Compare Thailand to Cambodia 11 Days 9 Nights by Affordable World vs Classic Cambodia by Encounters Travel

Day 1 & 2: USA – Bangkok

Accommodation: Centara Grand At Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok or Similar

Board our transpacific flight to Bangkok, the starting point of our Thailand Delight journey. *Thailand entry visa is not required for USA passport holders. For passports other than US passport, please get the entry visa on your own. Please click http://www.affordableworld.com/infocenter/passport-visa/thailand for more information.

Touch down in Beijing and catch a connecting flight to Bangkok, Thailand's capital city.  Guests flying with Cathay Pacific, will board a connecting flight in Hong Kong.  Upon arrival at Bangkok International Airport, enjoy a transfer to your hotel and the remainder of the evening to rest and relax.

Day 3: Bangkok

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Centara Grand At Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok or Similar

Bangkok is a city of gleaming modernity firmly rooted in ancient Buddhist tradition and beliefs. Depart on a half-day tour after breakfast to witness some of Bangkok’s most interesting sights. Visit the Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Trimitr) to see its solid-gold Buddha, and peek inside the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho), known for its monumental horizontal Buddha. Stroll through the Paklong Talat flower market, a whirlwind of stalls selling masses of perfumed orchids, marigolds and roses.  After a buffet lunch at a local restaurant, enjoy the afternoon independently, or explore Bangkok’s must-sees on our optional Landmark of Bangkok tour. Tour the splendid Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha, see the riverside Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun), and ride a motorboat along the Chao Phraya River.

*Men and women must have their shoulders, arms and legs covered when visiting the Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha Temple*

Optional Tours: The Landmark of Bangkok Tour with Boat Ride $45 pp

Day 4: Bangkok

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Centara Grand At Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok or Similar

Following breakfast, depart Bangkok for Damnoen Saduak, one of Thailand’s most famous floating markets. Ride a long-tail speedboat around the lively canals, passing boats and stalls laden with fresh produce, spices, and handicrafts. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before returning back to the hotel.  Spend the evening as you wish or join our optional tour to Asiatique Riverfront Night Market and enjoy a classic Thai dinner and dance show.

Optional Tours: Asiatique Riverfront Night Market + Thai Dinner & Dance Show $40 pp

Day 5: Bangkok - River Kwai

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Felix River Kwai Resort or Similar

After an early start, travel into scenic Kanchanaburi province and visit the Bridge over the River Kwai, famously connected to the 'Death Railway' of World War II, and the poignant Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, home to 9,000 Allied war graves. Check in to the hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.  Alternatively, make the most of your time with our optional tour to the Elephant World Sanctuary for rescued elephants.  Admire, feed and help bathe these incredible animals in the river before enjoying lunch at the camp.

Optional Tours: Elephant World Sanctuary with Lunch $75 pp

Day 6: River Kwai – Ayutthaya

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Krungsri River Hotel or similar

After breakfast, journey to Ayutthaya, home to the UNESCO-listed ruins of the medieval capital of Siam. Founded in 1350, this royal city was a major power for over 400 years, until Burmese forces destroyed it in the 1700s. Stroll around the remains of this once-thriving city, seeing the restored chedi of the crumbled Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the blackened remnants of monasteries, the carved Buddha face entangled in tree roots, and the working Wat Yai Chaimongkol temple. Your tour also includes time at the Bang Pa In palace, a beautiful lakeside retreat of Thailand’s kings during the 19th century. Tonight, make the most of Ayutthaya’s setting by joining us for an optional dinner cruise on a traditional wooden rice barge.

Optional Tours: Ayutthaya at night by Tuk Tuk $40 pp

DAY 7: Ayutthaya – Pattaya

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Long Beach Garden Hotel & Spa or similar

Relax over breakfast before a scenic drive to Pattaya, a popular vacation spot on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand whose beaches and entertainments draw thousands of visitors annually. On arrival, experience the virtual ‘Theme Park - Dark Ride’ at a gems gallery, learning about Thailand’s most prized gemstones. Then, check in to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day as you please, perhaps relaxing on the sands or by the pool. Later, you may wish to take our optional Pattaya by Night tour, savoring a sumptuous seafood dinner and cabaret show.

Optional Tours: Pattaya by Night/ Cabaret Show/ Seafood dinner $50 pp

DAY 8: Pattaya - Bangkok - Siem Reap

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Royal Angkor Resort Hotel or Similar

After breakfast, check out of your Bangkok hotel and transfer to Bangkok International Airport for your flight to Siem Reap, the capital of Cambodia’s northwestern Siem Reap province, and the gateway to the stupendous temples of Angkor Wat.  On arrival, meet your local tour guide and enjoy a convenient transfer to your hotel. Check in and enjoy the rest of the day to relax and make use of your hotel’s comforts and amenities.

DAY 9: Siem Reap

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Royal Angkor Resort Hotel or Similar

Today is devoted to UNESCO-LISTED Angkor Wat, the jewel in Cambodia’s historical and cultural crown, and the world’s largest religious monument. Following breakfast at your hotel, set off on a guided tour of this magnificent complex, once the heart of the ancient Khmer empire that reigned supreme here between the 9th and 12th centuries. Your tour encompasses the fortified city of Angkor Thom, together with the stunning Terrace of Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper Kings, the remains of the Baphuon temple, and the Royal Enclosure, pyramid-shaped Phimeanakas, and Bayon, famous for its incredible sculpted heads, all carved with smiles.  To finish, head to the top of an Angkor temple to witness a stunning Cambodian sunset, watching as the orange sun sinks below the spires, temples and palms.

DAY 10: Siem Reap

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Royal Angkor Resort Hotel or Similar

Leave after breakfast to visit the romantic temple of Ta Prohm, another of Angkor’s gems. This beautiful temple was the only one left in its original, dilapidated state by 19th-century archaeologists, and makes a magical sight, with its crumbled buildings and terraces enveloped in jungle foliage and giant tree roots. Continue from here to the 10th-century temple of Ta Keo, the 12th-century Chau Say Tevoda temple, and the Roluos group of temples, the earliest of Angkor Wat’s treasures.  Cap your day with a visit to Les Chantiers Ecole, a vocational center dedicated to preserving Cambodian culture by teaching young locals traditional arts and crafts skills.  Explore the workshops, seeing the students making stone- and wood carvings, painting delicate silks and crafting lacquerware and other items.

DAY 11: Siem Reap - Bangkok – USA

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy today free to explore Siem Reap, perhaps sampling some Cambodian cuisine at the restaurants or shopping for last-minute souvenirs. This evening, take the bus to Siem Reap International Airport for your return flight to the USA. If you are flying with Air China, your homebound flight departs in the early morning of the next day.