STUNNING JOURNEY TO CAMBODIA

Halal Tourism (Cambodia)

Phnom Penh, May 12th, 2023 —

This 7-day tour package shows you the best parts of the Khmer Kingdom that takes you deep into the real Cambodian life and culture with a variety of natural landscapes. Start your journey in Phnom Penh, you will explore the splendour of the capital through its grand Royal Palace as well as learn about the country’s dark past in the famous Killing Fields. Then head to Kratie where you spend time relaxing on the isolated island of Koh Trong and cruising for a view of cute Mekong Dolphins. After that, transfer to Preah Vihear and Siem Reap to admire the massive architecture of Angkor Wat and other outlying temples. To wrap up your one-week excursion, have a boat trip in the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, Tonle Sap Lake and get closer to the floating life of local people.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TOUR

• Discover the capital of Phnom Penh which once was called “Pearl of Asia” and its main sights: Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
• Take a journey into Cambodia’s past at Tuol Sleng Museum and the green fields of Cheung Ek
• Set out on a boat trip to visit the Mekong Dolphin in Kratie
• Visit Cambodia’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites including Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear temple as well as the outlying temples
• Head out to the Tonle Sap Lake and explore the floating village of Kompong Phluk
• Enjoy the delectable Cambodian dishes during the tour
• Admire the natural landscape and rustic countryside of Cambodia

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Phnom Penh

Activities: Welcome to Phnom Penh, transfer hotel to check-in, free in the evening

Welcome to Phnom Penh – The capital city of Cambodia – once considered the loveliest city of Indochina.
Upon arrival, meet and transfer to hotel for check-in or dropping off your luggage (Early check-in is NOT included & subject to hotel’s availability).
Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Day 2: Phnom Penh

Activities: Visit Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, Tuol Sleng Museum, Killing Fields

Set out on a city tour to visit the Royal Palace built in 1866 by King Norodom; Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor, which is made up of 5,000 silver tiles and located within the Royal Palace compound, and visit Tuol Sleng Museum, a reminder of the Khmer Rouge regime.
The peaceful stretch of green fields of Cheung Ek may not indicate what kinds of horrors have taken place there. Situated 17km from Phnom Penh town, Cheung Ek was made famous by the movie “The Killing Fields”. Nowadays, a large memorial has been built to commemorate the 17,000 victims who died here under the reign of Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot. The remnants inside the memorial and the mass graves that dot the area remind you of the suffering of the victims. This journey into Cambodia’s past will provide you with a background on the cruelty of the Khmer Rouge regime. It will also give you an appreciation of the struggle that Cambodian people have faced and their tremendous courage to move on and rebuild their nation.
Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Experiences:

A very moving experience at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

Tuol Svay Pray High School sits on a dusty road on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In 1976, the Khmer Rouge renamed the high school S-21 and turned it into a torture, interrogation and execution center. Of the 14,000 people known to have entered, only seven survived. Not only did the Khmer Rouge carefully transcribe the prisoners’ interrogations; they also carefully photographed the vast majority of the inmates and created an astonishing photographic archive. Each of the almost 6,000 S-21 portraits that have been recovered tells a story shock, resignation, confusion, defiance and horror. Although the most gruesome images to come out of Cambodia were those of the mass graves, the most haunting were the portraits taken by the Khmer Rouge at S-21.Today, S-21 Prison is known as the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide. Inside the gates, it looks like any high school; five buildings face a grass courtyard with pull-up bars, green lawns and lawn-bowling pitches. The ground-floor classrooms in one building have been left to appear as they were in 1977. The spartan interrogation rooms are furnished with only a school desk-and-chair set that faces a steel bed frame with shackles at each end. On the far wall are the grisly photographs of bloated, decomposing bodies chained to bed frames with pools of wet blood underneath. A must see while in Phnom Penh! Horrific but an essential part of a visit to Phnom Penh!

A somber and emotional visit to Killing Field

Get a great educational and historical experience when in Killing Field – a deeply moving insight into Pol Pot’s regime.The excursion will put a lot of things in perspective and why the Cambodian people just want peace after awful era with thousands of impact which is greater and longer lasting. The experience is like time has stopped when you quietly walk through the fields, seeing bones and items still left in the place where the massacre took place.  Visiting this places will absolutly move you and give you a mixture of emotions.

Enjoyable tour around Phnom Penh’s attractions

Welcome to phnom Penh – the capital of Cambodia. Once considered the loveliest city of Indochina, in spite of the recent turbulent history, Phnom Penh still maintains considerable charm. A city tour acquaints us with some major sights of Phnom Penh and help us to know a great deal about the sites, Khmer history and culture both imperial and recent when visiting Royal Palace – home to the royal family, Silver Pagoda – the most sacred temple in the country and National Museum – dedicated exclusively to Khmer art and sculpture.

