Thailand and Cambodia in Style
Chiang Mai / Bangkok / Siem Reap / Phnom Penh / Kep
From $7,489 AUD pp (2 pax)
City and Temple Tour Visit Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, the sacred temple with the challenging flight of steps flanked by Naga Serpents. Continue to Wat Chedi Luang, the site of a formerly massive pagoda that was unfortunately destroyed in the great earthquake of 1545, yet still retains a unique shape. Afterwards visit Wat Phra Singh, which includes the lovely Lai Kam chapel housing the revered Phra Singh Buddha image.
Elephant Nature Park Enjoy a full day visit to Elephant Nature Park including time at our special ‘Hands Off’ project. Observe our rescued elephants living in their chosen herds and learn a little about their individual histories. At the park, the elephants are free to interact and play in natural surroundings including the nearby river, custom built pools, and mud pits. You will also have the chance to see our other rescued animals at the sanctuary, including buffaloes, dogs, cats, horses, goats, and birds. Your visit starts with a picturesque drive through rural countryside to our sanctuary. On the drive you will learn about our model of compassionate care at Elephant Nature Park and some of the stories of our rescued and orphaned elephants. Guests to Elephant Nature Park can expect an unforgettable experience with elephants in a nurturing environment. Observe elephants living in their chosen herds as they socialize, eat, and play. By visiting our park you are helping to support our herd and future rescue missions as well as helping to secure a better life for elephants at our regional projects.
Bangkok by Train, Boat, Foot and Tuk Tuk Join us on a City Safari through some of Bangkok’s most exciting areas. Start by taking the Skytrain from your hotel to “Saphan Taksin” pier, where you’ll hop on an express boat and cruise along the Chao Phraya River to Tha Chang pier.
Visit Wat Pho and the famous Reclining Buddha, covered in gold leaf, and with an early start experience the monks early morning chanting ritual. Continue by tuk tuk to Baan Bat, where locals have been crafting monks alms bowls since the 1700s, and then to Wat Saket, the ‘Golden Mount’. Climb its nearly 400 low steps to the top and see the large golden Chedi, which houses a holy relic of the Buddha. Enjoy panoramic views of the city from this high vantage point.
Head to the Giant Swing and explore the area on foot. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant serving up some of the best Thai dishes in town. After lunch, try coconut ice cream from a nearby vendor who has been selling homemade ice cream for over 50 years from the same location.
Continue to Phanfa Lilat pier and take boat ride through Bangkok’s Saen Saeb canal to the beautiful Lanna-style house of Jim Thompson, who brought Thai silk international recognition before mysteriously disappearing during a trip to Malaysia.
Cycle Tour Bangkok China Town This is a gentle 15-km ride that is suitable for any level. Our experienced cycle guides set a relaxed pace while leading the group through the activity of Chinatown and along quiet back roads.
This half day tour starts at lively Chinatown, with all it’s stalls, vendors, shops and local temples. From here you will cross the Chaophraya to Thonburi and continue along quiet backstreets, visiting temples and local markets. Stops will be made at the Princess Mother Memorial Park and Museum, before continuing to Santa Cruz Catholic Church. You will have the opportunity to taste traditional deserts and then visit the famous Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun), one of the most photographed sights in Thailand. If you dare, climb up the steep stairs, for a magnificent view of the surrounding river area –
Visit Angkor Wat The crown jewel of Khmer architecture, Angkor Wat is the national symbol and the highlight of any visit to Cambodia. The largest, best preserved, and most religiously significant of the Angkor temples, Angkor impresses visitors both by its sheer scale and beautifully proportioned layout, as well as the delicate artistry of its carvings. To approach the temple, first cross the vast moat, continuing along a broad causeway lined with naga balustrades. Upon entering the main structure, ascend through a series of galleries and courtyard before reaching the central sanctuary, which offers beautiful views back over the causeway and across the surrounding countryside. On the way, stop to enjoy the intricate stone carvings that adorn nearly every surface of the temple, with some 1,700 Apsaras, or celestial dancers, sculpted from the walls. Along the outer gallery walls run the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which narrates stories from Hindu mythology, including the famous Churning of the Ocean of Milk. Angkor Wat is stunning at any time of the day, but sunrise and sunset are especially beautiful times to watch the play of light on the stones.
Visit a temple for sunset Watch the sun set over the Cambodian countryside from the upper terraces of an ancient Angkorian temple.
Sokkhak River specialises in a unique, delectable mixture of classic French recipes and modern Khmer dishes – where you’ll find some of Cambodia’s best traditional countryside cuisine our spacious, airy restaurant is set in a beautifully landscaped garden that is laced with ponds and tropical flowers. The restaurant overlooks the Siem Reap River and is just a short stroll to the hubbub of the city’s central Pub Street area.
