Cambodia
Siem Reap, Phnom Penh
Day 1: After arriving in Siem Reap and settling into your hotel home for the next few days, try some local cuisine for dinner. Hotels, restaurants, and transportation are very reasonably priced here, so you should be able to save enough to eat well. Cambodian cuisine is unknown to most but is quite tasty. Try the national dish, Fish Amok, which many travelers find to be their favorite Cambodian dish. Day 2: On your first full day in this remarkably friendly country, begin your morning by visiting the War Museum to get an idea of the turmoil the people of Cambodia have experienced in modern times. The museum is one of a kind as often those who fought and lost limbs in Cambodia’s civil wars lead you through the outdoor museum telling their experiences and showing their wounds. The museum is also unique not only in the amount of weaponry on display, but that much of it visitors are allowed to handle these decommissioned firearms, including machine guns, rifles, grenade launchers, bazookas, and mortars. Just up the road from the War Museum, spend some time at the Silk Farm, where the whole process from worm to finished product is explained and demonstrated. Like the War Museum, visitors are granted extraordinary access, including the chance to handle the silk worms and cocoons. After lunch, spend your afternoon at the Angkor National Museum. While a bit pricey by Cambodian standards, a visit is essential to better understand the religious meaning of the ancient structures before exploring the Angkor Wat Archaeological Park. Day 3: Today you will begin your visit of the Angkor Wat Archaeological Park by touring what is commonly referred to as the grand circuit. After getting your tickets (purchase a three-day pass), start your day at the massive complex of Preah Khan, which is a personal favorite, and touring it in the cool of the morning when there are fewer tourists is nothing short of magical. Afterwards, visit Neak Pean—a unique water temple site—Ta Som and East Mebon before stopping for lunch. After refueling, take a slight detour to the “shouldn’t-be-missed” and well reconstructed site of Banteay Samré before continuing on to massive Pre Rup, which many visitors climb to watch the sunset. If the sunset doesn’t interest you or it is still too early in the day, continue the circuit to Banteay Kdei and Prasat Kravan before finishing your temple visits for the day. Day 4: Begin your tour of the magnificent small circuit of the Angkor Wat Archaeological Park at the famous Ta Prohm. Make sure to arrive at the site early in the morning (between 7 and 8 a.m.) for the best light for photos and to skip the crowds. The giant trees that have overrun parts of the site are the stars here as each visitor tries to capture their photo among the roots. Afterwards, make quick stops at the minor sites of Ta Keo, Chau Say Tevoda, and Thommanon before moving on to magnificent Angkor Thom. The site is massive and you will spend most of the afternoon here, so if you are hungry, grab something to eat before you start. The first area of your visit should be the Terrace of the Leper King, which has some remarkable hidden carvings in a deep trench-like structure. Continue your tour of Angkor Thom by visiting the Terrace of the Elephants, Phimeanakas, and Baphuon before your last stop at the highlight and often crowded Bayon with its many giant smiling faces. When you finish visiting Angkor Thom, end your day at the star attraction of the park, Angkor Wat. The site is always crowded, but there is great light for photos at the end of the day and fewer people. After your visit, you may want to stray off the main path as you walk back to your awaiting transportation to get some crowd-free photos. You may even spot monkeys near the trees at the edge of the site. Day 5: After breakfast, head out for pretty Banteay Srei, a finely sculpted Angkor monument about 35 kilometers from Siem Reap. If you have used tuk-tuk’s for your travel to this point, you might consider getting a driver and car for the day for a safer and more comfortable mode of travel because of the extended distance. After your visit to Banteay Srei, stop by the Landmine Museum to learn more about the devastation these anti-personnel devices have had on the country and what one man has done to try eliminate the threat. On your way back, stop and visit any of the other monuments in the park that you may have missed on previous days or that you want to visit for a second time. If you have any time left, consider a tour of the Artisans d’Angkor workshops in Siem Reap, where you can observe students learning the skills of wood and stone carving, as well as ceramic, silver, and lacquer work. Day 6: Get up early and take your pre-booked bus ride to the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. The ride should be around five hours, so if you leave early enough you will have time to check into your hotel and enjoy a tour of the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. While these structures are modern, they contain a few older royal treasures, and the grounds are quite beautiful and worth a quick visit before dinner. Day 7: Your last day of sightseeing will be busy but very memorable. Start off in the morning by taking a pre-booked taxi (your hotel can arrange a car and driver for the day) ride to Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, more commonly referred to as the Killing Fields, where you will take a very moving audio tour of the spot where thousands of bodies lie in memorial to the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge. After the somber tour, have your driver take you to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum to learn more about the Khmer Rouge at a high school turned prison for enemies of the regime. Before your last tour of the day, get some lunch and then have your driver take you to the National Museum, where you can visit the small but very fine collection of not only Angkor period sculptures, but also pre- and post-Angkor works. At the end of a last busy day, reward yourself with a final flavorful Cambodian traditional meal before retiring for the evening. Day 8: Sadly, your visit to this land of impressive monuments and friendly people is over as it is time to return to home; but you leave with a richer understanding of this part of the world—both its ancient triumphs and modern tragedies. |