Day 3: Phnom Penh-Kratie

Activities: Drive from Phnom Penh to Kratie. Take a boat off to Koh Trong village & react with local peolple to know about local life

After breakfast, departure from Phnom Penh to Kratie province which takes about 6 hours diving through one of the biggest provinces in Cambodia, Kampong Cham. En route stop to visit the Rubber Plantation and some activities of the farmers. On arrival in Kratie lunch at restaurant in town and embark on local boat off to the village of Koh Trong to observe and participate in local life of their inhabitants and farmers.
Visit local market where the local people trading of vegetables, fruits, fish and so on as well as visit primary school where you will learn the system of education in Cambodia and also visit to local pagodas by interaction with Buddhist Monk and getting the monk blessing ceremony.
Overnight in Kratie.

Day 4: Kratie-Preah Vihear

Activities: Embark on a local boat to visit Mekong Dolphin. Drive to Preah Vihear & visit some Khmer Villagers en route

Breakfast at hotel, today we will embark on the local boat to visit the Mekong Dolphin in Mekong River and it will take about 45 minutes view this amazing creature. And continue driving to Stung Treng where you will stop visit the local market and learn about the different lifestyle of Khmer Villagers. Lunch will provided in local restaurant and process to Saem district located in Preah Vihear province for overnight.
Overnight in Preah Vihear.

Day 5: Preah Vihear-Siem Reap

Activities: Be transfer from Preah Vihear to Siem Reap. Explore Preah Vihear temple, Koh Ker & Beng Melea temple

Breakfast at the hotel, we start visiting the Preah Vihear temple in the early morning by pickup truck (maxi 6pax/truck). Preah Vihear is a Khmer temple situated atop a 525-metre cliff in the Dangrek Mountains in Cambodia -Thailand border, but most notably in Cambodian territory. As a key edifice of the empire’s spiritual life, it was supported and modified by successive kings and so bears elements of several architectural styles. Affording a view for many kilometers across a plain, it has the most spectacular setting of all the temples built during the six-century-long Khmer Empire. Long been the subject of intense ownership disputes between the two neighboring countries, Cambodia was officially awarded control of Preah Vihear in 1962 by the International Court of Justice and it is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lunch en route at local restaurant and continue to visit to more main sites of Koh Ker and if time permits swing by at Beng Melea temple before we reach to Siem Reap town.
We might arrive in Siem Reap around 6pm, drop off and do check-in your hotel. Free time to relax. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 6: Siem Reap

Activities: Explore the Angkor Templex

Beat the crowd early morning by 7.00 am, visit the picturesque Ta Prohm that had nearly disappeared into the jungle and remains overgrown, an oddly haunting and exotic scene. The magnificent roots of a tree, pushing between the huge stone blocks of the temple in a sort of embrace, evoke feelings that you may remember forever. And continue to visit the intricately carved Khmer ruins at Angkor Wat – one of the world’s most impressive ruins.  The temple still owns fine Apsara carvings in Angkorian era art. Lunch is own account.
Afternoon, explore the mysterious Royal city Angkor Thom. City & Bayon Its 54-tower temple is an awesome sight. At first glance it seems a shapeless mass of stone, but further scrutiny reveals a face, and then another and another until suddenly you are engulfed by the silent, heavy, enigmatic and silent gaze through half-closed eyes, staring out from a primitive and remote time. Further, visit to the surroundings of the complex including the Baphou, Elephant Terraces, Lepper King Terrace and Royal Place area. 
Transfer back to your hotel and free at leisure. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Experiences: Splendor Trip to Religious Angkor Wat

Regarded as the largest religious structure in the world, Angkor Wat (Siem Reap, Cambodia) steals travelers’ heart by the astonishing vast and amazing landscape. A wonderful experience to watch the mesmerizing sunrise and to explore the site needs tackling whilst you visit Siem Reap. Don’t forget to take water, hat, sunscreen and proper attire to maintain your energetic exploration.

Day 7: Siem Reap

Activities: Discover the floating life of Kampong Phluk village in Tonle Sap Lake. Be transfer to Siem Reap airport. Take your departure flight

Today you will start with a short drive to Kampong Phluck, located a short drive away. Kampong Phluck is a permanent settlement on the Tonle Sap Lake with a small land based village attached to it. Its remarkable mangrove forest is unique in the Siem Reap area. You will board a local boat and cruise the waterways observing the authentic and diverse lifestyle of the local floating community.
Back to your hotel at the noon and then free time to relax. Lunch on your own account. At a scheduled time, about 3 hours prior to your departure flight, be transfered from your hotel to Siem Reap airport.

Experiences: Relaxing in the floating experience in Tonle Sap lake

Siem Reap – one of the most popular destination of Cambodia has no shortage of unique charms — from Khmer classical ruins temples to a UNESCO World Heritage Angkor Wat— and it has been luring curious travelers more by the unique floating life in Tonle Sap Lake. Besides the quaint local boat experience, you will be welcomed by warming smiles from the humble Cambodian people and have a chance to see the real-life of local people and see how they make for a living in this fantastic lake