ServaTravel

Itinerary

See all our itinerary to learn more about our experience.

• Arrival - Phnom Penh, Cambodia

  Breakfast Lunch Dinner

  Sua s'dei! Welcome to Cambodia. (IATA airport code: PNH) 

  Upon arrival at Phnom Penh airport by flight, you will be welcomed by local English-speaking guide who will escort you directly to hotel for relaxing.  Note: Official check-in time at 2:00pm, early check-in subjects to room available. 

  Phnom Penh, founded in 1372 and capital since 1434, was once the "Pearl of Asia" and a French-built city. Known for its beautiful architecture, it is located at the Mekong and Tonlé Sap Lake confluence.

  Let’s begin tour around 2:30pm with a moto-remork transfer to Mekong Island, renowned for silk weaving, agriculture, and aquaculture. The tour includes visits to a Buddhist temple, rice fields, vegetable and orchard farms, fishing boats, floating fish farms, and a Catholic Church. Now you get on board a boat to enjoy sunset on the confluence of river, offering a stunning sunset view and a chance to observe Phnom Penh's vibrant riverfront. Disembark and enjoy an orientation walk along the riverside, exploring Cambodia's unique Khmer-influenced architecture. Enjoy fresh air and local activities like aerobics or dancing.

  Tonight, welcome dinner will be served at Indigo Indian Restaurant offers a taste journey to India, where you can enjoy the best of traditional cuisine of North India in an authentic atmosphere. Most of the ingredients are actually imported from original country which enrich the flavor and enhance the beautiful aroma of Indian spices in the dishes.

  Overnight at hotel in Phnom Penh. 

• Phnom Penh

  Breakfast Lunch Dinner

  This morning, you will be greeted by a driver who will take you by Cyclos for a fun tour of the most significant sights of the city. Three-wheeler Cyclos were introduced to Phnom Penh streets in 1936. The drivers are happy to bring you around for a new experience.

  You will climb up to visit Wat Phnom (Mountain Pagoda), which was built in 1372 as the founding place of the city. The pagoda is set on top of a small artificial hill 27 meters height with tree-covered. Inside the temple, you will experience the Chakkumpi "Khmer fortune teller" manuscript on palm-leaf performed by selecting passages of hazard or luck and drawing from them indications concerning future events—an authentic experience with Khmer belief.

  You will get inside for a visit National Museum-built of red bricks by the French in a pseudo-traditional Khmer style with an inviting courtyard garden.  It is one of the world's largest collections of Khmer art, including sculptural, ceramics, bronzes and wooden objects. Over 14,000 items are on display, constituting the repository of the Kingdom's cultural wealth from prehistoric to post Khmer Empire times.

  Lunch is on own account.

  Afternoon, you will discover Cambodia’s dark history and horror of Phnom Penh’s past of its city. First head, visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school which was used as the notorious Security Prison 21 (S-21) by the Khmer Rouge regime. A grim visit, but it is important site that will allow you to gain insight into Cambodia history.  Note: For the kids (under 15 years old), we usually don’t include the tour program at the former S-21 prison and Killing Fields because there is some real psychological impact on kids after visiting any confronting or emotional history sites.

  Spend times for browsing through the colorful Russian Market, it is the place to shop for discounted brand-name clothing, also the best place in the city for wooden and stoned carvings, jewellery and silk souvenirs.

  Overnight at hotel in Phnom Penh. 

• Phnom Penh – Battambang

  Breakfast Lunch Dinner

  This morning, pick up you from hotel and drive through the countryside to Battambang (291 Km, approx. 5:30 hour drive). 

  Nearby Kampong Chhnang town, you will be transferred through serene rice fields dotted with sugar palms, many with bamboo ladders running up the trunk. Now you witness the process of how to make low-fired pottery wares where the area’s famous for. The locals produce traditional pottery by mixing ancient techniques with modern ones in order to make their goods more attractive. 

  Upon arrival directly to hotel for relaxing. (Lunch is on own account). 

