Cambodia Buddhist Pilgrimages
Days
Day 01
Day 02
Day 03
Day 04
Day 05
Day 06
Day 07
Tour
Arrival – Transfer in – Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh – Cambodia Buddhist Vipasana Center
Phnom Penh – City Tour
Phnom Penh – Siem Reap
Siem Reap - Temple
Siem Reap – Temple + Tonle Sap Lak/Floating Village
Siem Reap – Departure
Overnight
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Siem Reap
Siem Reap
Siem Reap
Day 1: Arrival transfer to the hotel – Phnom Penh
Upon arrival, transfer from Phnom Penh International Airport to the hotel (rooms may not be ready until the afternoon).
Lunch at hotel.
Rest of the day at leisure for own to enjoy the hotel facilities.
Late afternoon, walk along the riverfront and participant with locals to pray at Preah Angdongka Shrine, a sacred place for Buddhist. Local believe that prying there bring good luck.
Dinner at local restaurant
Overnight stay in Phnom Penh
Day 2: Phnom Penh – Cambodia Buddhist Vipasana Center – Phnom Penh
Breakfast at hotel.
Transfer from hotel to Cambodia Buddhist Vipasana Center near Udong Mountain.
Upon arrival, welcome by Master Bhikkhu Kassapa and showing around the holy places at the center.
Experience food giving to monk and lunch with Lokta/Lok yeay at pagoda (separate lunch box can arranged if needed)
Afternoon, learn about Cambodian Buddhist practice from Master or take short mediation for 2hrs.
Late afternoon return transfer back to Phnom Penh.
Dinner at local restaurant
Overnight stay in Phnom Penh
Day 3: Phnom Penh City Tour
Breakfast at hotel.
Phnom Penh city tour: start your city tour with Cyclo to visit to Wat Phnom temple, Phnom Penh’s namesake. Founded in 1373, the pagoda was built to house Buddhist relics washed ashore by the river. Then continues to visit the National Museum, also called Musee des Beaux-Arts. A French archaeologist and painter, Georges Groslier, designed it in Khmer style in 1917. The museum contains a collection of Khmer art – notably sculptures – throughout the ages. Walk to visit the Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town, and the Silver Pagoda. Located within the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor, which is made up of 5,000 silver tiles. The treasures found inside include a solid gold Buddha encrusted and weighing 90 kilograms and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha.
Lunch at local restaurant
This afternoon, visit the notorious Tuol Sleng Museum. In 1975 Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). It soon became the largest such center of detention and torture in the country. More than 17,000 people held at S-21 were taken to the extermination camp at Choeung Ek to be executed; detainees who died during torture were buried in mass graves in the prison ground. Room after room the museum displays photographs of men, women and children covering the walls from floor to ceiling; virtually all the people pictured were later killed. Visit the Russian Market (Psah Tuol Thom Pong), a lively outdoor market where you will find antiquities, silver and gold jewelry, gems, silk, kramas, stone and wood carvings, as well as T-Shirts, CDs and other souvenirs.
Enjoy a joint Sunset Cruise on the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers.
The boat will pass past floating villages, providing great views of the city’s rapidly changing skyline.
Dinner at local restaurant
Overnight stay in Phnom Penh
Day 4: Phnom Penh – Kompong Thom – Siem Reap
Breakfast at hotel
This morning, we depart by overland to Siem Reap via Kompong Thom passing along typical Cambodian villages. Make a stop in Skuon to taste Cambodia’s more exotic culinary delights, the deep-fried spider.
Lunch at local restaurant in Kompong Thom.
Continue the visit to Sambor Prei Kuk, located 35km northeast of Kompong Thom. En route, visit traditional villages. Visit the ancient capital of Chenla with its 100 temples dating from the Pre-Angkorian period.
Continue to Siem Reap and stop at the ancient Naga Bridge (Spean Pratpo), located 40 km from Siem Reap. Arrive in Siem Reap and transfer to the hotel.
Dinner at local restaurant
Overnight stay in Siem Reap
Day 5: Siem Reap
Breakfast at hotel.
In the morning, visit the antique capital of Angkor Thom (12th century): See the South Gate (with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk), Bayon temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), Baphuon (recently re-opened after years of restoration), the Elephants Terrace, the Terrace of the Leper King. Visit Ta Prohm. a beautiful jungle temple that has been relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery.
Lunch at local restaurant.
Continue your temple visits to Preah Khan. Built by the King Jayavarman VII, Preah Khan is, like Ta Prohm, a place of towered enclosures and shoulder-hugging corridors. Unlike Ta Prohm, however, the temple of Preah Khan is in a reasonable state of preservation and ongoing restoration efforts should maintain and even improve this situation. Visit the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor: Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Angkor Wat’s five towers symbolize Meru’s five peaks – the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat, the ocean beyond. Sunset at Angkor Wat.
Dinner at local restaurant.
Overnight stay in Siem Reap
Day 6: Siem Reap – Floating Village + Monk Blessing
Breakfast at hotel
After breakfast drive to the countryside and take an ox-cart ride through the villages and the rice fields. At the end of your ride, have a fresh coconut drink with the family and do not hesitate to talk with the local people to get to know more about their lives. Then take an excursion in a traditional wooden boat on the Tonle Sap Lake, the “Great Lake” of Cambodia, one of the largest in Asia and visit a floating village. The village moves with the water level and during wet season houses are anchored around an island pagoda. Return to town.
Lunch at local restaurant.
This afternoon, hop on Tuk Tuk visit Wat Preah Prum Roth Pagoda and you can chat with the Monks to learn more about Buddhism. A monk will perform a 5-minute cleansing ceremony by pouring bowlfuls of water over you, after which you will feel remarkably calm and cleansed. Then, visit “Les Artisans d’Angkor – Chantiers Ecoles”, this centre is working with young artisans; the team creates, produce and market a unique collection of ornamental sculpture, lacquer ware, silk weaving and silk painting. The company promotes fair, sustainable development in order to provide benefits to the rural communities.
Dinner with Show at local restaurant.
Overnight stay in Siem Reap
Day 7: Siem Reap – Departure
Breakfast at hotel.
This morning, we will visit Preah Dak Village, located a short drive from Siem Reap town, is known over the country for its famous nom ban chok noodles. Visitors can discover beautiful places and natural life mixed with souvenirs shops. Most things are handmade. Return to town.
Lunch at hotel.
Afternoon, transfer to Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport for departure flight to the next destination.
“WE WISH YOU AN ENJOYABLE JOURNEY”
SERVICES
Includes:
- Accommodation in half twin/double sharing room with daily breakfast
- Hotel accommodation on 4* category
- Transport by an Air-Conditioned vehicle with local English-speaking guide
- Entrance fees and activities as mentioned in program
- Meals as specified above (full board)
- Drinking water during transfers
Excludes:
- International flight to and from Cambodia
- Cambodian Visa Fee
- Items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone and beverages
- Lunch & Dinner where not included in the itinerary
- Cost of optional tours and excursions
- Photo & video permits where required
- Tips & Porterage
- Drinks with meals
- Early check-in and late check-out at hotels, if not mentioned in the program
- Travel Insurance