Untamed Cambodia

DAY 01: Arrive Phnom Penh.  Cyclo Ride, Sunset Cruise and Welcome Dinner Accommodation : The White Mansion Meals : Dinner Arriving in Phnom Penh, you clear customs and immigration.  Leaving the hotel, you will be met by your guide and taken to the hotel to drop your bags and wash up.  Phnom Penh is relatively new as the capital of Cambodia, replacing Angkor.  By the end of the 16th century, the emphasis in Cambodia had become more and more focused on maritime trade with Southeast Asia, rendering Angkor unsuitable as a capital for the country.  Located at the confluence of the Mekong and the Tonle Sap rivers, Phnom Penh could control the riverine trade from Laos, fish and  pottery  trade  from  the  Tonle  area,  as  well  as  goods  from  the  Mekong  area,  particularly  from  China. Moreover, culturally, there also seems to have been a shift from the power of the elite Angkor population to the less Brahmanical and more cosmopolitan elite centered around Phnom Penh. In the afternoon, when you are ready, you can take an afternoon cyclo ride through the city, and enjoy a sunset boat cruise on the Mekong DAY 02:  Phnom Penh Touring Accommodation :  The White Mansion Meals :  Breakfast, Lunch This  morning  after  breakfast  at  the  hotel,  you  explore  the  stunning  Royal  Palace complex,  home  to  the Cambodian  royal  family  and  a  symbol  of  the  nation.  You  begin  amid  the  beautiful  royal  gardens, landscaped with  tropical  plants  and  studded  with  gleaming spires. Next you enter  the Throne Hall where  the royal  receptions  are  held  and  the  Cambodian kingis  coronation  took  place.  The  last  stop  is  the Napoleon III Pavilion made from iron, a gift from the French emperor in the 19th century. Continuing  on  to  the Silver Pagoda,  named  after the  5000  silver  tiles  covering  the  floor,  each weighing  1kg, you  can  see  some  of  the  country's most  cherished  treasures,  including  a  life size gold  Buddha  studded  with  9584  diamonds,  the largest weighing 25 carats. There is also a delicate emerald  Buddha made  of  baccarat  crystal,  which gives  the  temple  its  Khmer  name  of  Wat  Preah Keo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha).You  leave  the  Royal  Palace  and  continue  to  the nearby  National  Museum,  home  to  the  world's  finest  collection  of  sculpture  from  the  Angkor  period.  The exquisite building was completed between 1917 and 1920, and  features a lush courtyard garden surrounded by collections  from  the  pre-Angkor,  Angkor  and  post-Angkor  periods.  You  will  concentrate  on  the  incredible sandstone sculpture from Angkor, as well as the intricate bronzes. In  the afternoon, you come  face  to  face with  the horrific crimes of  the Khmer Rouge. Tuol Sleng was  a  former high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a centre for interrogation, torture and death.  Today it is a museum of  torture  and  serves  to  remind  visitors of  the  terrible  atrocities  that  came  to  pass in  Cambodia. 17,000  people passed through the gates of this prison and only seven lived to tell the tale. However, it is  key  to  understanding  the  hell into which  Cambodia descended and how far it has come in the years since. Next you  travel  out  of  town  to  the Killing  Fields of  Choeung  Ek.Prisoners from Tuol Sleng followed this same route to their fate. An old  Chinese  cemetery,  Choeung  Ek  was  turned  into  an extermination  camp  for  political  prisoners.  The  remains  of  8985 people were exhumed from mass graves and are kept in a memorial stupa here. Despite the horrors of the past, it is a peaceful place to go and  a  tranquil  spot  to  reflect  on  the  tragic  events  that  engulfed Cambodia and its people. Your last stop is Wat Phnom, a symbol of the city. Located on one of the  few  hills  in  this  pancake-flat  capital,  the  first  pagoda  was originally  built  in  1373  to  house  Buddha  statues  discovered  in  theMekong by a woman named Penh. This gives us  the modern name of  the  city,  Phnom  Penh  or  Hill of  Penh.  