The day is free to recover from the flight. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is an exciting, absorbing city where bicycles battle with lorries and temples stand alongside modern developments. Devastated by the Vietnam War, HCMC is now a bustling free-market city, where anything goes. The Ben Thanh Market and Notre Dame Cathedral are highly recommended. There will be a welcome briefing with your leader this evening followed by an optional group dinner at a local restaurant. Stay: Huong Sen Hotel (or similar).
After driving approximately one hour to the Tinh Bien/Phnom Den land border, we bid Vietnam farewell and cross into Cambodia. Our drive then takes us via the La Plantation Pepper farm, to enjoy lunch and an introduction to the Kampot Pepper farm. After, we transfer to Kampot town, which sits on a picturesque river.
Upon arrival, we check into our centrally located hotel, our base for the next two nights, before boarding a local boat for a sunset cruise on the Kampot River. This waterway runs through the centre of town and can flow in both directions as it is closely connected to the sea. Stay: Boutique Kampot Hotel (or similar) (B/L).
There may be the chance to rise early and do an optional walking tour with your leader to visit the Kampot fish market before returning to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, we depart Kampot and transfer to Phnom Penh, where we spend the next two nights. During our time in the Cambodian capital, take the chance to wander among the traditional buildings, or shop at either the impressive Central Market or the sprawling Russian Market, a souvenir hunter's paradise. Stay: Ohana Hotel (or similar) (B).
We visit the beautiful Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda inside the palace complex, so named for the solid-silver tiles that make up the floor. Similar in style and scale to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, the Royal Palace has significantly fewer visitors and there is plenty of time to wander among the traditional buildings. We also visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as S21), which graphically displays the horrors of the four years when Pol Pot ordered the murder of between 2m and 3m Cambodians. Tuol Sleng was originally a school but was used as a torture and interrogation centre between 1975 and 1979. It is a sobering but enlightening place to visit.
We complete our day with a late afternoon visit to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. A football field-sized area surrounded by farmland, the Killing Fields contain mass graves for perhaps 20,000 Cambodians, many of whom were tortured before being killed. Phnom Penh is a city in transition and, despite its horrific recent history, is now starting to find its feet. Some of its former French colonial buildings have been restored and there is a small but lively restaurant and bar scene developing along the riverfront. Stay: Ohana Hotel (or similar) (B).
Today, we have a long drive to Siem Reap (approximately eight hours). En route, we stop at the town of Skuon, famous for its local delicacy – fried spiders. We also stop at Sambor Prei Kuk, the most impressive group of pre-Angkorian monuments in Cambodia and some of the oldest structures in the country. We'll also pause for a traditional Khmer lunch at a community restaurant before continuing our journey to Siem Reap. Stay: Angkor Holiday Hotel (or similar) (B/L).
We spend a full day exploring the temple complex at Angkor, which French explorer Henri Mouchot described as 'grander than anything of Greece or Rome'. This Unesco World Heritage site stands alongside Chichen Itza and Machu Picchu as one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the world. A truly magical experience and a photographer's paradise. One evening, we will watch the sun set over this magnificent scene. We visit the incredible Angkor Wat and the many temples inside the royal city of Angkor Thom, including the magnificent Bayon, which comprises 54 intricately carved towers in one temple. The Bayon certainly left an impression on a traveller in 1925 who stated 'we stand before it stunned. It is like nothing else in the land. ' We also see less-visited outlying temples. Particularly impressive are Banteay Kdei and Ta Prohm, the latter still covered in jungle as it was first found. Stay: Angkor Holiday Hotel (or similar) (B).
This morning, we continue our exploration of the Angkor complex with a visit to the small but charming temple of Banteay Srei (22mi/35km from Siem Reap town). Our route takes us past paddy fields and through pretty villages. Banteay Srei was built in the 10th century and contains some of the finest examples of Khmer sculpture. Although much smaller than the later temples, all of the buildings are covered in exquisite carvings. The afternoon is free for you to independently explore the temples, wander around Siem Reap town or visit a floating fishing village and enjoy a boat trip on the Tonle Sap Lake (optional). Stay: Angkor Holiday Hotel (or similar) (B).
We have an early start and bid farewell to Cambodia, embarking on a longer journey from Siem Reap to Bangkok. The journey to the border can take up to three hours. After the border crossing (which usually takes up to an hour), we meet our Thai tour leader and have our first taste of Thai food at a local restaurant before continuing onto the capital of Bangkok. Famous for tuk tuks, khlong boats and incredible street food, Bangkok is an assault on the senses and provides a real contrast to sleepy Cambodia. Stay: Rembrandt Bangkok Hotel (or similar) (B).
We board a long-tail boat for a tour of the canals. Please note, there may be a possibility of larger groups being accommodated in a bigger boat. Bangkok was once known as the Venice of the East because of its intricate canal network. We get a glimpse of daily life as we pass local people selling wares by the river. We also visit the home of the Thai royal family at the Royal Palace complex followed by Wat Phra Kaew, home to the Emerald Buddha, one of the most venerated images in Thailand. Another highlight is Wat Po, the largest temple in Bangkok, housing a 151ft (46m) long, 49ft (15m) high gold-plated reclining Buddha. Please note, when visiting the Royal Palace, clothes covering your shoulders and knees are a requirement for entry. Stay: Rembrandt Bangkok Hotel (or similar) (B).
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