  Cambodia's second-largest city, Battambang-is a pretty riverside town of French elegance, friendly Khmer people and beautifully preserved colonial architecture. A short drive from town, the scenery quickly becomes one of villages and rice paddies, offering an excellent opportunity to see a bit of authentic rural Cambodia.

  Afternoon, visit Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS) is a Cambodian non-governmental organization (NGO) aiming to support community development through providing social, educative and cultural services to children and their families. The circus school has welcomed kids and teenagers to train all day long in several circus disciplines: acrobatics, juggling, balancing, contortion, trapeze and clowning. Those kids are now young adults who have become professional artists. (Note: The school will be closed every weekend and public holiday.) 

  You will drive through the countryside of about 20 km from the town to visit Banan temple.  This Angkor-era mountain temple and style were built in the mid-11th century, sitting on a hilltop with a 358-step climb up, where it is worth overlooking the panoramic view of beautiful countryside and rural villages.

  Head to Phnom Sampov, meaning "Ship Hill", at the foothill where you will be ready for sunset with a fabulous show of nature as millions of bats exit the caves, creating patterns as they fly in tandem in the sky—a unique experience of nature!

  Tonight, you will authentically experience with a home-cooked dinner a local villager that offers more than just a meal—it's an opportunity to immerse yourself in a different way of local life and taste traditional cuisine, fostering understanding about culture, appreciation, and friendship along the way.

  Overnight at hotel in Battambang.

• Battambang - Siem Reap

  Breakfast Lunch Dinner

  In the morning, you will take a Remork motorbike, so-called "tuk tuk" riding amongst the countryside where you will be impressed by the genuine look into the local ways of traditional livelihoods. Through the village, you witness farmers showing you how to make bamboo sticky rice cake, dried bananas, Nam snack "Paste of fish or pork with chili", rice paper for spring rolls drying under the sun. And you can also see the villagers’ manufacturing processes for rice wine, rice noodles from scratching the gooey paste before being cooked, Prahoc "typical Cambodian fish paste" and dried fish. Some are seasonal local produce and fruit that you can taste-the perfect way to get insight into Cambodians lives and soak up a fun experience overall!

  Lunch will be served at local restaurant. 

  Now, you will be traveling the rural village to Siem Reap (172 km, approximately 3:00 hour drive). Upon arrival, directly to hotel for check in. The rest of balance day is free at leisure.    

  The small but expanding town of Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor. This is the most popular destination for travelers in all of Cambodia, perhaps even in South-East Asia. The markets are a great place to shop or to try some cheap, delicious street food by your own arrangement.

  Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap. 

• Siem Reap

  Breakfast Lunch Dinner

  After breakfast at hotel, you will first visit at the pre-Angkorian capital of the Roluos Group. The complex features three temples of different locations: Bakong, Preah Ko "The Sacred Bull" and Lolei temples, the monument structures built from the beginning of finest examples of decorative carving in Khmer art. Bakong was the first temple built largely of sandstone.

  Now, you are ready to drive north of Siem Reap town to explore the spectacular rock caving into the bedrock riverbed amid the jungle of Kbal Spean.

  At the foothill, you will stop at local restaurant for your lunch that is on your own account 

  You now start a 35-minute uphill 1.5 km trail through a bit of an adventurous hike for a visit to Kbal Spean, so-called "Bridge Head". Deep in the jungle at the top, a 150-meter stretch of riverbed displays rock-cut relief in sandstone depicting the god Vishnu and other Hindu mythology scenes. As you walk along the river, you will also see 1,000 Lingas that have been elaborately carved into the riverbed under the crystal-clear water. Exploring the site, it's best to start with the riverbed carvings, but also don’t miss out on a small, cool-off waterfall. (Note: The river probably fills up with water between July and October; otherwise, there is very little.)

  On the way return, we stop to visit Banteay Srei temple, so-called "Citadel of the Women". It was built in 967, and the temple’s most intricate and deep carvings and architectural details in the unique pink-hued sandstone temple well preserve the best of Khmer art.