Cambodians  come  to  the shrine  to pray  for luck in love  and life, employment  and exams, so there it is always a bustling place. DAY 03:  Bear keeper for a day Accommodation :  The White Mansion Meals :Breakfast, Lunch With the group, Free the Bears, you get to go behind the scenes and learn what it takes to look after more than100 rescued Sun bears at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre. You join the bear keepers in preparing food and enrichment toys to keep the bears happy and healthy in their forested sanctuary, as well as take a look at the other endangered species at the Centre. Your personalized visit includes a traditional Khmer lunch and best of all,the  opportunity  to  contribute  directly  towards  helping  care  for  bears  that  have  been  rescued from  the  illegal wildlife trade. DAY 04:  Drive Mondulkiri Accommodation :  Mayura Hill Hotel & Resort Meals :   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner You  leave  Phnom  Penh  and  travel  northeast  to  the  bustling provincial city of Kompong Cham. En route, there is the chance to pause at Skuon, or “Spiderville,” where it is possible to sample the local delicacy of deep fried tarantula and then take a local lunch in Kompong Cham.You then continue east towards the small junction town of Snuol,our  gateway  to  the  wilds  of  Mondulkiri.  The  first  half  of  the journey  from Snuol is  flat, passing  through patches of lush  forest and areas of cultivation and plantations. After Khau Si Ma district,the road snakes up through the mountains that give Mondulkiri its name,  “Where  the  mountains  meet.”  There  is  lush  jungle  hugging the road and locals claim to see tigers on this stretch at night.Nearing  Sen Monorom,  the provincial  capital,  the  scenery  changes  again,  jungle  giving way  to  clusters  of pine trees and rolling grasslands. The scenery is unique for Cambodia and dotted with traditional Pnong villages, the main  minority  group  in  Mondulkiri.  On  arrival  in  Sen  Monorom,  you  check  into  the  accommodation  at  theElephant Valley Project. DAY 05:  Elephant Valley Project Accommodation :  Mayura Hill Hotel & Resort Meals :   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner You  enjoy  a  unique  “Walking with the Herd for a Day” experience  at  EVP,  with  the  support  of  the  Bunong villagers, who rescue and treat domestic elephants that have suffered injury and abuse. While walking alongside the elephants in their natural environment, you will be introduced to the herd and get to know more about their history,  character,  behavior  and  body language. You will  be  able  to  feed  the elephants  buckets  of  bananas  and bathe them, only to have the elephants cover themselves in mud again.After lunch, you undertake a walking trek with the elephants through the stunning Mondulkiri countryside to a waterfall for a refreshing swim and elephant bath. Late in the day, you return to the EVP camp. Note: (Please note that this is a description of an average day, due to the nature of this project and the elephants, some days may vary. DAY 06:  Trekking through the jungles of Mondulkiri Accommodation :  Mayura Hill Hotel & Resort Meals :   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Today  you are  on  the  trail  of  more  Cambodian  wildlife,  specifically  the  black-shanked  doucs  in  their  natural habitat  around  Andong  Kraloung.  These langurs are an endangered species and noted for their greyish-blue face. Your  day  trek  winds  its  way  through  mixed evergreen  forest  to  distant  waterfalls  with  a good  chance  of  spotting  the  doucs  along  the way.  Banteng,  a  species  of  wild  cattle, are  also present, although not so commonly sighted. The abundant bird life includes the spectacular giant hornbill and green peafowl.The  jungle  program  provides local  villagers with  an  incentive  to  conserve  the  doucs  and protect  their habitat.    Additionally,  conservation contribution is included in the cost of  the  trip,  and  helps  to  support village development projects. DAY 07:  Drive Kratie to see Dolphins Accommodation :  Le Bungalow (Small groups) or RajboriI Villas Resort (Large groups) Meals :   Breakfast, Lunch You leave behind the wilds of Mondulkiri, dropping off the windswept, pine-clad hills through steaming jungle back  to  the  lowlands  of  Cambodia.  