Visit Angkor Thom The fortified city of Angkor Thom covers an area of 10 square km. Enclosed by a wall and wide moats; the city includes many of Angkor’s most popular sights. Enter by the monumental South Gate over a causeway lined on either side by statues of demons and gods, each carrying a giant naga. Continue to the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper Kings, former spaces for public ceremonies, both adorned with dramatic bas reliefs. Visit the ruined Baphuon, Royal Enclosure and Phimeanakas before continuing to the mysterious Bayon Temple. In this temple, one of the most popular and compelling in Angkor, explore the galleries of beautifully preserved bas reliefs and ascend narrow stairs to reach the central sanctuary, where giant stone faces smiling enigmatically down from every angle.
Visit Ta Prohm temple Ta Prohm is one of the most popular attractions of Angkor as much of the jungle has not been cleared and it looks very much as most of the Angkor monuments would have appeared when European explorers first stumbled across them.
Water blessing ceremony performed by the monk This is a traditional Cambodian practice that dates back to ancient times. The Buddhist monks chant ritual blessings and pouring holy water (believed to offer good luck) before tying a sacred thread around your wrist.
Cooking in the Countryside at Treak Village Travel by tuk tuk to Treak Village set in a rural location. The cooking class is held in the outdoors in a bamboo pavilion, surrounded by banana trees, bamboo and a fish pond. Take a short walk to the village to visit a local family and their garden. Spend some time here to see how the various vegetables, fruits and herbs are grown, and to learn a little about food superstition and beliefs. Back in the interactive class you will learn how to cook up delicious Cambodian dishes at your own cooking station. Sit down to enjoy your freshly cooked cuisine in a lovely pavilion perched over the fish pond and surrounded by flowers and a herb garden.
Institute for Khmer Traditional Textiles and Factory (Golden Silk Pheach) Take a splendid trip to the Institute for Khmer Traditional Textiles. It is located about 1 kilometres south of the Old Market in Siem Reap in a wooden building. The institute has their shop upstairs and demonstrations of silk weaving downstairs and at the yard. The visit takes about 30 minutes. After that visit the institutes other farm which is about 30 kilometres on the way to Banteay Srey Temple. There the workers introduce different methods of silk production and raising silk worms.
Visit Banteay Srei Temple Seemingly miniature in comparison to the other Angkor temples, Banteay Srei is considered to be the jewel of classical Khmer art. Built in pink sandstone, the walls are covered in exquisitely preserved carvings of unusual delicacy. Because of its small size, wondrous atmosphere and extraordinary examples of Khmer sculpture, this temple is often a favourite with visitors.
Sunset cruise aboard Le Tonle Enjoy a nice views of Phnom Penh while watching the sunset over the Mekong River.
Art and Culture of Phnom Penh Begin your tour of this charming capital with a visit to the Royal Palace, built in 1866 by King Norodom. See the different structures of this pagoda-style compound and stroll in its beautiful garden. Visit the Silver Pagoda, so named owing to the 5,000 silver tiles lining its floor. Other treasures include a gold Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha.
Afterwards, visit the Champey Academy of Arts (CAA), a local non-profit school focused on training in the traditional Cambodian arts. The school supports students from impoverished and vulnerable conditions and is totally free. Its mission is to promote self-empowerment and preserve traditional Cambodian arts and culture. Continue to the nearby National Museum. Built in 1917, it is an exceptional example of traditional architecture and is exclusively devoted to preserving and exhibiting Khmer art and sculptures. Hundreds of pieces are housed here including both pre-and post-Angkorian pieces.
Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Museum Just outside Phnom Penh, in a peaceful rural setting, the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek provide a stark reminder of the atrocities under the Pol Pot regime. Thousands of people were killed here between the years of 1975 and 1978 and buried in mass graves. Visit Tuol Sleng (S-21). Learn about a chapter from Cambodia’s more recent, tragic, past at the Tuol Sleng Museum (Museum of Genocide). Formerly the Tuol Svay Prey High School, in 1975, this became the interrogation and torture facility for the Khmer Rouge regime – at that time known as Security Prison 21, or simply S-21. Kept largely unchanged, this prison now showcases photographs and exhibits about the thousands of victims that passed through these doors – only seven of whom came out alive.
Tonle Bati, Angkor Borei and Phnom Da Journey southwest to the province of Kep. Along the way visit Tonle Bati, a lake south of Phnom Penh, with a beach and the impressive laterite temple of Ta Prohm. Also visit Angkor Borei and Phnom Da, a 6th century monument, built in laterite by King Rudravarman of Funan. His patron deity was Vishnu and many Hindu statues survive from this site. It is one of the few remaining sites with traces of the Kingdom of Funan.
