PKCAM02-Phnom Penh & Siem Reap 5D4N from Ho Chi Minh

6:30 am, will be picked up at your hotel in center of Ho Chi Minh city to bus station

7:00 bus leaves for Phnompenh capital, Cambodia tour

14:00 arrival Phnompenh, will be picked by our guide and tuk tuk (or car/minivan) for city tour in 4 hours.

Heading to Toul Sleng was simply a high school building in central Phnom Penh. But during the Khmer Rouge era in Cambodia, from 1975 to 1979, it became an infamous interrogation prison known as S-21. Today, the building remains as a genocide museum, telling the tragic story of the thousands of innocent Cambodians who were tortured or killed on its grounds.

Walking through the narrow corridors and former classrooms of the buildings will give you an insight into Cambodia’s turbulent past. Hear the stories of some of the victims and see the interrogation devices used to inflict suffering on the local population. Hundreds of the haunting, black and white photos of prisoners are now on display in the museum.

While this may be a somber experience, it is an excellent way to gain a new understanding of this important chapter in Cambodian history. From Toul Sleng, drive 10 miles (17 km) from Phnom Penh to visit Cheung Ek, the site of a mass grave and a field made famous by the movie The Killing Fields.

Today, a large memorial commemorates the thousands of victims who died in these fields under the reign of the Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot. This journey into Cambodia’s past will provide you with a background on the cruelty of the Khmer Rouge regime.

After visiting this and hearing story of the Cambodian people, you will know how to appreciate life at home.

Tour ends, drop off at your hotel.

Free time in the evening

Overnight in Phnom Penh

Breakfast at hotel.

8:45 taking bus to Siem Reap

15:00-16:00 Arrival Siem Reap, will be picked by tuk tuk to your hotel.

18:00 Pick up for evening street food tour in 2 hours

It’s true that Cambodian cuisine shares common dishes with its neighboring countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, China, even India, and is influenced by the remnants of French colonial days.  Khmers, however, had found creative ways to put in a dash of their style and flavor, making these otherwise familiar dishes into something uniquely Cambodian.

Get ready to have a taste of Siem Reap’s street food, by hopping into a remork-moto, commonly known as tuk tuk, as we pick you up from your hotel.  We’ll go beyond tourist zones for the most enjoyable local street food adventure.  Your knowledgeable food tour guide will lead you to explore Siem Reap’s streets to sample local snacks, such as yellow bean cake or Khmer rice cake.  We’ll check out the tropical fruits in season and let you have a taste of unique fruits such as dragon fruit, lychee, tiny but sweet pineapples, longan, rambutan and mangosteen (depends on season).  Either you hate it or you love it, we dare you to sample the king of tropical fruits – durian (during season). 

We’ll take you where the locals meet, eat and hang-out – in a picnic area where endless stalls are set-up in the early evening.  Walk through the length of the street and explore various stalls selling fruits, snacks and cooked food, clothes, homewares, kitchen wares and everything in between.  Eat snacks the Cambodian way and if you’re up for an adventure, try out a variety of exotic snacks such as fried tarantulas, crunchy crickets, frogs, fried scorpions and duck eggs.  Bring out the foodie in you by picking from a variety of dishes such as skewered barbecue meat and fish, Khmer fried chicken, green mango with chili and salt, savory jackfruit and sweet mangosteen.

Tour ends, drop off at your hotel.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Breakfast at hotel.

Please ready from 7:30AM till pickup before 8:30AM, travel to the Angkor Archaeological Park in the comfort of an air-conditioned minivan. Once you’ve purchased your entrance tickets (not included), set out on a guided tour of the ancient temples. 

Start by marveling at the much-photographed temple of Angkor Wat and hear the fascinating history of the Khmer Empire as you follow your guide around the impressively preserved ruins. Continue to the walled temple complex of Angkor Thom, pass through the grand South Gate, and visit architectural highlights including Bayon Temple, the Elephant Terrace, and the Terrace of Leper King. After breaking for lunch (own expense), admire the overgrown ruins of Ta Phrom and discover why it’s nicknamed the “Jungle Temple.”

Your tour ends with drop-off back at your hotel.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Breakfast at hotel.

You can take morning or afternoon tour (Morning pickup from 7:30-8:30AM and Afternoon pickup from 1-2PM)

Begin your adventure with pickup from your Siem Reap hotel for the roughly 45-minute journey to Kompong Phluk. Depending on the season, you’ll travel by minibus (February to July) or by minibus and boat (August to January). Transfer to a small boat and set sail along the lake, passing stilted houses and schools, floating markets, pagodas, and fishing boats as your guide tells you more about local life, customs, and traditions. 

Wet-season visitors can also opt to enjoy a traditional canoe ride around the flooded forests (for an additional expense) and experience the region’s unique ecosystem as you glide between the semi-submerged trees. 

Back in Siem Reap, your tour ends with a drop-off at your hotel.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Breakfast at hotel.

Free time until airport transfer to next destitantion