is a haven for endangered animals and birds, making it a paradise for photographers. Continuing our journey to Preah Vihear, we travel through jungles and local villages. The route offers breathtaking scenery, still relatively undiscovered and wild. We spend the night in Preah Vihear

We drive up to the hill (by 4 X 4) to visit an amazing Khmer temple Preah Vihear. The Preah Vihear Temple, registered as a World Heritage List in 2008, is on a peak overlooking Cambodia and is the subject of the latest battles with Thailand. We climb the top of the temple of Preah Vihea along the winding road, which is very steep in some places, and finally emerges at the other enclosure of this temple in the king of the mountains. We explore the temple on foot and continue to the last level, clinging to a cliff in the Dangrek Mountains and high hundreds of feet above the lowland of Cambodia. We continue our trip to Siem Reap. Our first stop at Koh Ker group is a group of many temples in the forest, about 150km from Siem Reap. These were built when Cambodia was ruled by two kings (uncle and nephew), and Koh Ker was briefly one of the two capital cities, during the 1st half of the 10th century. Overnight in Siem Reap.

We wake up very early to take a special picture of Angkor Wat temple before sunrise. It can be crowded from December to March. After sunrise, we explore Angkor Wat, taking many pictures from different angles. Then we visit Ta Prohm, famous for its giant trees seen in Tomb Raider. We'll also take you to a quiet jungle temple away from the crowds and other unique places for photos. We'll also explore Preah Khan temple, great for learning photography. Later, during the Golden Hour, we'll visit the impressive Bayon temple with its many towers and faces. Our day ends at one of Angkor Thom's gates to capture the sunset over the water. We stay overnight in Siem Reap

You'll start your day at 7 am to visit Phnom Kulen, the holiest mountain in Cambodia. At Kulen Mountain, you'll explore the mountain-top pagoda with relics, statues, and a large reclining Buddha. You'll then meet a motorbike driver who will take you around. Your first stop is Poeng Tbal, where you'll see well-preserved stone carvings of Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh, and sages in a river bed. Next, you'll visit Prasat Rong Chen, an important site with step pyramids. After a simple picnic lunch, you'll explore a bat cave and a modern temple with colorful statues and a great view. You'll also visit Elephant Pond and see stone carvings at Damrei Khrap. On your way back, you'll stop at the Thousand Lingas River, where there are hundreds of Lingas carvings, and at Kulen waterfall for a refreshing bath. Finally, you'll return to Siem Reap for the night.

Today, you'll take a short drive outside Siem Reap to a local village. Here, you'll learn about traditional Cambodian food and farming methods. With the guidance of a chef, you'll participate in a Cambodian cooking class, creating a three-course meal. Khmer cuisine, although not as famous as Thai or Vietnamese, is equally delicious, featuring fresh produce and unique spices. You'll explore the village, meeting a local family and discovering different vegetables being grown. Afterward, you'll return to the cooking school, surrounded by rice paddies and palm trees, to learn about the history of Khmer cuisine. Later, you'll head to Tonlé Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. You'll enjoy a boat ride, witnessing the unique "floating village" where houses, schools, and even a police station are built on the lake. These structures move as the water levels change. Finally, you'll spend the night in Siem Reap

Transfer to Siem Reap airport for departure to next destination. It’s time to say goodbye, we thank you for traveling with us and warmly welcome you to come again.