Angkor Wat temple is the most important and not to be missed if you come to Cambodia. Besides the temples, there are more things for you to discover including the people and nature. Today you can experience the Angkor temples in another way by spending, for example, a relaxed day visiting the remote and less visited temples in the countryside around Siem Reap with the chance to see rare birds high quality with an expert and well-trained birding guide, why not give yourself an unforgettable journey in Angkor?
Trip Overview
• Private trip with a complete program including essential visits.
• Meeting with locals with the help of our guide.
• Specialist ornithology guide (English speaking) for the day of seeing birds.
• Kulen Elephant Forest is where the retired elephants roam free in their natural habitat and are a living testimony of a changing world.
• Discover the floating village Preak Toal with a certified Osmose guide
• A Tuk-Tuk ride in the Angkor Zone and excursion to Kbal Spean hill.
• Tour options to make your day complete and memorable.
ITINERARY TRIP
CODE – CET01
Note: B = Breakfast / L = Lunch / D = Dinner
DAY 01: ARRIVE – SIEM REAP [-/-/-]
Arrive in Siem Reap-Angkor International airport, welcome by your English-speaking guide and driver and transfer to hotel for check-in.
Note: Your room will be available for check-in at 14h00.
Dinner on own account. Overnight stay at a 3* or 4* or 5* Hotel.
DAY 02: SIEM REAP [B/L/-]
Breakfast at hotel. Visit Banteay Srei, the "citadel of women" which André MALRAUX liked so much and which is considered to be a Jewel of Khmer art which features elaborate decorations and its finest details. Along the way, stop in a traditional village producing artisanal palm sugar (depending on the season) and walk through the village chosen by your guide.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
Then continue to discovery of Preah Khan, a monastery from the end of the 12th century that housed more than a thousand monks, and Neak Pean which stands in the middle of a pond.
Tethered Balloon Flight, rises to 120 meters and will allow you in 10 minutes, to have a breathtaking panoramic view of Angkor and the surroundings. For safety reasons, the balloon flight can accompany 20-25 participants (maximum) in each flight and can be changed according to the weather conditions. There will be a supplement to be charged separately.
Dinner on own account. Overnight stay at a 3* or 4* or 5* Hotel.
DAY 03: SIEM REAP [B/L/D]
Meeting with your English-speaking ornithologist guide then departing early in the morning around 4:45 a.m. from the hotel in a Tuk Tuk tow so you can arrive at the site before sunrise where we will first look for brown owls.
Witness the sunrise at Angkor Wat at 5:30 a.m. and follow with a simple picnic breakfast. Instead of watching the sunrise, you can continue to observe the owls according to your discussion with your guide on site. From 6:00 a.m., continue bird watching around Angkor Wat.
It is possible to see the Hainan Blue Flycatcher, White-throated Thrush, Forest Wagtail, and more. Please note that birding locations may be flexible depending on the location of bird species and the number of tourists on the day.
At 9:15 a.m., the discovery of the Angkor Wat site, which is the largest and best preserved of the Angkor monuments, represented the culmination of Khmer art. Continue bird watching at Bayon Temple Complex around 10:45 am.
Lunch at a local restaurant in the Angkor area.
Around 1:30 p.m., departure to visit the Ta Prohm temple and the birds in the surrounding forest areas around the temple. Hoping to see Red-breasted Parakeet and Alexandrine Parakeet
Return to the hotel at 4:00 p.m. and free time at your arrangement.
End of your day, enjoy a pleasant moment with a one-hour gondola ride on the moat of Angkor Thom with a supplement to be charged separately.
Evening, dinner at a local with a traditional dances show. Overnight stay at a 3* or 4* or 5* Hotel.
DAY 04: SIEM REAP [B/L/-]
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning a local family member will pick you up to go to the market. Then you will join the pretty traditional wooden house of this kind Cambodian family to go into the kitchen and learn how to prepare typical everyday dishes. Then, accompanied by your hosts, you will go to the pagoda to make an offering of some of your culinary preparations. You will then have the opportunity to live the unique experience of a Buddhist blessing.
After a short psalmody, the bonze will bless you with lustra water. This ritual, very popular among the Khmers, aims to chase away evil spirits, such as illness or bad luck. Back at Monyroath and his family, you will have lunch with the rest of the prepared meals.
Afternoon, visit of Senteurs d'Angkor is a unique brand that offers a complete range of artisanal and natural products, all of which are handmade. Visiting their huge workshop will inform you about the products and processes (candles, spices, soaps, etc.) while the garden will teach you about more than 100 species of plants, trees, and flowers representing the essence of Cambodia.
