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Cambodia in Depth
Local Payment: USD 150
Tour Code: GTCI
Tour Duration: 10 days
Countries Visited: Cambodia
Our trip starts today with your arrival in Siem Reap. No activities are planned, so you may arrive at any time. There will be a pre-departure briefing with your tour leader between 6-6.30pm this evening. Check the hotel noticeboard which will advise you of the time and location of the Welcome meeting. Please note that your Tour Leader will collect the Local payment during your group meeting so be sure to take the $150 US dollars to the meeting along with your travel insurance details.
Day 2: Siem Reap - Angkor
The Angkor complex of temples is without doubt one of the most astounding archaeological sites in the world. Scattered over an area of 200 square kilometres, only Egypt’s Nile Valley can compare to this vast array of ancient monuments. The ancient city of Angkor served as the royal centre from which a dynasty of Khmer kings ruled one of the largest, most prosperous and sophisticated kingdoms in the history of South East Asia. With a history covering over 600 years from 802 to 1432, at the height of their power the kings of Angkor ruled over a territory that extended from the tip of the Indochina peninsula, northward to Yunnan and from Vietnam, westward to the Bay of Bengal. Our local tour guide will take us on an informative day-long tour of Angkor visiting the South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Elephant Terrace, Baphoun, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, Terrace of the Leper King, Ta Prohm and, of course, the fabulous Angkor Wat.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Today has been set aside to allow us to do some exploring on our own. We have the option this morning of returning to Angkor to wander through the ruins at leisure or visiting the rose coloured Banteay Srei Temple. Banteay Srei is located about 30 kilometres north of Siem Reap over a very rough and dusty road and is considered to be the best preserved of all of Cambodia’s temples. Another option is to hire a local guide and travel out into the countryside to discover facets of rural life that have changed little since the kings of Angkor ruled over the land. A local guide won’t cost you much and he or she will take you around the villages and explain local industries and the peoples’ way of life. Ask your tour leader to help to arrange any of the above optional tours. Siem Reap also has quite a bit to offer and an enjoyable afternoon can be spent wandering around town visiting its market, shops and restaurants. If the muscles are a little tight after all the exploring, you may like to have a soothing massage at the blind institute.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
We leave Siem Reap by bus and make our way to Phnom Penh. En route, we stop at the town of Skuon, where the local inhabitants are noted for their love of eating spiders! Later, we follow the Tônlé Sap River, passing through fishing villages and travel through farming communities. The source of the Tônlé Sap River is the shallow Tônlé Sap Lake, the largest of South East Asia’s lakes. Numerous streams feed it and it then drains into the Mekong River just south of Phnom Penh. During the wet monsoon season of June to November, the high waters of the Mekong River reverse the flow of the Tônlé Sap River and increase the size of the lake from around 2,600 to 10,400 square kilometres, as the river flows back into the lake. As it begins to recede again, the lake’s huge stocks of fish are easily trapped in nets and bamboo traps or simply caught in the branches of trees.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
In the 1950s and 1960s, Phnom Penh was one of the finest cities in South East Asia. Despite the wide-scale destruction that took place after the Khmer Rouge emptied the city in 1975, Phnom Penh still manages to exude some colonial charm from a bygone era. Particularly down on the palm-fringed riverfront where a number of French-era shops and villas still exist and the spires of the Royal Palace pierce the skyline. This morning we travel by cyclo for a sightseeing tour of Phnom Penh to include the Royal Palace and the infamous Tuol Sleng Prison. Also known as Security Prison 21 (S21), Tuol Sleng is a former high school that was transformed into a detention and interrogation centre. An estimated 14,000 to 20,000 Cambodians accused of being traitors were tortured to death or sent to their execution from here. We then join our bus to visit another reminder of the Khmer Rouge atrocities. Just as horrifying, the Choeung Ek killing fields are situated 15 kilometres southwest of Phnom Penh and an estimated 17,000 people met their death at the hands of the Khmer Rouge here. A stupa-like tower of skulls was erected here in 1988 as a reminder of the atrocities that took place. After this sobering morning we we visit the Russian Market - a good place to look for clothing or sarongs. The rest of the day is free to further explore Phnom Penh city by ourselves. There’s plenty to see including the Silver Pagoda, the temple of Wat Phnom, the National Museum and the French Quarter. There are also ‘bargains galore’ waiting to be picked up at another of the city’s most popular markets - the Central Market. This is where you will find the cities best gold and silver jewellery merchants.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
We leave Phnom Penh and travel south along National Road 2 to Phnom Chisor, a temple dating from the Angkor era. It is a very steep walk up and down the hill along the northern and southern paths, but the views from the top make it all worthwhile, as we look out over the surrounding plains. The site was formerly known as Suryagiri and contains interesting inscriptions and other carvings in the stonework. In the afternoon we enjoy a refreshing swim and a cold drink on the beach at Kep, before spending the night at the riverside town of Kampot.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
We drive along the coast to Sihanoukville, a place that has been earmarked as Cambodia’s main beach resort development. It’s early days yet and we have the chance to get a feel for this quiet location by enjoying a relaxing afternoon on Victory Beach or Independence Beach. The more active can wander down and explore the town centre. On Sunday we visit Ream National Park, home to a wide variety of wildlife. We take a guided jungle trek up Meditation Mountain, before embarking on an afternoon boat trip through the mangrove forest along the Prek Tuk Sap River and continuing on to Koh Som Poch Beach and the Thmor Thom fishing village. If we are lucky we may even be able to spot monkeys, sea eagles and dolphins along the way.
Meals included: 2 breakfasts
We get to enjoy a final morning on the beach at Sihanoukville or there is also the chance of participating in an optional cooking class, where a local chef can teach you the finer points of preparing the local cuisine. In the afternoon we travel by public bus back to Phnom Penh, where we spend our last night in the capital - a chance to go out for an optional farewell dinner.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Your Gecko’s tour finishes this morning after breakfast. Additional accommodation is available upon request, if you wish to extend your stay on in Phnom Penh.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Tour Grade: Moderate
A moderate level of fitness is required. These trips generally involve some physical activities and occasional long travelling days. Accommodation and travel conditions may be more basic.
Valid from 1 October 2007
| Start Date | End Date | Local_Payment | Price |
| 12 Oct 2008 | 21 Oct 2008 | USD 150 | $795 |
| 26 Oct 2008 | 04 Nov 2008 | USD 150 | $795 |
| 09 Nov 2008 | 18 Nov 2008 | USD 150 | $795 |
| 16 Nov 2008 | 25 Nov 2008 | USD 150 | $795 |
| 23 Nov 2008 | 02 Dec 2008 | USD 150 | $795 |
| 30 Nov 2008 | 09 Dec 2008 | USD 150 | $795 |
| 07 Dec 2008 | 16 Dec 2008 | USD 150 | $795 |
| 14 Dec 2008 | 23 Dec 2008 | USD 150 | $795 |
| 21 Dec 2008 | 30 Dec 2008 | USD 150 | $795 |
| 28 Dec 2008 | 06 Jan 2009 | USD 150 | $795 |
Local Payment: USD 150
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