  If time permits, you visit Pre Rup, meaning "turn the body" is a Hindu temple was built in the year 961 and served as the state temple.  At the top, five towers are arranged in a quincunx—one at each corner of the square and one in the center. The temple's extensive laterite and brick give it a pleasing reddish tone that is heightened by sunset where you enjoy the eye-catching sunshine filtering through lofty trees’ leaves and lighting from the top also rice fields.

  • Optional Ticket Phare Ponleu Selpak Show:
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  This evening, you will be entertained with a special performance of the Cambodian circus at Phare Ponleu Selpak. PPS meaning "The Brightness of the Arts, it is an NGO that has improved the lives of children, young adults, and their families with art schools, educational programs, and social support so far. Inside the campus, you will enjoy the rotation of a spectacular show put on by a talented and energetic troupe of young performers. (Note: The one-hour show opens for the public daily at 8:00 p.m.)

  
  

  Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

• Siem Reap

  Breakfast Lunch Dinner

  Get up early for an eye-catching sunrise at Angkor Wat, you might be lucky to see the sunlight rays clear for a dawn display of color over the towers, making the view towards the temple stunning.

  Then you will have a refreshment breakfast and coffee before jumping into the discover the temple during less visitors.

  Continue to visit Angkor Wat built in 1113-1150 during the reign of King Suryavarman II. The structure occupies and enormous site of nearly 2 km2, said to be the one of the world’s largest religious monuments. It appears to have been both as the state temple and mausoleum, dedicating to the God Vishnu then has become an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. The temple is famous for bas-reliefs encircling the temple wall depicting scene from Hindu mythology and the historical wars of the King. The central tower reaches a height of 65 meters, is crowned with five towers in a quincunx also known as Bakan where you may also climb up and enjoy breathtaking view. Angkor Wat is symbolizing as the soul of Khmer people and graces on every Cambodia's flag. 

  You will access the temple through a footbridge during your visit Neak Pean, means "The entwined serpents" and a very great snake-Naga encircled the temple. The tiny artificial island sits in the center of a reservoir measuring 3,500 meters by 900 meters, making the site flood during the rainy season. 

  Continue on a short drive to visit Preah Khan, meaning "Royal Sword" which was the central Buddhist temple, and it was more than just a monastery yet also an entire city enclosing a town of 56 hectares. Unluckily, the site was heavily vandalized during the Hindu resurgence following the death of the builder king. The temple serves today as an outstanding example of a large linear temple complex in a jungle setting where you can enjoy a fascinating view.

  Picnic lunch at local restaurant nearby the temple site is on your own account. 

  Afternoon, you take a shady walk along the tall tree-lined avenues and explore the beautiful Ta Prohm temple. The huge roots of giant trees and vines make this temple unique and famous. The temple is so peaceful and restored to nature that it was even used as a filming location for Angelina Jolie's film ``Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.''

  Continue to visit the last capital of the Khmer empire Angkor Thom is literally "Great City", It covers an area of about 10 km2 and is surrounded by an 8-meter-high wall, it was established in the early 12th century by King Jayavarman VII.

  Enter the capital through South Gate-the ancient gateway that grabs you with its impressive sandstone carving of four gigantic smiling faces, then continue to Bayon Temple sits at the heart of the capital. The temple is incredibly intricate in terms of both its construction and meaning. Its masterpiece of 54 standing towers with four huge smiling faces represented the Khmer provinces during the great Khmer empire period. Along the outer gallery of the temple figures about 11000 bas-reliefs depicting heroic historical tales as well as scenes of Khmer daily life in that civilization.

  After visiting these magnificent temples, tonight you will have a well-deserved dinner at local restaurant with a traditional Apsara and the traditional dance show which you will enjoy during your dining. 

  Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

• Siem Reap - Departure

  Breakfast Lunch Dinner

  After breakfast is free at leisure until appointed time with tour guide transfer to Siem Reap airport for your departure flight. (IATA Siem Reap–Angkor Int’l Airport Code: SAI)