Then visit the Samatoa Lotus Farm to learn how to transform the sacred lotus flower into unique sustainable crafts. Afterward, you can discover unique handicrafts made from lotus flower by-products and enjoy lotus tea in a scenic spot on the rice fields and lotus fields.
Then, transfer to Phnom Kroam, a mythical hill on the edge of the Tonlé Sap. After an ascent on foot for about 20 minutes to the top of this small hill, visit the temple and then enjoy the magnificent sunset that it will offer you.
Dinner on own account. Overnight stay at a 3* or 4* or 5* Hotel.
DAY 05: SIEM REAP [B/L/-]
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure from the meeting point to join other participants to visit Kulen Elephant Forest. At 8:00 a.m., join the collective transfer and leave for the Kulen Elephant Forest (about 1 hour drive from Siem Reap). Kulen Elephant Forest was created for the purpose of preserving the remaining elephants of Cambodia, especially the 14 elephants in the Angkor region which have worked for a long time in the field of tourism. Nestled in the lush jungle, this place is a haven where retired elephants can interact freely and are treated with the utmost care and attention.
In the reserve, there are no tricks, and no riding, and the elephants now roam and socialize without burden. During the tour, you can help the elephants with breakfast before heading off into the forest together. This experience is a good way to learn more about the very real implications of elephant conservation in Cambodia. Lunch is included during the tour. End of the tour, join the collective transfer from Kulen Elephant Forest to return to your hotel.
To note:
• The tour starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 2:00 p.m. (Includes lunch)
• The visit is non-private with a guaranteed departure of a minimum of 2 visitors and a maximum of 12 visitors.
• Please bring a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, insecticide, or raincoat (during the rainy season).
Return to your hotel for free time. Dinner on your own arrangement. Overnight stay at a 3* or 4* or 5* Hotel.
DAY 06: SIEM REAP [B/L/-]
Breakfast at the hotel. Departing from your hotel, for a day on the Tonlé Sap where you will reach the magnificent village of Prek Toal. Paddling through the village accompanied by your Osmose-certified guide, you will discover the village in an authentic way aboard a local boat. Understanding what happens every day in the village is essential! Let yourself be guided through several activities. From visiting a floating family home to floating gardens, including fish farms and small shops, discover how local communities have brilliantly adapted to life on the water. Next, take a look at the village from above by stopping at the environmental research station.
Once back on our platforms, devour an excellent lunch prepared by local cooks!
Then, visit the environmental education class and water hyacinth workshop. Learn how to make your souvenir of the trip with a weaving class with one of Saray's artisans.
At 15h00, take your boat back to Siem Reap town and free time.
End of day, joint a Circus Show “PHARE, the Cambodian Circus” at 8:00 p.m. Reach new heights by applauding the unique acts of energetic professional artists trained at the PHARE circus school in Battambang. After acclaimed tours around the world, these young and talented Cambodians perform every night in the very heart of the cradle of Khmer civilization. Without any animals, this show of juggling, tricks of all kinds, and daring acrobatics are breathtaking!
Dinner on your own account. Overnight stay at a 3* or 4* or 5* Hotel.
DAY 07: SIEM REAP - DEPARTURE [B/-/-]
Breakfast at hotel. Day free until transfer without guide to airport for your departure flight to another destination.
Note: Your room will be available until noon only.
END OF OUR SERVICES.
(This program is likely to undergo modifications due to imperatives such as air rotations, climatic conditions, or any other case of force majeure. Photos are given for information only, not contractual.)
INCLUDED PRICE
• Accommodation in a double/twin room to share with breakfast.
• All transport by air-conditioned car/van/bus for all the visits.
• All the visit are with English-speaking guides.
• Tuk-tuk ride, boat to floating village, all entrance fees (3 days Angkor PASS, PHARE - seat B, Kulen Elephant Forest), etc.
• Specialist ornithology guide (English speaking) for the day of seeing birds.
• Floating village Preak Toal with a certified Osmose guide.
• Meals as mentioned in the program.
• Fresh water in the coach during the day of the visit.
NOT INCLUDED PRICE
• Entrance visa fees to Cambodia: 30 USD per person (Note: Passports must be valid for at least 6 months after the date of return with at least 2 pages available.).
• All services not mentioned in the above program (meals, guides, entrance fees, etc.).
• All international flights. Optional visits and excursions.
