Cambodia Gadventurer , 11 days

On arrival at Phnom Penh Airport, you are greeted by our guide and taken to your hotel by private transfer. You may have free time to relax and catch your first glimpse of Phnom Penh. This bustling capital city of Cambodia  favorably located at the confluence of the Mekong, Tonle Sap, and Tonle Bassac Rivers has long remained little more than a large village. However, it became the permanent capital of Cambodia since 1866 and had developed into a sizeable, largely French designed city, once known as the Pearl of Asia. The crossroads of cultures, peoples and worlds have made Phnom Penh on the edge of everything. We can find the Cambodian elements together with the Chinese and French influences in the gleaming temples, sidewalk coffee,  vibrant markets, and colonial structures and tree lined boulevards amidst the monumental Angkorian architecture. The cityscape undergoes rapid changes from the ashes to take its place among the hip capitals of the region, with an alluring cafe culture, bustling bars, world-class food scene and international chains of hotel.

Today, we explore some major sights of Phnom Penh. The stunning Royal Palace complex is now home to the royal family, therefore  it is very close to the public. We walk across the beautiful royal gardens to see the Throne Hall where the king coronation  and the royal receptions are often  held.  The magnificent Silver Pagoda set at the northern palace ground would not to be missed. This country most sacred pagoda  is named  after some 5000 silver tiles covering the floor,  each weighing 1kg. Nearby this complex is the National Museum of Cambodia, a graceful terracotta structure inspired by temple architecture. This exquisite masterpiece with an inviting courtyard garden concentrates various incredible sandstone sculptures and intricate bronze objects from the  Angkor periods. The following stop is  Wat Phnom which dominates the skyline of Phnom Penh and  has an interesting legend about this city name. We come face to face with the horrific crimes of the Khmer Rouge as we visit the Tuol Sleng Museum, a former high school turned into a centre for interrogation, torture, and death by the Khmer Rouge. Heading out of the town, we follow the same route of Tuol Sleng  prisoners  to the notorious ‘Killing Fields’ of Choeung Ek that is  an extermination camp for political prisoners. The painful bloody rule of the Khmer Rouge still can be seen at the memorial stupa.  We round off our day with a walk in the Central Market, a showcase of the local product richness. This flagship trade center of Phnom Penh was built in shape of a dome with four arms branching out into vast hallways crammed with countless stalls of goods.

The modern comfort will be left behind as we will venture into the remote region of Cambodia and drive to Sen Monorom Town. This long journey takes everything between 6 to 8 hours depending on the roads and traffic conditions.  We drive through Prey Veng, a sleepy area despite of its location on the country busiest highway.  This vast farming land was once covered by lush jungles, but they were mostly chopped in last few decades. There are not much attractions in place  however, we make a short stop to stretch our legs and catch a quick look at the province center. We keep on our journey along the Cambodia and Vietnam borderline before we head uphill towards  Sen Monorom, the metropolis of Mondulkiri Province. The road conditions are rather good, making for a pleasant drive past the scenic mountain landscape. You see a little traffic as the population gets sparser. The farming land gives way to jungle, offering a stunning view of the real beauty awaiting you further up.  On arrival in Sen Monorom Town, we have time strolling around to catch our first glimpse. You  can feel the cold air emanating from the  mountain altitude that makes this hill town considerably cooler throughout the year than elsewhere in Cambodia. Along the walkway, you see the locals going about their business, greeting you with smiles or  perhaps extending inquisitive stare!

The mountainous altitude gives a lush color to the rolling hills which are often covered in a morning mist. Today we explore the outskirts of Sen Monorom Town, which are mostly covered by rugged mountains and evergreen forests. These mountainous areas offer plenty of adventure activities to choose from, some of which are elephant riding, jungle trekking, ethnic minority village sightseeing, waterfall swimming, and wildlife watching. The elephant ride is a perfect way to discover the scenery and  the local lifestyle close up. On arrival at Putang Village,  we meet up our mahout and participate in short briefing about elephants. We pack everything on elephant and start our  elephant trekking along the undulating hillsides   to see an ethnic minority village in the nearby jungle. These indigenous people are mostly farmers living  from their slash and burn traditions and speak their own dialect. However, your local guide will help you to make simple communication with the local villagers and explore their  old date customs and traditions. We continue our elephant ride and receive a basic training of some dialect words as well as  control skills to manage our  elephant  just like a mahout! This huge animal brings us to Kbal preah Waterfall where we do one in a lifetime the exhilarating experience of elephant bathing.  There are also some possibilities to enjoy  swimming and relaxing at the fall pond.

