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Cambodia Tuk-Tuk Adventure

Highlights

  • Get truly off the beaten track and discover friendly, authentic communities
  • Four nights in local, family-owned homestays and three nights in boutique hotels
  • Witness one of the new seven wonders of the world at Angkor Wat
  • Cross the country on tuk-tuk for a truly immersive, offbeat journey
From £884 pp
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What you'll do

Overview

Experience Cambodia like nobody else. From Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, you'll be roaming the countryside by tuk-tuk, seeing the main sights and places so far off the beaten track, no tourist could find them alone. An unforgettable trip that centres around the warm, hospitable people of this beautiful country, we can guarantee this is a trip you will never forget.

Beginning in Siem Reap, you will embark on an epic journey on Cambodia’s most essential transport, the Khmer tuk-tuk, stopping at locations that will show you the real Cambodia, the side to the country that really isn’t in the guidebooks.

From floating villages to lost temples buried deep in the jungle, beautiful lakes and mysterious caves, you’ll be meeting local people all the way and staying in local homes, so that you can be sure you’re experiencing true Cambodian culture.

You’ll learn about the everyday lives of people in this lush, peaceful part of the world, and will leave with real knowledge and a real appreciation of the Khmer lifestyle. As well as the highlights (you can’t come to Siem Reap without seeing Angkor Wat after all), you’ll discover hidden gems and offbeat experiences that will actually create stronger memories, thanks to the human connections you build along the way.

With wonderful weather year-round, it’s also a fantastic winter sun experience, and a chance to escape the cold UK winter for sunny skies and incredible cultural experiences.

You can trust us when we say with this tour, you’ll be getting a properly local, properly authentic experience, and we can guarantee you won’t be seeing Cambodia as a tourist, you’ll be experiencing it as a local.

Arrive in Siem Reap and Begin Your Adventure

Upon arrival in Siem Reap, you will meet our local representative who will take you to your accommodation. The rest of the day is free to relax and for you to explore the bustling, vibrant city. Take a dip in the pool, get a massage to relax and unwind after your travelling or head out and explore.

In the evening, join a small sunset BBQ and a few beers at a local Khmer home. You will be picked up at around 4:45pm from your accommodation and taken by tuk-tuk to Mr Nana’s house. The journey should take around 15 minutes. On the way to his home, you will pass by glistening rice fields and see the local birdlife gliding lazily through the warm, clear air.

When you arrive you have the chance to enjoy a beautiful sunset in the background of a patchwork of rice fields and winding tracks. Then, enjoy an excellent BBQ lovingly prepared by Mr Nana’s family, as you enjoy a few cold beers in the warm evening air.

If there is a slightly larger group of four and up, our local Khmer legend Nana will do a BBQ at a small lake near his home where you can watch the sunset, eat great food and listen to some local music.

You will be returned to Siem Reap by tuk-tuk at around 8/9pm, depending on how everyone feels…

Accommodation

Hillocks Hotel & Spa is a beautiful space for your stay in Cambodia. Rooms are extremely comfortable and there is a stunning pool for you to relax in when you’re tired from a day of exploration.

Amenities:

Wardrobe and closet Air conditioning Mini bar Cookies Slippers Bathroom amenities Bath and face towel Ceiling fan Wifi Safe 24 hour room service Kettle Coffee and tea

Explore Angkor Wat and the Great Tonle Sap

Today your adventure really starts. Depart at 9:00 am from your hotel in a tuk-tuk, reaching the Angkor compound just outside Siem Reap.

The Angkor Archaeological Park is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking, and is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia and the world.

Stretching over 400 square km, including areas of thick, tangled jungle and lush forest, the park contains the magnificent remains of the capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. You could spend weeks exploring the ruins, but we’ll focus on the highlights.

Angkor Wat is one of mankind’s greatest achievements, and the intricate carvings at the temple of Angkor Wat demonstrate the skill of the Khmer builders. It was constructed in the jungle in the early 12th century, then – two centuries later – was mysteriously abandoned by the Khmer civilization. Now, Angkor Wat is the main reason tourists visit Cambodia.

After Angkor Wat, we’ll head to the atmospheric jungle temple of Ta Prohm. After Ta Prohm, you will visit the South Gate of Angkor Thom where you can choose to take a leisurely one kilometer walk along the wall and through the jungle to a hidden temple.

We’ll then visit the temples of Bayon, Baphuon and the Terrace of Elephants and the Leper King. A well-deserved lunch will be taken at a local restaurant after a fascinating morning of temple exploration.

To relax after a day of temple exploration, we’ll head to Tonle Sap Lake – the largest freshwater body in all Southeast Asia, to enjoy a sunset river cruise and a cold beer as the sky turns a fiery red-pink, and is magnified in the glassy waters of the lake.

After a day of exploring, enjoy a lovingly prepared, home-cooked dinner at your first homestay, as you start to get really off the beaten track and immerse yourself in true Khmer culture.

