Experience Real Cambodia: Adventure Travel – Tour 34

Tonight our Experience Real Cambodia adventure travel tour will stay in; BANGKOK – Our Experience Cambodia in comfort small group tour officially starts when you check into your Bangkok riverside accommodation.

A welcoming dinner will be had in the evening. 

If you arrive early enough your free time could be spent visiting the enormous Chatuchak weekend market and/or, Wat Phra Kaew & the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, MBK or Siam shopping centres or take a boat ride with the locals on the Chao Phraya express to some local shops in Nonthaburi.

A few of the dozens of other options may be Vimanmek Teak Mansion, Chinatown, Wat Traimit, Jim Thompsons House, Silom or Sukhumvit road shops.

OR? Maybe just lay back and have a traditional Thai Massage. A month in the capital wouldn’t allow you enough time to see it all.

Tonight our small group Cambodia tour will stay in; PHNOM PENH – As this is a Cambodia tour we will take the fast and comfortable way, with a short international flight to the capital Phnom Pehn
The hectic but fascinating capital is a great place to start our cultural and historic exploration.
Try one of the national dishes of Amok for your first Khmer meal, maybe with an Angkor beer on relaxing Sisowath Quay to get into holiday mode. 

PHNOM PENH – A day to try and fully understand the short but brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge. A visit to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek where the Khmers have made fantastic efforts to come to terms with their recent history.

Then to the just as infamous S21 which is now Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Here you will get a feel of the horrors that occurred.

This experience will stay with you forever. You will come away with far more compassion and concern for your fellow man. 

Tonight our Cambodia adventure holiday tour will stay in: SEN MONOROM – By minibus today for the approx 5-hour drive to Sen Monorom the capital of Mondulkiri province. This is real rural Cambodia with very few travellers making it this far east. Walk around this friendly town with the odd restaurant geared up for tourists already. Explore the local market and stroll around this once wild East of Cambodia to experience how the locals go about daily life.. 

SEN MONOROM – Today we are free to explore Sen Monorom which is easily done on foot albeit a bit of an uphill down dale type of town. There are a number of tour operators and Mountain Bike tours as an optional extra if you want more activity. A visit to a minority Bunong village and a number of waterfalls are just two possibilities. 

Tonight our Cambodia small group adventure travel tour will stay in; BAN LUNG – Today only about two hours by van will see us even further on the Baktrax in the next big thing in Cambodia and possibly all S. E. Asia. No meals.
As yet undiscovered apart from a few adventurous backpackers Ban Lung is a delightful town that can be strolled around at leisure on a flat layout.
This is a real local culture experience that gives us a unique insight into rural Cambodia. Explore the local market or the other quiet side streets.
Two or three western restaurants with a cold Angkor beer only add to the appeal as well as an amazing, (For Cambodia), first class coffee shop.
In the afternoon you will be taken by moto to see Boeng Yeak Lom, a 700,000-year-old crater lake. A very peaceful and scenic location it makes a great place for a cooling swim.
Legend has it that a Loch Ness type creature inhabits the lake but don’t let that put you off having a dip.

BAN LUNG – Today our Cambodia adventure tour will go on a one-day adventure trek with a local operator to a waterfall and indigenous village with an English speaking local guide. 
Firstly by car for 45 minutes to the village of Kachon. From here we take a wonderfully scenic boat trip on the Sesan river for about an hour while watching the indigenous people on the banks going about their daily lives.
When we reach Koh Pong we need to register to enter the local commune. From Koh Pong, we walk about two hours to get to a waterfall.

The walk is through some beautiful forests with some remote panoramic views. On arrival cool down with a swim before enjoying a picnic lunch.
After lunch, we return to Koh Pong on a slightly different route before driving back to Ban Lung.
This is a relatively easy trek of approx 6 kilometres.

Tonight our Experience Cambodia small group tour will stay in; KRATIE- Today by van we head for approx 4 to 5 hours to the charming Mekong riverside town of Kratie, (Kra chee). This will give you the chance to experience a much larger provincial capital. 

KRATIE – A totally free day to stroll around and take it all in. 
First up stroll around the local fresh food outdoor market for a fascinating look at local life. It will astonish first time Asia visitors even more so. Not to be missed.
French era architecture and enough good restaurants only add to the overall experience. Another lesser-known Cambodian gem.
NOTE: Tourists are now coming to Kratie to try and spot the endangered Irrawaddy freshwater Dolphin. If you would like to take a chance on spotting one that can be arranged as an optional extra on arrival. Alas, no guarantees on seeing them at all though. A fin through the water perhaps at best for most. Do not expect to see Flipper type tricks.

Tonight our Experience Cambodia in comfort holiday tour will stay in Siem Reap – Another interesting day by bus to of between six and seven hours will see us in Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor Wat.

Late afternoon our guide will take us to Angkor Wat for the sunset views. No meals.

SIEM REAP – A full day by van or car with a local driver/guide to explore the majestic and mysterious spectacle of Angkor Wat. Apart from the main Angkor Wat complex, you will also visit the Bayon, Tha Prohm and Angkor Thom. 

SIEM REAP – A free day to wander around not so sleepy these days, Siem Reap. 
A few of the sights and/or activities may include:
The Angkor National Museum. or a cooking courses.
For shoppers:
Artisans d’Angkor has a shop selling various pieces relating to local culture.
Shops set up to benefit the blind, disabled and other worthy causes include Krouser Thmey, Nyemo,Rajana, Rehab Craft, Sentaurs d’Angkor and Tabitha Cambodia. These shops sell a variety of goods which include silk products, arts and craft, clothing, wallets, bags and the like.
Unlike the lesser visited places, Siem Reap also has an amazing choice of international restaurants from French to Mexican and lots in between. Pub street also offers what the name suggests for another holiday drink.
Local markets are great for a last souvenir also. B.
NOTE: For those wanting to explore some more of the lesser known Angkor temples this can be arranged as an optional extra on arrival.

Tonight our Cambodia travel tour will stay in; BANGKOK – Our group tour will have a long but interesting day as we return by bus to Bangkok via the Poipet/ Aranya Prathet border crossing, arriving late afternoon. 

BANGKOK – A last free day in the city of angels to sightsee, shop or just relax with a massage and/or by the pool. Your tour coordinator will help you plan which way you want to go today. A number of optional day tours are also available. A farewell dinner will be had in the evening. 

Our Experience Real Cambodia in comfort adventure travel tour is officially over when we check out of our Bangkok accommodation. An airport transfer is included also. 
Head home knowing you saw both the super highlights as well as experiencing the local way of life while still staying in comfortable accommodation.
We think it may be the real local travel experience you are raving about most on your return.