Cambodia in Depth

Day 1: Siem Reap

Your trip starts today with your arrival in Siem Reap. No activities are planned until your evening group meeting, so you may arrive at any time. Please check the noticeboard in the hotel lobby, located on the ground floor, for a notice containing details of your tour. This will advise you of your tour leader’s name, telephone number and the time and location of your group meeting. Normally this meeting takes place around 6pm. Until your meeting we encourage you to get out and discover the delights that Cambodia has to offer. Make sure that you take a hotel business card so that you will be able to find your way back to the hotel.

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.

Day 3: Siem Reap

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.

Day 4: Siem Reap - Phnom Penh

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 travelling past 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 about 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.

Day 5: Phnom Penh

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. This is particularly so 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, most clubbed to death to save ammunition. 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 visit the Central Market. Located in an old French colonial building, it’s a good place to look for clothing or sarongs before having the rest of the day exploring 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.

Day 6: Chambok Homestay

We leave Phnom Penh and travel south along National Road 4 in the direction of Sihanoukville. Our destination is the Chambok community-based ecotourism site, located just outside Kirirom National Park. This project was initiated in 2002 by a local environmental organisation to address the issue of deforestation and improve the livelihoods of villagers who depend on the forests to make a living. On arrival we are greeted by our host families and settle down to lunch. Afterwards we embark on a three-kilometre walk along a nature trail. We also visit a cave inhabited by bats, indulge in some bird watching and enjoy a swim in a natural pool at the base of a 40-metre waterfall. There is also a chance to enjoy a ride on an oxcart. We spend the night in a homestay as guests of the local people. After dinner, the youths of the village put on for us an informal performance of traditional Khmer dancing.

Day 7-8: Sihanoukville

We drive to the coast and arrive at 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 Occheuteal Beach or wandering across to nearby Otres Beach, Sokha Beach or Independence Beach. Further afield is Victory Beach - another beach popular with travellers. The more active can wander down and explore the town centre, but please be prepared for the fact that this town is very hilly and spreads over quite a large area. Sihanoukville was formerly known as Kompong Som before it was renamed in honour of the recent king.

Day 9: Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh

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 private bus back to Phnom Penh, where we spend our last night in the capital - a chance to go out for an optional farewell dinner.

Day 10: Phnom Penh

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.

Tour Grade: Walking

Maybe you’re after a ramble through Morocco’s Dades Gorge, or a stroll in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands. Or perhaps something more energetic, a hike in South Africa’s spectacular Drakensberg Mountains or along a stretch of China’s Great Wall. Whatever you want, the same principles apply: keep it simple, and slow it down. Stretching the legs is a great way to discover somewhere, whether a city’s downtown or remote countryside. You quickly get into the feel for how life’s lived, the local rhythm of where you’re travelling. And there’s no better way of meeting locals – take a walk through African plains or South American valleys and you’ll soon be trying to hurdle language barriers with friendly villagers and farmers.