Explore the main highlights of Cambodia on this active 6 day tour. Bike through temples in Angkor Wat, take a cyclo tour of Phnom Penh, and kayak past the stilt houses on Tonle Sap Lake as you explore the culture and historic treasures of Cambodia. This short yet active Cambodia tour is perfect for combining with a week long tour in neighboring Laos or Vietnam.
Highlights
Bike past the temples of Angkor Wat
Visit a family in the village of Kampong Kleng
Kayak Tonle Sap Lake and explore the fishing villages
Explore the streets of Phnom Penh on a cyclo city tour.
Activities that provide a reasonable level of physical challenge and elevate the heart rate. Focused on more active pursuits including multisport tours. Travelers may be active 5-7 hours total each day. Recommended for travelers with active lifestyles.
Rise early this morning and hop on your bike for ride along quiet trails of the temples of Angkor today. Bike just about 18 miles today (30 km) as you explore the magnificent temples of the Khmer Empire including Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple, and the Elephant terrace. Leave your bikes out front to wander through the temples on foot as you go. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant near Angkor Wat. Ride next to Ta Prohm, commonly known as 'the jungle temple' whose massive tree roots are attempting to reclaim the ancient ruins. Return to Siem Reap early afternoon and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Get an early start today to visit Banteay Srey ruins, which was off limits for many years due to its remote location and Khmer Rouge activity in the region. Built in the late 10th century, its pink limestone have preserved some of the best bas-reliefs in Siem Reap.
During high water season, set out on kayaks and paddle upstream over flooded paddy fields in Tonle Sap Lake toward Kampong Khleang village. Here the houses sit on 8m high stilts above the ground and floodplain during high water. The community here are predominantly fisherman and have invented a variety of ways to catch fish. On any given day you may learn about local village life, visit a school, see catfish being smoked, or speak to a fisherman while they are preparing their nets. Enjoy lunch on a wooden verandah as you watch fishing boats return to unload their catch. If the water is low, take a motor boat instead out to the mouth of the channel where you launch kayaks for another village on the open lake. Return to your hotel in early evening.
This morning, your driver picks you up from your hotel to travel to Kampong Thom. Upon arriving in Kampong Thom, you meet your local guide and proceed to Sambor Preikuk or Isanapura, the complex belonging to the Pre-Angkorian era of Chenla (late 6th to 9th centuries AD). It was one of its capitals known then as Isanapura. Visit the three main temple complexes—Prasat Sambor, Prasat Tor, and Prasat Yeah Puon—on foot. Have lunch at a local restaurant. Then, continue directly to Phnom Penh. Once you arrive, you are dropped off at your hotel for check-in. Enjoy at your own leisure!
Set out on a traditional cyclo tour of Phnom Penh, riding in a carriage attached to the back of a bike provides a new perspective on the city. First visit Wat Phnom, a 14th century stupa and the tallest religious structure in the city. Continue to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, whose remains from its destruction under Pol Pot are still very impressive and the site contains many objects which embody the brilliance of the Khmer civilization. Continue to the National Museum to see the huge collection of Khmer sculpture and artifacts from Angkor. Enjoy lunch at the Friends Restaurant, which provides under-privileged street children the opportunity to gain experience in the hospitality industry.
This afternoon takes a more somber turn with a visit to Tuol Sleng Prison, an old high school that was transformed into a site for torture. Get a glimpse at the devastating horrors perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia's recent past. While not a particularly uplifting excursion, this important visit provides travelers with some context for Cambodia's very raw and recent history. Next visit Choeng Ek, also known as the “Killing Fields” which are located just outside the city and were the site of the ongoing genocide of the Khmer people.
Return to your hotel this evening and enjoy your last night in Phnom Penh. Perhaps take a visit to the charming riverside area which is bustling with activity and offers many restaurant options.
Day 6: Return Home
1 Breakfast
Rise in time to transfer to the airport for your flight home or on to your next destination.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is $400, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check, or credit card. Final payment by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum $20,000 charge
The trip was terrific with great planning on your part. Most of the adventures were not mainstream and somewhat off the beaten path which made it especially enjoyable!! We felt taken care of and you all were readily available to respond to questions and issues. I would highly recommend your company and friends have already expressed interest based on our pictures and excitement.
Gale Cantor
TrustScore 4.8 | 254 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 254 reviews on
2 days ago
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
2 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
2 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.