When it comes to travel planning, my job is to research what to see and Dan handles the bookings. Until Cambodia. Dan had been wanting to see Angkor Wat for such a long time that I asked him to plan the entire Siem Reap itinerary.

 I should have expected no less: My resourceful husband found a local to help him.

Okay, not just any local. This Siem Reap native had been a private tour guide for over 20 years, his English was excellent and he responded quickly to Dan’s questions. I was shocked at how quickly Dan had the trip arranged. It takes me weeks of research and planning. Maybe he should take over that responsibility and let me spend more time with my Kindle, reading about the places we could visit.

CHOICES: HIRE A GUIDE, OR DO IT YOURSELF?

Here are the sightseeing options, as I see it.

Use a guidebook. Had I been in charge of planning the trip, I probably would have taken the DIY approach to money. You know the routine: Read a guidebook, hire a tuk-tuk driver, buy the ticket and wander around, looking for all the landmarks the book recommends.

A lot of websites offer that advice, but after having spent a week in Cambodia, I think my method would have been a huge mistake. We had used a book for our one-day walking tour in Savannah, Georgia. I found myself saying, “Hold on, let me see what’s important about this building” a whole lot. Then we’d stop so I could read the entry to Dan.

Hire a guide. Dan’s method meant we could focus on the sights. We ended up with two tour guides who shared the driving and guiding duties. Both were well-versed in Cambodia’s history and culture as well as Buddhist and Hindu lore. Sunny and his friend Bunna offered anecdotes, pointed out curiosities, and answered our myriad questions. Yes, it was costlier, but we could economize elsewhere. This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Shouldn’t we make the most of it?

Take a tour. A group tour would be informative as well, but they work on a strict schedule and you are hampered by the slowest person. You can’t stay as long as you wish or leave early if we you have seen enough of a place. When service was slow one morning, Sunny and Bunna waited for us to finish our breakfast. When I sprained my knee while mounting a too-high step, Bunna slowed the pace and helped me along. They took us to a few lesser-known temples and we got some incredible shots, with no one in the way. Could we have done that with a group tour? I’ll let you figure that out.

(Tip: Whichever method you choose, keep in mind that arriving early can make all the difference in your experience. For one thing, it’s cooler early in the morning, and for another, you miss the tour bus crowds. Temples open at sunrise or before.)

ONE WEEK AROUND SIEM REAP AND ANGKOR

Most tourists are in Siem Reap for only a few days. They’ll visit Angkor Wat and a few other sights, then head off to Phnom Penh. As a result, Sunny only had one- to four-day itineraries on his website.

We were the first of Sunny’s clients who wanted to spend a whole week in Siem Reap. Since none of the usual itineraries would work, he offered to create one that would. The extra time took us further afield and we were able to travel down rural roads, passing through countryside few westerners see.

I’ll admit that a Lexus hybrid is a whole lot more comfortable than a tour bus or tuk-tuk would have been.

In any case, we fit a lot of Cambodia into one week. Take a look at this itinerary, then go ahead and feel sorry for people who have only stayed for three or four days.

DAY 1: CITY HIGHLIGHTS + TRADITIONAL SHOWS

*In the morning: Learn how silk is made at a local silk farm, see relics from the country’s wars at the Cambodia War Museum, then watch artisans create unique stone, wood and textile crafts at Artisans d’Angkor Khmer handicraft center.

*Afternoon:  See exhibits on Khmer history, civilization, and cultural heritage at Angkor National Museum, then enjoy some free time at the Old Market (Psar Chas). Return to hotel for shower and relaxation.

*Evening: Enjoy an expansive buffet dinner with traditional dance shows at Koulen II restaurant. After dinner, see Angkor Night Market. (Tip: Book as early as possible and ask for front-row, center seats.)

DAY 2: ANGKOR THOM (SMILING FACES TEMPLE) + CAMBODIAN CIRCUS

*In the morning: See the many-faced towers at Angkor Thom. Pass through the South Gate and tour the interior: Bayon, Baphuon, King Palace area, Phimean Akas, Terrace of Leper King, and Elephant Terrace.

*Afternoon: Visit Angkor Wat and see the sunset at Bakheng mountain or Pre Rup temple.

*Evening: Phare, Cambodian Circus (Tip: This was incredibly fun, but open seating view is partially obstructed. Worth paying more for center seats.)

DAY 3: SUNRISE AT ANGKOR WAT + TA PROM TEMPLE

*In the morning: Leave hotel at 4:30 am to see sunrise at the Angkor Wat. After sunrise, visit Ta Prom temple before the crowds arrive. Then continue to Preah Khan, Neak Pan, Ta Som, East Mebon, Pre Rup. Lunch at the Angkor Park.

*Afternoon: Continue to Pre Rup, Prasat Kravan and Srah Srang.

*In the evening: Have dinner at Malis Restaurant, a 5-star dining establishment.