Your  destination  is  the  charming  Mekong  port  of  Kratie,  gateway  to  an encounter  with  the  rare  freshwater  Irrawaddy  dolphins  that  inhabit  the  upper  reaches  of  the  Mekong  in Cambodia. Arriving in Kratie, you check in to your hotel. After a leisurely lunch, you travel to Kampi, one of the many deep pools where the rare river dolphins gather to feed. Boarding a local boat, you cruise out into the mighty Mekong for a chance encounter with these gentle creatures. On the way back to Kratie, you can stop at the hilltop temple of Phnom Sombok to watch sunset over the Mekong. DAY 08:  Kratie to Kompong Thom Accommodation :  Sambor Village Hotel Meals :   Breakfast, Lunch After  breakfast  in  Kratie,  you  travel  south  to  the bustling provincial city of Kompong Cham, nestled on  the  banks  for  the  Mekong.  You  pass  through Cambodia's  rubber  country  on  the  way,  vast plantations  that  were  originally  established  by  the French and are once again being redeveloped. There may  be  the  opportunity  to  stop  along  the way  and learn  about  how  the  rubber is  tapped. n  KompongCham,  you  visit  the  infusion  temple  of Wat  Nokor, an  11th-century  sandstone  temple  with  a  colorful modern  wat set  in  its  central  courtyard.  There  are ssome intricate carvings at this temple and the kkitsch contrast between  the  Hindu  past  and  the  Buddhistpresent  is  almost  unheard  of  in  other  Cambodiantemples. After  lunch,  you  continue  west  to  the  provincialcapital of Kompong Thom, our base for the night. DAY 09:  Visit Sambor Pre Kuk and Drive Siem Reap Accommodation :  Hanuman Alaya Boutique Or La Residence D’Angkor Meals :   Breakfast, Lunch After breakfast, you head to the impressive  pre-Angkorian  capital  of Isanapura, known today as Sambor Prei Kuk. The first  major  temple  city  in  South-East  Asia,  Isanapura  contains  exquisite  brick  temples  that offer  apeaceful  contrast  to  their  more  illustrious  relatives  at  Angkor.  You  explore  the  main  temples  here,  including Prasat Tao with its elaborately coiffured lions and Prasat Sambor, with its crumbling sanctuaries. Time for lunch, and then you continue northwest on National Highway 6, an old Angkorian road.  On the way, you  stop in Kompong Kdei to  see  one  of  the  ancient Angkor  bridges  that were  built  to  span  the  rivers.  Spean Praptos  or  Kompong  Kdei  Bridge  has  more  than  twenty  arches,  and  is  a  spectacular  sight,  reinforcing  theimpression that the Khmers were like the Romans of Southeast Asia. The last stop is Siem Reap where you check into your hotel and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure. DAY 10:  Ang Trapeang Thmor Bird Sanctuary Accommodation :  Hanuman Alaya Boutique Or La Residence D’Angkor Meals :  Breakfast, Lunch You leave  Siem  Reap  after  an  early  breakfast,  traveling  west  and  thennorth  towards  Phnom  Srok. Eventually  you  arrive  at  Ang  Trapeang Thmor  Sarus  Crane  Reserve,  a  giant  reservoir  constructed  during Khmer  Rouge  rule, which  now  provides  a  habitat  for  more  than  200 species  of  birds. During  the  dry  season,  this  reserve  provides  a  habitat for more than 300 rare Sarus Cranes, one of the tallest birds in the worldwith a distinctive crimson head. Lunch will  be  a picnic  at  the  reserve,  and  then  you will do  some morebird watching in the early afternoon. DAY 11:  Banteay Srei, Kbal Spean and Accb Wildlife Rescue Center Accommodation :  Hanuman Alaya Boutique Or La Residence D’Angkor Meals :   Breakfast, Lunch In the morning, you head north to Kbal Spean.  The original “River of a Thousand Lingams,” Kbal Spean is anintricately carved riverbed deep in the foothills of the Cambodian jungle, only discovered in 1969. A trip to Kbal Spean is one of the easiest ways to experience a short jungle trek in the Angkor area, as it is a steady but scenic climb to reach the river carvings and the waterfall at the head, whereyou can have a swim and cool off. After lunch you spend about an hour and a half at the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB), a rescue center for wildlife,which  includes  a  range  of  monkey  species,  pangolin,  civets,  leopardcats and a boar. You  then  head  to  Banteay  Srei,  Angkor’s  ultimate  art  gallery.  