• Drinks and personal expenses (travel and personal insurance, tips for guides/drivers/luggage porter, etc.).
• The supplement for the period of Chinese New Year, Christmas, and International New Year.
TIP FOR GUIDE / DRIVER
Tipping is at your discretion. Nevertheless, it is customary in almost all countries in the world to tip when you have been satisfied with the service.
For drivers, we recommend the equivalent of 2.5 USD per day and per person, double for guides. At the hotel, 0.50 USD to the bearer or for a service rendered. Tipping is rare at the local restaurant so see if the restaurant has included the service charge or not in their bill.
As a general rule, it is best to align your tip with the local economy: the prices of a beer or a tea, a pack of cigarettes, will give you an idea of the standard of living and allow you, as you do it naturally at home, to estimate its amount.
Here is our general suggestion from our company regarding tipping for the guide/driver:
• Group (1-6 people): 5 USD/person/day
• Group (7-14 people): 4 USD/person/day
• Group (15 people - above): 3 USD/person/day
If the case arises, on the other hand, we will avoid encouraging begging, especially that of children, by making “wild” distributions in the street. If you wish to help by providing school materials, clothing, or medicine, it is best to give them to the school director, the village chief, or the nearest dispensary, who will know how to benefit the more deprived.
Cancelation Policy
Reservations of ground services and package tours:
• No show and 7-1 days 100% charge.
• 14-8 days 50% of the trip price.
• 21-15 days 30% of the trip price.
• 30-22 days 10% of the trip price.
• From 31 days without cancellation fees.
TERMS OF PAYMENT
• Le paiement total est requis 4 semaines avant l’arrivée. Nous nous réservons le droit d’annuler tous les services en cas de retard de paiement.
• Pour les compagnies bénéficiant de facilités de crédit avec Image Cambodia Travel, le règlement doit être effectué selon les termes de l’accord.
For children aged 2-12 (who have completed year 11), the following pricing policies apply:
• Child in extra bed (same room as parents): 15% reduction in the travel price.
• Child without extra bed (same room as parents): 25% reduction in the travel price.
• Child in a double/twin room: No reduction (except plane tickets only).
• Land services (**) only: 50% reduction in the price of the trip.
(**) Land services = the package without including accommodation.
Note: Maximum 04 children are allowed at this discount, per party/group.
For infants aged between 0-2 years (who has completed year 1), the following rules apply:
• No extra bed, no meal, no entry, all services free, except plane ticket (90% reduction on the adult price).
• Cot on request; Price to be determined on a case by case basis.
• Extra bed on request.
• Local services: 90% discount.
• The program of visits may be modified depending on the time of departure or arrival of the flight or the condition of the roads or the availability of rooms.
• We reserve the right to adjust prices at any time in the event of an increase in the fuel surcharge applied by airlines or any other transport company.
• The estimated prices are subject to change at any time due to the temptation of the increase in the prices of the entrance tickets to the sites in Angkor according to the Apsara Authority.
• The official check-in time at the hotel is at 2:00 p.m., earlier, it depends on the availability of the rooms or to pay the supplement.
• The official check-out time of the hotel is at 12:00, later, it depends on the availability of the rooms or to pay the supplement.
• Visiting the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda, Baphuon, Angkor Wat and Banteay Srei requires visitors to cover their shoulders well and wear long pants or a long skirt.
• The visit of the temple of Angkor Wat and also the tower of Bakan require visitors to cover their shoulders well and to wear long pants or a long skirt. For the visit to the Bakan Tower of Angkor Wat, children under 12 years old are not allowed to climb it. It will be closed on Buddhist holy days, 4 days a month, and according to the lunar calendar.
• Visits to the Royal Palace and the National Museum will be carried out by site guides. Our guides are not authorized to guide.
• The Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda sometimes close without notice for official ceremonies. The tour would then be interchanged with another tour if possible.
• The many monkeys that live on Wat Phnom can sometimes be aggressive. Don't go near it.
• The opening time for the sites:
- The National Museum, the Toul Sleng Museum: every day from 08:00 to 17:00.
- The Royal Palace: every day from 7.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- The temples of Angkor: every day from 07:30 to 17:00.
Currency: The Riel is the national currency, but the US dollar is widely accepted and used in almost all transactions (4000 Riel for 1 USD, December 2013). Credit cards, checks, foreign currencies are accepted in hotels and several banks. It is recommended to bring $ (US Dollars) in small denominations for your purchases in markets and restaurants.