As you sleep, you can forget the sounds of traffic or crowds of people, as the only sounds will be those of wildlife and the gentle chug of a fisherman’s outboard motor, propelling them onto the tranquil lake for the morning shift.

Accommodation

Tonle Sap Homestay

Tuk-Tuk Through the Back Country

For those that can manage an early morning, and want to see a bit of real, authentic Cambodia, the fish market starts at 4 am, for the buyers who come to trade and buy fish from the locals. If you are interested, please come and visit.

Have a home-cooked, sociable breakfast with your homestay family, before saying goodbye and continuing your journey by tuk-tuk. The driving goal for today is 80km, passing beautiful countryside, rich, fertile forests and isolated communities.

Learn how the Buddhist faith works closely with the community when you visit a Buddhist temple in a village near the Tonle Sap, where there is a school for children who are educated by a Buddhist monk project.

Later, you will also have the chance to see how villagers smoke fish, as well as the other resourceful family businesses of the villagers that make their base on the banks of the Tonle Sap.

Your tuk-tuk driver will also demonstrate how to ride a tuk-tuk, so that you can feel like a true Cambodian! You’ll visit Spean Praptos, also known as Kampong Kdei Bridge, on the road from Angkor to Phnom Chisor

This used to be the longest cobbled stone-arch bridge in the world, with more than twenty narrow arches spanning 285 ft (87m). The bridge was built in the 12th century during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. It is one of the few Khmer Empire era bridges to have survived to the modern day.

After a delicious local lunch and a stop off deep in wildest Cambodia, continue your drive and enjoy some fun activities, which will be organized en route by your tuk-tuk driver.

You’ll be staying in truly remote Cambodia tonight, so please bear in mind that this will be your most basic night of accommodation, whilst still very comfortable.

The family you are staying with are enormously friendly and incredibly hospitable, and will ensure you have a personal experience like no other tourist.

Accommodation

Dinner and overnight at local homestay in Stoung, Kampong Thom

Get to Grips with Cambodian Culture

At 9 am, start with a simple breakfast at the homestay. This is a remote location and by staying here you help to support the host family by providing valuable income. Take some group photos with your local family before your journey continues.

You will have lunch at a local restaurant at Prey Pros, which is a natural site with beautiful surroundings. Unwind on one of the stilted huts, set by a calm lake with dragonflies flitting above the water, as a beautiful moment of calm on your epic journey.

After relaxing, continue the drive and arrive at the homestay at Sambor Prei Kuk – the site of the famous Chenla era temples that pre-date even the Angkor. Meet your local guide and start your visit the temple complex of Sambor Prei Kuk, exploring the ancient, incense-filled chambers surrounded by gnarled roots and covered in dark moss.

Afterward, visit a ‘noodle village’, where you will learn how Khmer noodles are made, and if you’re interested, our local guide will bring you to see local Khmer alcohol rice wine being made or any other culture-based activities based on seasonal and local festivals.

Accommodation

Overnight at local homestay, Sambor Prei Kuk

Secluded Temples and Weaving Silk

At around 9 am, we start an epic day of driving, passing through the stunning Cambodian countryside.

En route, you’ll visit local villagers who carve beautiful sculptures from huge slabs of stone before coming to Santuk Silk farm – set up to help the women of the village. Ms. Navin, the founder, will show you the process of how to make a traditional Khmer scarf (Kroma) from gorgeous natural silk.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant along the way, before continuing your journey to Teuk Chha Resort for a cool, refreshing swim.

If you are interested in Cambodia’s history, take a visit to the pre-Angkor temple, Preah Theat Teuk Chha. These temples were constructed in AD 1005, during the reign of King Suryavarman I. These days the seldom-visited temples are covered by forests, but there is a more modern pagoda with resident monks where the local villagers to pay respect.

No worries of crowds or queues here. This is a chance to explore the tumbling towers and uprooted walkways in total solitude, as you clamber over the twisting branches that are inexorably pulling the stones back into the earth.

After a good explore, it’s time to say hello to your house owner and check-in to your homestay. The tuk-tuk crew will prepare dinner with the host, and you’ll finish the day with another wonderfully sociable, personal experience with another incredibly welcoming host family.

Accommodation

Overnight at local homestay, Preah Theat Teuk Chha

Give Back to the Community

Wake at 8 am to enjoy a simple breakfast, then you’ll be spending the day giving something back to the community that plays such a wonderful host to you. You’ll be helping out with activities like helping to renovate a primary school in the village, or any other contribution that would help to improve the lives of the local community.

This is your chance to leave a real, tangible, positive impact on the community you have visited, as well as really get to grips with Cambodian culture and a remote community, so that you’ll be experiencing Cambodia like no other tourist.

We will then continue on to the addictive chaos of Phnom Penh. In the evening, explore the vibrant nightlife of Phnom Penh with your tour leader and our tuk-tuk driver.

Accommodation

The Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel

The Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel is situated in the heart of Phnom Penh, on the edge of the city’s artistic district and only a couple of minutes walk from the bustling riverfront area and the historic Royal Palace.

