Ultra Luxurious Cambodia 11-day Tour with Viland Travel

This morning, gain insight into Cambodia’s recent dark history on a visit to the remarkable Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, housed in the former school that was taken over by the Khmer Rouge and used as its main detention and torture center, named “S-21.” Also, visit the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. A moving but important visit will allow you to dig below the surface and understand Cambodia better. After learning about some of Cambodia’s tragic pasts, it is time to put a smile back on your face and experience modern Khmer life. Return to central Phnom Penh for lunch at Le Lotus Blanc, a training restaurant for the humanitarian organization Pour un Sourire d’Enfant (for the smile of a child), which provides education and job training to street children that used to be scavenging the municipal dump, and gives them skills and hope for a brighter future. Your visit helps support the training of these kids by being their guests. (Note: Lotus Blanc closes on Sunday.)

In the afternoon, head to Wat Phnom Temple, the founding place of the city on a small hilltop. Then continue along the riverfront to the Royal Palace. This palace dates back to 1866 and houses the Silver Pagoda, named for the over 5,000 heavy silver tiles that cover its floors. Its original name is Wat Prakeo, meaning the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. In this temple, you will see a collection of Buddhas in gold, silver, crystal, and bronze. Your next stop is the National Museum, built in the traditional Khmer style. It has the best collection of art, archeological, and religious artifacts from the 4th to the 13th centuries that can be found anywhere in the world. Over 5,000 pieces are on display, constituting the repository of the kingdom’s cultural wealth. In addition, the roof space is home to a large bat colony!

In the late afternoon, enjoy an atmospheric sunset river cruise and watch how Phnom Penh’s popular riverfront comes to life in the early evening, with a coconut juice degustation on board.

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Phnom Penh National Museum

The collected images of Cambodia’s history are vibrant in your mind and will soon come to life. Your private transfer meets you at your hotel and escorts you back to the airport. Today, you will take a 45-minute flight to Siem Reap, the city known as the “Gateway to Angkor.” When you get there, a new private guide and driver will meet you and take you straight to your hotel in the city center. After checking in, take some time to unwind and enjoy the hotel’s amenities.

In the afternoon, head out to visit the excellent Angkor National Museum. The visit serves as an excellent primer on the gems of Angkor before visiting the temples. The museum provides a potentially large collection of relics, texts, and audiovisual presentations relating to the Angkorian era. If you know even a little bit about the history and meaning of the architecture, your visit to the temples will be much richer and more interesting.

Head into Siem Reap town this evening for a welcome dinner at the incredible Embassy Restaurant. The Embassy is an exclusive fine dining experience led by executive chefs Pol and Sok, dubbed the “Kimsan Twins.” They have created one of the most unique five-star quality cuisines that can only be experienced in Siem Reap, having trained under Michelin–starred chefs. With a menu that changes seasonally, make sure to savor the expertly prepared masterpieces and pair them with fine wine.

Overnight at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor.

The Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor is an oasis for the experienced traveler and a location of immense inspiration. A short distance from the bustling resort town of Siem Reap and the temple ruins of Angkor, the hotel’s opulent accommodations, services, and facilities offer a distinctive fusion of traditional charm with contemporary necessity.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Phnom Penh Raffles Grand Hotel D'angkor view

Optional tour: Watch the sunrise over the massive Angkor temple complex with a guided tour. Return to the hotel for a full-energy breakfast and be ready for another full-day tour to immerse yourself in Khmer culture.

This morning, you will visit the ancient capital city of Angkor Thom. First on the agenda is Ta Prohm, a ruined and mysterious temple with its own story about giant tree roots and strange shapes. This mystery attracts both domestic tourists and overseas explorers to set foot in Cambodia. Continue to Banteay Kdei (the citadel of Chambers), the Victory Gate, the Terrace of the Leper King, the Royal Palace, Baphuon, and Bayon. Bayon Temple is considered the heart of the Angkor Thom Complex. It is a massive temple, built in the 12th century, that played an important role in the Khmer people’s spiritual life. One of the most curious things about Bayon Temple is the almost 200 smiling faces carved into the walls. Some of the carving details on the temple have been damaged by time and climate. However, the soul of this ancient Khmer architecture remains.

The afternoon tour gives you time to explore Angkor Wat, one of the seven wonders of the world. The temple architecture is modeled after the great Meru Mountain in India. The highest central tower is 65 m, representing the legendary Mount Meru, and its five towers correspond to the peaks of Meru. The entire structure has been built from sandstone and honeycomb. The magic is that the giant blocks of stone are stacked on top of each other without any binders or reinforced concrete.

After touring, you get dropped off at your hotel.

Stay overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: breakfast, Lunch.

Siem Reap Angkor Wat

Join a half-day Khmer Food Lovers cooking class. where participants learn how to prepare Khmer dishes, including a guideline for choosing products at a local market. These courses are designed and taught by chefs, who make every effort to ensure you have a good time. Once you have completed your cooking class, you are comfortably seated on the terrace in their garden to enjoy the food you have cooked.

In the evening, enjoy a unique Cambodian culture at the Phare Cambodian Circus Show. Set up by refugees from the Khmer Rouge era, Phare promotes performing arts as a way to cope with trauma. Over the years, they have not only helped hundreds of Cambodians but also helped to promote traditional Khmer culture. Then sit down for dinner, a feast of traditional Cambodian dishes. Afterward, the lights will dim and the performers will take the stage. The hour-long show tells stories of modern life in Cambodia through a rich spectacle of song, dance, and acrobatics. Traditional Khmer theater is mixed with modern ideas to make a show that is both entertaining and interesting. Following the show, there is an opportunity to take photos with the cast, a spectacular memory of the evening’s performance.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Siem Reap Phare Cambodian Circus Show

This morning, at 9:00 a.m., a Shinta Mani Wild representative will pick you up at the hotel in a luxury private car.