This petite pink  temple is  the jewel in  the crown of Angkor-era  sculpture.The elaborate carvings here are the finest found in Cambodia and thename  translates  as  ‘Fortress  of  the  Women’,  thanks  to  the  intricate detail here, considered too fine for the hands of a man. Originally believed  to date  from  the latter part of  the Angkor period, Banteay Srei bears inscriptions that suggest it was built by a Brahmanin 967.Nevertheless, some architectural historians have suggested thatthe inscriptions may date from an earlier structure on this site and thetemple is in fact later, marking a high-water mark in Khmer sculpture. You  also  take  the  opportunity  to  visit  the  Cambodia  Landmine Museum to  learn  more  about  the  scourge  oflandmines and  the shadow  they cast over rural communities in Cambodia with a visit  to  this  flagship museumpromoting mine awareness and education.The day ends with a visit  the 12th century  temple of Banteay Samre. Built by King Suryavarman  II,  the geniusbehind Angkor Wat, this temple has been extensively restored. DAY 12:  Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary Accommodation :  Hanuman Alaya Boutique Or La Residence D’Angkor Meals :   Breakfast, Lunch Today  you  travel  to  the pristine  biosphere  of Prek Toal, home  to  some  of  the most endangered  birdlife  on  the planet. The immense Tonle Sap Lake is one of the most productive bodies of water in the world and millions offish spawn here in the flooded forest. Prek Toal lies on the northeastern shore of the Tonle Sap, about one hour byboat from the port at Phnom Krom.Prek  Toal  is  a  vast  area  of  natural  floodedforest that draws thousands of birds annuallyto  breed  during  the  dry  season  (Oct-Mar).This  spot  is  one  of  the  premier  places  in Southeast Asia to see rare birds such as storks, adjutants, pelicans and ibis. Birdwatchers willdrift  through  their  habitats  and  can  observelarge flocks of birds feeding on the lakeshore, perched  in  the  trees  or  soaring  above  theforest. A trip to Prek Toal requires a very early start. You  transfer  by  boat  from  Phnom  Krom  to Prek  Toal,  enjoying  breakfast  along  the  way.The  morning  is  spent  bird  watching  on  a traditional  wooden  boat,  while  gliding through  the  flooded  forest  with  local specialists .After  a  local  lunch,  you  experience  first  hand  local  life  in  the  floating  village,  learning  about  different  fishing techniques and traditional water hyacinth weaving.You return to Siem Reap late afternoon. As you think about this day, realize that the Lao are building a dam on the Mekong that will greatly affect this area, cutting the flow of the water to the Tonle Sap and greatly damaging both the wildlife and the occupations of the people and animals that inhabit this unique ecosystem. DAY 13:  Angkor Temples and the Phare Circus Accommodation :  Hanuman Alaya Boutique Or La Residence D’Angkor Meals :   BREAKFAST, Dinner During  these  next  days,  you  explore  more  of  the  magnificent  Khmer temples. Siem  Reap  is  the  cultural  home  of  the  Khmer  people  and  one  of the ancient wonders of the world. This vast network of Wats, dating back tot he  7th century, is  the center of  some of  the most important  structures,statues, and carvings produced in the name of the Buddhist and Hindu religions.  First  rediscovered  by  Western  archeologists  in  the  late  19th century,  the  lost  city  of Angkor was  only  fairly  recently  re-opened  to foreigners. The  whole  area  is  a  model  of  the  Hindu  universe,  where  construction was designed to create harmony between mankind and the gods. Each of the  temples  must  be  visualized  as  a  three-dimensional  mandala,  or representation  of  the  Hindu  (and  later,  the  Buddhist) universe.  The central shrines are Kailas, the Abode of Shiva, or Mt. Meru, the center of the world  to  the  Buddhists.  Cloisters  and  side  chapels  are  both  homes for  the  protector  deities,  as  well  as  external  envelopes  of  the  cosmic reality. Moats  are  the  seven  sacred,  concentric  oceans  surrounding  the holy mountain in  the  center.  As  you walk  across  the  causeways  and  up  and  down  the many  stairways  of  the temples, you need to think of yourself as a pilgrim, working your way to the center of the world and the home of the supreme deity. You rise early to travel to Ta Prohm in the dawn light. Ta Prohm has been abandoned to the elements, a reminder that  while  empires  rise  and  fall,  the  riotous  power  of  nature  marches  on,  oblivious  to  the  dramas  of  human history. Left as it was ‘discovered’ by French explorer Henri Mouhout in 1860, the tentacle-like tree roots here are. In  the  afternoon,  you  visit  the  immense  walled  city  Angkor  Thom, the  masterpiece  of  King  Jayavarman  VII.Following  the  occupation  of  Angkor  by  the  Chams from  1177  to  1181,  the  new  king  decided  to  build  an impregnable  fortress  at  the  heart  of  his  empire.  