With a rooftop pool and restaurant, their own spa, and spacious, comfortable rooms, the hotel is the perfect base from which to explore Cambodia’s capital.

Amenities:

Free wifi Cable TV Tea and coffee facilities Fridge/minibar Room phone Hairdryer Safe Breakfast for two Drinking water

Get Under the Skin of Phnom Penh

At around 8:00 am, meet your guide at your hotel to start this unique tour, where you discover all the very best that addictively hectic Phnom Penh has to offer.

Visit the Pshar Kandal morning market and try all of its delicacies and mouth-watering street-eats. Go to the old French Quarter, which is home to fine colonial architecture; some buildings gorgeously restored, others beautifully decaying. Move on to the Buddhist temple of Wat Phnom, and understand the foundation on which Phnom Penh is built.

After your city exploration, it is now time to pay respect to the dark history of the Cambodian Genocide. No visit to Cambodia is complete without acknowledging the horrors still fresh in the minds of so many, or paying respect to the victims of a brutal regime.

From 1975 to 1979 the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia with their own form of ultra-Marxism, resulting in the deaths of millions and a destruction of the country so significant that can still be felt today.

Toul Sleng Genocidal Museum (S-21), was once a high school and was converted into a detention and torture center during the Khmer Rouge regime. Toul Sleng remains to remind and educate all people about this dark time in Cambodian history.

After a long morning, you will end you trip at your guesthouse, the rest of the afternoon is free for you to kick back and relax. At 5 pm, we will take a sunset boat trip on the Tonle Bassac, which takes about 1h:30 minutes.

Drink in the sunset with a cold beer as the gently glowing red orb of the sun dips below the far off horizon, reflecting on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure and journey that has created memories that will stay with you forever.

Accommodation

The Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel

A Fond Farewell

Hotel check out time is 12:00 noon. Chill until you are ready to be transferred to the airport or ask us for travel advice if you are continuing your journey.

We hope you enjoyed this tour and we hope to see you again soon.

What's included

Included

  • 7 nights accommodation (as listed on the daily itinerary)
  • All transportation/transfers throughout
  • Angkor Wat
  • Temple visits
  • Sunset river cruise
  • Homestays and dinners with locals
  • Visit to Noodle village
  • Primary school visit
  • Explore Phnom Penh
  • Toul Sleng Genocidal Museum
  • Activities as noted in the itinerary
  • All entrance tickets and permits as mentioned in the itinerary
  • English speaking local guides
Your local host

Anh

Quynh Anh (QA) graduated in tourism from Hanoi university and is super passionate about travel. She has exceptional people and communication skills and always finds a way to create the best holiday experience for her customers. QA is a very experienced tourism professional and knows all the hidden gems in Vietnam. She is based in Hanoi but spends a large part of her time in the local communities in North Vietnam developing IMPACT projects in the local communities. QA’s colleagues and customers all value her kindness and friendship. She will ensure you have the best time in her home country.

Quynh Anh (QA) graduated in tourism from Hanoi university and is super passionate about travel. She has exceptional people and communication skills and always finds a way to create the best holiday experience for her customers. QA is a very experienced tourism professional and knows all the hidden gems in Vietnam. She is based in Hanoi but spends a large part of her time in the local communities in North Vietnam developing IMPACT projects in the local communities. QA’s colleagues and customers all value her kindness and friendship. She will ensure you have the best time in her home country.

Anh image
Sustainability Efforts

What Sustainability Efforts are we Taking?

At Not in the Guidebooks we’re committed to empowering the local communities in Costa Rica. We work closely with the local people and their businesses to make sure that they receive a fair percentage of the money you spend on your holiday there. By partnering with local guides and suppliers, we’re able to create meaningful, authentic experiences that directly benefit the people who call this incredible country home.

Learn More

Location

The tour begins in Siem Reap, northern Cambodia, and finishes in Phnom Penh, the capital towards the south. You will be staying in a number of different settlements, towns and villages en route, discovering traditional communities that have preserved their ways of life thanks to a lack of mass tourism.

Your specific pick up point (i.e. where you will meet in Siem Reap to begin the tour) will be organised closer to your chosen start date for the tour. We can organise pick ups from airports, bus stations or hotels in the Siem Reap area.

FAQs

What is the homestay accommodation like?

This tour is for the people who want to see the real Cambodia. The true, authentic Cambodia that most tourists don't see. It's for those who are ready to get off the beaten track and really experience remote communities.

With that in mind please manage your expectations. The tour will start and end with luxurious four star accommodation in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

However, during the tuk-tuk adventure, you will stay in local homestays run by local families. They are all extremely comfortable, provide you with everything you need, and offer you the opportunity to really get to know and integrate with the locals.

We find that this type of accommodation allows our guests to really understand and experience Cambodian culture, and more often than not we find that people who travel with us take far more great memories from evenings with a local family than from their four-star hotel.

What can I expect from the food?

You will experience local Khmer food and we can cater for vegans/vegetarians and allergies, just let us know in advance.

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