Shinta Mani Wild is a gorgeous property located in a protected river valley between three national parks—Kirirom, Bokor, and Cardamom—that together form one of Southeast Asia’s greatest wilderness places. The resort offers luxury safari-style accommodations to tourists while also focusing on environmental protection and collaboration with local people. A magnificent tent floating above the river boasts hardwood floors, lavish furnishings, and brilliant color injections.

Spend your free time at leisure or participate in the optional activities listed below.

• Go on patrol with Conservation Alliance rangers, a wildlife NGO dedicated to catching and preventing poachers and illegal loggers in the area. Shinta Mani Wild funds the ranger team, which has a base immediately above the tents.
• Spend an afternoon exploring the upper reaches of a neighboring estuary on one of the bespoke BENSLEY-designed adventure boats. Anchor in a picturesque backwater to launch the kayaks while the butler prepares the BBQ to serve the freshly caught huge crabs.
• Meet the chef, a culinary maestro and enthusiastic forager of edible Cambodian plants. Set off on a foraging adventure in our land with him as he imparts his great knowledge of the forest’s flora, fruits, and fungi. Prepare to enjoy a cooking class unlike any other when you return.
• A team of naturalists exploring the flora and wildlife at Wild has a number of hikes for tourists of all abilities. Join in as they check their camera traps and bring the forest to life as they get carried away talking about what they love most, which ranges from orchids and birds to animal behavior.
• Khmer Tonics’ Boulder Spa offers a rejuvenating menu of treatments based on ancient Khmer medicines and healing rituals to relieve stress and restore inner harmony.

Overnight in Sihanoukville at Shinta Mani Wild 6* Tent.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

Sihanoukville Shinta Mani Wild

Spend your free time at leisure or participate in one of the optional activities listed below.

• Go on patrol with Conservation Alliance rangers, a wildlife NGO dedicated to catching and preventing poachers and illegal loggers in the area. Shinta Mani Wild funds the ranger team, which has a base immediately above the tents.
• Spend an afternoon exploring the upper reaches of a neighboring estuary on one of the bespoke BENSLEY-designed adventure boats. Anchor in a picturesque backwater to launch the kayaks while the butler prepares the BBQ to serve the freshly caught huge crabs.
• Meet the chef, a culinary maestro and enthusiastic forager of edible Cambodian plants. Set off on a foraging adventure in our land with him as he imparts his great knowledge of the forest’s flora, fruits, and fungi. Prepare to enjoy a cooking class unlike any other when you return.
• A team of naturalists exploring the flora and wildlife at Wild has a number of hikes for tourists of all abilities. Join in as they check their camera traps and bring the forest to life as they get carried away talking about what they love most, which ranges from orchids and birds to animal behavior.
• Khmer Tonics’ Boulder Spa offers a rejuvenating menu of treatments based on ancient Khmer medicines and healing rituals to relieve stress and restore inner harmony.

Overnight in Sihanoukville at Shinta Mani Wild 6* Tent.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Sihanoukville Shinta Mani Wild

This morning, be met by a representative from Shinta Mani Wild and transferred to Ream National Park, where the Six Senses private dock is located.

Depart from the private boat pier at Six Senses for a shared boat transfer to Krabey Island. When you arrive, check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day swimming and relaxing on the beach.

Six Senses Krabey Island is nestled on an ideal 30-acre tropical island with just 40 private pool villas and a boardwalk that is a wonderful synthesis of land and water. The main lobby, lounge, and sunset bar are designed in the style of a classic fisherman’s house, while the lush rainforest becomes a highlight of the dining experience with local, regional, and international cuisine and an exceptional wine cellar.

Overnight at Six Senses Krabey island.

Meals: Breakfast.

Sihanoukville beaches

Enjoy your day at leisure or participate in a variety of optional excursions and activities, which must be booked directly with the Six Senses. Water sports such as diving, snorkeling, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, and island-hopping boat trips are available, as is The Earth Lab & Market Farm, a four-hectare market farm and experience center that conducts sustainable programs and actions in support of the island’s environmental vision; or a Cooking Class, which teaches the art of preparing Khmer dishes using local ingredients.

Overnight at Six Senses Krabey Island.

Meals: Breakfast.

Sihanoukville beaches

Spend the day at your leisure, perhaps at the Six Senses Spa, which is inspired by the sacred Kbal Spean River and offers the Six Senses specialty menu as well as numerous historic Khmer healing practices and multi-day rejuvenation excursions, Six Senses Integrated Wellness, detox, yoga, and workshops. The spa features a sauna, steam room, yoga and meditation pavilion, beauty salon, modern gym, and an Alchemy Bar, where visitors can learn about natural ingredients and make their own natural skin care products from local and ordinary ingredients. You may see a movie under the stars at Cinema Paradiso in the evening.

Overnight at Six Senses Krabey island.

Meals: Breakfast.

Sihanoukville boat

We say farewell to the island and take an express boat back to Sihanouk Ville. Upon arrival at Sihanouk Ville port, meet your driver (without a guide) and drive back to Phnom Penh. Arrive in Phnom Penh and transfer to the airport for departure to the next destination. It’s time to say goodbye. We thank you for traveling with us and warmly welcome you to come again.

Meals: Breakfast.

Sihanoukville boat