The  scale  is  simply  staggering  and  you  will  be  immediately overwhelmed by the audacity of Jayavarman on arrival at the city’s gates. The causeway is lined by an intricate bridge depicting the Churning of the Ocean of Milk from Hindu mythology in which the devas (gods) and asuras(devils) play tug of war with a naga (seven-headed serpent) to obtain the elixir of immortality.You  begin  your  visit  at  the  Terrace  of  the  Leper  King.  This  intricately  carved  platform  was  the  royal crematorium, and the statue that was originally thought to be the leper king is now believed to be Yama, the god of death. You continue along the Terrace of Elephants, originally used as a viewing gallery for the king to preside over  parades,  performances  and  traditional  sports.  At  the  southern  end  lies  the  Baphuon,  once  of  the  mostbeautiful  temples  at Angkor, dating  from  the  reign of Uditayavarman  1 in  the  11th century.  It has undergone  a massive renovation by the French and is now once again open for viewing. Your climax is the enigmatic and enchanting temple of the Bayon. At the exact center of Angkor Thom, this is an eccentric expression of the creative genius and inflated ego of Cambodia’s most celebrated king. Its 54 towers are each topped off with the four faces of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion), which bear more than a passing resemblance  to  the  king himself. These  colossal heads  stare down  from every  side, exuding power  and  control with  a  hint  of  compassion,  just  the  mix  required  to  keep  a  hold  on  such  a  vast  empire.  Before  clambering upwards,  we  unravel  the  mysteries  of  the  bas-reliefs,  with  their  intricate  scenes  of  ancient  battles  against  the Chams and their snapshot of daily life during the Angkor period. Tonight you can enjoy a performance of the Phare Circus.   DAY 14: Angkor Temples with Blessings and Balloon Rides, Market and Crafts. Later in the Afternoon, Depart Cambodia for Home Accommodation :  None Meals : Breakfast, Lunch Rising at the crack of dawn, you journey out to the mother of all temples, Angkor Wat. Believed to be the world's largest  religious  building,  this  temple's  the perfect  fusion  of  symbolism  and  symmetry and a source of pride and strength  to all Khmers. Built in  the  12th century  by King  Suryavarman  II, this is most famous temple at Angkor. You stay at Angkor Wat to enjoy a picnic breakfast. As  the crowds  return  to  their hotels, you venture into  Angkor  Wat  to enjoy  its  magnificence  in peace  and  quiet.  You  begin  by  unraveling  the mysteries  of  the  bas-reliefs that  tell  of  tales  from Hindu mythology and of the glories of the Khmer empire. Stretching for more than half a mile, these intricate  carvings  are  a  candidate  for  the  world’s longest unbroken piece of art. Following in the footsteps of the devout and the destructive before you, you then continue to the upper levels of the inner sanctuary. The final steps to the upper terrace of Angkor are the steepest of all, as pilgrims of old were to  stoop  on  their  pilgrimage  to  encounter  the  Gods.  Finally  the pinnacle,  the  sacred  heart  of  Angkor Wat,  a  blend  of  spirituality and symmetry so perfect that few moments will measure up. Your  time  at  Angkor  Wat  and  almost  in  Cambodia  ends  with  a blessing by the local monks. After your visit, you enjoy a 10-minute balloon ride over the area. Lunch is at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, you can visit the local market and the marvelous Artisans d’Angkor workshop.  Set up  to  revitalize  the handicraft industry  of  Siem  Reap,  artisans  are  chosen  from  poor, disadvantaged,  rural  communities.  Stone  carving,  wood  carving, silver work,  silk  weaving,  laquerware,  the  standard  of  work produced here is among  the best in  the South-East Asia. We  tour the  workshops  seeing  the  artisans  at  work  and  then  take  the opportunity to visit their famous gallery. Late  afternoon,  you  catch  a  flight out  for  your  homeward departure.