DAY 4: BANTEAY SREI + RIVER OF 1000 LINGAS + ROLUOS GROUP

*In the morning: Leave at 7:30 am to visit “citadel of the women,” Banteay Srei, then continue on to see the River of 1000 Lingas and waterfall at Phnom Kulen mountain. Lunch at the Angkor Park.

*Afternoon: Visit Roluos Group of temples, the first major capital of the Angkorian-era Khmer Empire.

DAY 5: CAMBODIAN LIFE TOUR AT TONLE SAP LAKE + BENG MEALEA TEMPLE

*In the morning: Depart at 8:00 am to see the lifestyle of Cambodians who live along the banks of Tonle Sap Lake, the largest lake in Southeast Asia. Explore Kampong Phluk floating village and/or Kampong Khleang stilt village

 *In the afternoon: Explore Beng Mealea, an especially beautiful temple that is being reclaimed by the jungle.

DAY 6: PRASAT PREAH VIHEA & KOH KER TEMPLE

*In the morning: Depart before breakfast to visit Prasat Preah Vihea, a spectacular Hindu temple that is situated on a 525-metre-high clifftop on the Thai border.

*In the afternoon: Explore Koh Ker archaeological site, with 40 temples and a reservoir that were built by Jayavarman IV, Khmer emperor from 928 – 941. Koh Ker is dominated by Prasat Thom, Prasat Linga, Brastat Prum and Brasat Neag Kmau. Among those, the most beautiful is “Prasat Thom,”  which represents the sacred mountain of Hindu mythology. The giant pyramid temple has seven tiers a 36-meter base.

DAY 7: COOKING CLASS + QUAD BIKE RIDE – SIEM REAP COUNTRYSIDE TOUR

*In the morrning: Cooking class. Learn how to prepare traditional and delicious Khmer dishes under the guidance of a professional chef. Begin with a walk through the local market, see the action and learn about the produce. Then return to the kitchen and get to work learning to prepare spring rolls, traditional amok fish, and fried bananas before enjoying your creation in the garden.

*In the afternoon: 4-hour off-road quad bike trip offers an insight into a different side of Cambodia: the countryside surrounding Siem Reap. A local guide will show you how locals live in rural areas and their daily life style. The trip begins with a full briefing on how to drive the quad bike as well as important safety instructions. Then set off through the streets of Siem Reap to see villages, rice fields, a hidden temple, and Cambodians going about their daily lives, The final stop is at a rice paddy, with a beautiful view of the setting sun as it dips below the rice fields.

INSPIRED?

Who we hired: Smile Cambodia Tour designed and escorted our trip. Sothea (a.k.a. Sunny), who owns the company, took a break from guiding and became our driver. His friend Phing Bunna guided us through the area. Both are from Siem Reap and have been tour guides since 1996. And yes, we would hire them again. (We paid for the entire trip ourselves. Nothing was complimentary.)

 

The quotation of our private car service
Car	Van	Van
For 1-3 persons	For 4-10 persons	For 10-15 persons
430 USD	470 USD	510 USD

 

Inclusion	Exclusion
-English speaking driver with license -Car/Van with air-condition -Parking fees/ tolls and petrol -Cool pure drinking waters and towels -Providing a mobile phone for local calls - Free pick-up from the hotel and drop off at the down town. -Free pick-up from airport to your hotel	-English speaking tour guide with license. -Angkor pass -Tonle Sap lake&Kampong Phluk pass - Meals and soft drinks -Tip -Others not mentioned in the conclusion

The quotation of our private tour guide&car service
Car	Van	Van
For 1-3 persons	For 4-10 persons	For 10-15 persons
680 USD	720 USD	740 USD

 

Inclusion	Exclusion
-English speaking tour guide with license -Car/Van with air-condition -Parking fees/ tolls and petrol -Cool pure drinking waters and towels -Providing a mobile phone for local calls - Free pick-up from the hotel and drop off at the down town. -Free pick-up from airport to your hotel	-Angkor pass -Tonle Sap lake&Kampong Phluk pass - Meals and soft drinks -Tip -Others not mentioned in the conclusion

 

*Remark:

• To be informed all value guests have to wear the proper clothes to visit temples, covered up shoulder and knee. No need scarf. I would like to suggest you to wear the light cotton clothes because of hot and humid. Except 3 months such as November, December and January is nice weather.
• In case,please take camera or phone's charger with you.You can charge your camera or phone at restaurant while you are having lunch.
• In Cambodia you don't have to change from US dollar to local currency (Riel)because US dollar is acceptable everywhere and even you withdraw your money from ATM. It could be in US dollar.
• SPECIAL NOTICE: No torn or old note of US dollar cash or coin can be used in Cambodia.
• If you want to add sunrise into day tour itinerary, there will be 5 US dollar extra charge and the starting time is 4:45 am (Please tell your hotel to prepare breakfast box for you) and take torchlight with you. Why charge extra? Because of it is OT Fee.
• For tour fee,you can pay us at the end of your trip or at the beginning of your tour.

• The tour fee is for a group of 1 to 3, 4 to 5 and 6 to 10 persons. It is not per person or per individual.