Today, we spend our time to visit the town market where many Bunong  hilltribe people converge from the surrounding mountains and valleys to trade their goods. They are distinguished from the immigrant lowlanders by their distinctive baskets. We leave Sen Monorom for Banlung, the town center of Rattanakiri Province and drive through the most mountainous region of Cambodia.  The local beauty is not in rice fields or jungle; it is the wide-eyed welcome of villagers since they rarely see passing foreigner tourists along this mountain road. The hellishly dusty path was once called the "death highway" by many passengers but has now been renovated to make the journey from Sen Monorom to Ban Lung much easier than your imagination.  Along the way we can make many stops as we please, to stretch our legs and catch some wonderful pictures.  The scenic drive reaches  Banlung Town,  giving us  a different type of discovery. The town center does not offer much attractions, however, you can spend your free time to explore Yeak Laom Park, a protected area that is looked after and managed by the regional authority .This volcanic crater lake believed to have been created about 700,000 years ago. The spectacular lake surrounded by forest up to the crater is a beautiful oasis and a great place for a refreshing swim!

The trekking adventure is truly a highlight of this mountainous region.  Today we include it in a day trip out, exploring the Virachey National Park which is one of the largest protected areas in Cambodia. This largely unexplored park  comprises dense semi-evergreen lowlands, maintain forests, upland savannah, bamboo thickets and occasional patches of mixed deciduous forest. They are home to a large variety of wildlife, such as elephants, clouded leopards, tigers , sun bears, gibbons, great hornbills, giant ibis, and peacock-pheasants. We will probably hear endangered gibbons and might spot many rare birds on our trekking day. Upon leaving Banlung , we take a short drive to Voen Sai Village, a base for our exploration of this large park. We start blazing the local track from the park center through many different environments. The real treasures at the Virachey National Park are wild which can only be seen on foot.  We walk into the deep jungle with trees growing over trees like taking a step back into prehistory. The local team will prepare a local style picnic lunch in tranquil setting of mountain and forest.  This memorable trekking  is followed by a visit to Voen Sai  where indigenous Khmer people live alongside Lao, Chinese and Kreung minorities. The strange mix of ethnic races and cultures  makes for an interesting exploration. We round off our day with a drive back to Banlung Town.

Heading out the town, we make our way towards Stung Treng. This outpost town is set by the banks of the San River just off the Mekong River. The tranquil atmosphere shows us an authentic and remote “ face” of Cambodia. The drive will deliver you to Stung Treng by late morning or early afternoon depending on the roads and  traffic conditions.  This remote region was once a part of southern Laos, but it  has been switched to Cambodian ownership during the French colonial era. There are many people in place speaking both Khmer and Lao language. We spend this afternoon to explore  the endangered Irrawaddy. The overfishing has put this animal to a critical threat, but they still can be seen in this place. Upon leaving Stung Treng Town, we take a ferry across the Mekong River and drive towards Preah Rumkel Village, which is emerged as an ecotourism hub in this wetland region. This small village is a prominent showcase of the fascinating fusion of Khmer and Laotian cultures. We enjoy a short walk to explore the local lifestyle and the stunning natural scenery before we make our way to the Anlung Cheuteal pool. There are various Irrawaddy Dolphins frolicking  in watercourse  and  birds hovering in nearby wetlands. We catch a view of this beautiful stretch of the Mekong River, where are various rapids and waterfalls cascading down from Laos.

The following destination of our journey is Siem Reap Town. We drive past  the undulating terrains and the rain forest.  The fascination is not just in the nature beauty but in the jungle secrets. En route we make stop to visit Koh Ker Temple, which was once the capital of the Khmer Empire. The complex consists of more than 180 sanctuaries  and reservoirs hidden inside a  region filled by jungle, but  the most beautiful one is “Prasat Thom”, bearing the name of big temple. This temple was built in form of a pyramid with seven tiered levels, totally 35 metres high.  We walk past many structures submerged in the luxuriant jungle towards the main temple and climb up a  steep staircase to get a view of the surrounding region. The trees sprout lush, dense, and tall, making a serene ambiance that accentuates the sense of legend.  Upon leaving Koker Temple,  we  head towards Siem Reap Town, a gateway to the ruins of Angkor Temples. This archeological site stretches over an forested area of some 400 square kilometers and contains the magnificent remains from the different capitals of the Khmer Empire between  802 AD and 1350 AD. They range from stunning architectural marvels to ordinary edifices full of rubble. On arrival in Siem Reap we check in our hotel and have free time to explore at leisure. The vibrant downtown of Siem Reap  is tightly packed with small eating spots, shop houses, and luminous bars, offering an interesting exploration.

The sunlight reflects a golden glow over the entire Angkor Complex. We start this day with Angkor Thom, an epic collection of striking structures, which is encompassed in quadrangle area. The best preserved South Gate comes in view with a causeway fringed with 54 demons and 54 gods pulling a giant snake. This scene is focusing on a famous Hindu story in bygone time. We walk through two ranges of status on a cosmic scale to the gate tower with colossal human faces carved in stone. The walkway will bring us an interesting  look close up at the Royal Enclosure where remains some  mysterious ruins, including the Royal Palace, Phimeanakas Temple, and  Royal Terraces. These structures built from perishable materials have long vanished. The climax of our visit is Bayon Temple  built in the centre of Angkor Thom. This enigmatic complex contains  54 towers, each topped off with the four faces of  Compassion Buddha. Upon leaving Angkor Thom Area , we take a short drive to  the architectural masterpiece of Angkor Wat. The iconic monument  of the entire complex was built in the 12th century and reflects a perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry, bringing the pride and strength to all Khmers. The distinctive five towers of this temple are now emblazoned on the Cambodian flag. We stroll around this massive monument, unraveling the mysteries of the bas-reliefs from Hindu mythology to the glories of the Khmer empire. The footsteps lead through the upper levels of the inner sanctuary to the sacred heart of Angkor Wat, a blend of spirituality and symmetry. We round out day tour with a walk up the Pre Rup Temple to enjoy the spectacular sunset over these sandstone monuments.

Heading out of the  town, we drive beyond the towering Angkor Complex  to Banteay Srey Temple. This intricately carved temple despite the lack in size is still a jewel in the crown of Angkor-era sculpture. The architecture style features a mixture of the archaic concept and the innovative materials since Banteay Srey Temple  was largely built from sandstone in pinkish hue, with brick and laterite used for the enclosure walls and some structural elements. We stroll around this beautiful landmark and admire the marvelous sculpture at every step. Upon leaving this site, we keep driving to see  Banteay Samre, which is adorned with striking relief depicting the scenes of Vishunu and  Krishna. Today we also have time seeing  Prasat Kravan with a line of five brick towers and Srah Srang which was once used for the royal baths and the ritual bathing. The following stop is Banteay Kdei Temple, a monastic complex of  enclosure walls, concentric galleries and towers. We venture into the jungle to explore Ta Prohm Temple, which is relatively untouched for centuries by its secluded location. There are enormous fig trees and creepers which embrace themselves in temple stone foundation, giving it a distinctive feature. The sightseeing also includes Neak Pean which is originally designed for the medical purposes with four connected pools representing water, earth, fire and  wind. We continue onto  Preah Khan , a good counterpoint to Ta Prohm Temple.  The large ruin of Preah Khan was all but partly destroyed by the climate impact. However, it is till interesting to walk around, exploring the legends, towered enclosures and  shoulder hugging corridors.

There are no activities planned for the final day. You may have free time to continue your exploration of Siem Reap Town, do your last shopping or simply look back upon your trip images. The holiday comes to an end with a transfer to Siem Reap Airport for  your departure.