Treasures Of Cambodia & Thailand

Itinerary

Day 1

Overnight flight via Singapore.

Day 2

Meet you tour guide and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure, perhaps spent exploring Phnom Penh, a wonderful French colonial treasure-chest.

Day 3

Start you tour of Phnom Penh with a visit to Phsar Thmey, an Art Deco landmark in the city centre that is home to a lively market. Here, you’ll learn more about everyday life in Cambodia as you wander through the labyrinth of stalls. Continue to the sobering Tuol Sleng Museum, which chronicles the brutal Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge years, to learn more about Cambodia’s troubled – but nonetheless, important – past.    This afternoon, the tour continues to the stupendous Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda – the latter named for the 5,000 silver tiles that cover its floor – followed by a visit to the National Museum. A visit to the infamous Choeng Ek, better known as the Killing Fields, completes a fascinating, and at times, difficult, tour. This evening, as the sun sets, sit back, relax and enjoy a cruise on the Mekong, as you take in the city’s sights from the water, perhaps with a cold beer in hand.

Day 4

Check out this morning and make the scenic transfer to Siem Reap. En route, you’ll make a quick stop at the villages of Koh Chen and Skun, the latter renowned for a unique local delicacy: deep-fried tarantulas! Upon arrival in Siem Reap, check in and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 5

Today an undoubted highlight of the tour awaits. Spend an unforgettable day in the company of a knowledgeable guide, as you discover the astounding lost city of Angkor, the great Khmer citadel that once ruled half of South East Asia. Great ruins litter a vast area, the most awe-inspiring of which is Angkor Wat, with its five great towers and huge bas relief.  You’ll also visit the richly decorated temple at Bayon, and the wonderfully atmospheric Ta Prohm, where trees grow from the ruins beneath – shooting location for the Tomb Raider film!

Day 6

Today, you’ll be driven to the Kok Sangke community to visit the home of a local family who’ll make you several traditional Khmer desserts. You’ll then learn about the village’s sustainable farming techniques, visit a community centre, which teaches local farmers about eco-friendly farming methods, see some nearby farms, and have lunch before travelling to Wat Luang Proleung, an ancient pagoda and the village of Kampong Khleang.

Day 7

This morning you can chose to join the optional countryside cycling and cookery tour, where you’ll enjoy a guided, gentle bike ride into the surrounding countryside, stopping off at a cookery class. Check out of your hotel this afternoon and transfer to Battambang, near the border with Thailand. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 8

Enjoy a morning at leisure, before you transfer to Poi Pet, on the border with Thailand. Bid farewell to Cambodia and your Cambodian guide as you enter Thailand and transfer to Bangkok, where the rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 9

Enjoy a full-day’s sightseeing today as you discover Bangkok’s stupendous palaces. In the morning, you’ll see the Royal Island, where the Grand Palace adjoins the Wat Phra Kaew temple with its Emerald Buddha, as well as the less formal Wat Pho temple, home to the gigantic Reclining Buddha, Lunch will be served at a local restaurant, before a gentle walking tour of Chinatown, considered the busiest area in the city and one of its culinary hotspots, home of the famous Wat Traimit, better known as the Golden Buddha. Board a longtail boat to explore Bangkok’s klongs, the maze of waterways and canals that connect the city, from where you’ll get a glimpse into traditional Thai life. Visit Wat Arun, the Temples of Dawn, before returning to your hotel. This evening, you’ll head to the 78th-floor Bangkok Sky Restaurant for an included dinner. Sit back and enjoy a wonderful meal as you admire the sweeping views of the stupendous Thai capital in all its glory.

Day 10

Rise and shine early this morning to visit the colourful Maeklong Railway Market, famed for its position – tightly hunched around train tracks! The tour continues to Kanchanaburi, where more than 12,000 Allied prisoners perished in World War II building the Death Railway. After lunch, you’ll visit the poignant Allied Cemetery and the Thailand–Burma Railway Centre to learn more about this infamous event. Afterwards, transfer to your hotel in Kanchanaburi. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 11

Explore the beautiful Erawan National Park this morning, as you enjoy a gentled walk to a stunning seven-tiered waterfall. Lunch is included at a local restaurant, before the tour continues to Hellfire Pass, a pass cut out of solid rock by Allied prisoners during World War II. Return to your hotel to enjoy an afternoon at leisure.

Day 12

Check out this morning and transfer to your idyllic resort in Hua Hin, on the Gulf of Thailand, for a three-night stay. En route, you’ll stop in Phetchaburi to visit the Tham Rong community and toddy plantation. Tham Rong is a community that has been cultivating toddy palm for centuries, passing recipes from generation to generation, including toddy palm soup and toddy palm cake. Continue to Hua Hin, where the rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 13

After breakfast, set out on a sightseeing tour of Hua Hin, which includes a short climb up Monkey Mountain to see the Big Buddha and enjoy the sweeping views. Continue to Rajabhakti Park, dedicated to past kings of the country, and then to Wat Huay Mongkol, to see the statue of Luang Phor Thuate, Thailand’s most famous monk. This afternoon you’ll visit the award-winning Monsoon Valley Vineyards, where you’ll have the chance to enjoy a glass of local wine and a tour of the facilities. The Monsoon Valley Vineyards are at the forefront of Thailand’s burgeoning wine industry and are built on a site where wild elephants were once domesticated. The elephants left behind fertile sandy, loam soil, which has proved perfect for cultivating grapes, which have been imported from France and Australia. 

Day 14

Today you can choose between enjoying some time at leisure or joining the optional tour to Sam Roi Yod National Park. Home to numerous species of rare birds, limestone mountains, idyllic coves, beaches and marshy wetlands, the park is a wonderful and easy place to explore. You’ll visit a pineapple plantation and traditional fishing village, then take a boat out to a stalagmite-filled cave, before lunch and the chance to take a swim in the warm, clear water before returning to the hotel. Please note: The optional tour to Sam Roi Yod National Park involves trekking on uneven ground and over uneven steps - it's not suitable for passengers with walking difficulties or those who can't climb steps.

Day 15

Transfer to Bangkok airport for your return flight, via Singapore.

Day 16

Morning arrival. Back to top

Further Information

Hotel transfer times

The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately half an hour.

Tonle Sap

Should the water in Tonle Sap Lake be too low, the journey by boat on Day Seven will be replaced with coach transportation.

Passports and visas

British citizens require machine-readable passports when travelling overseas. A visa is required for entry to Cambodia. Your passport must contain two blank pages and be valid for six months beyond the exit date from Cambodia. The current charge for British Citizens is £35. British Citizens do not require a visa to visit Thailand. Full details of how and when to apply will be sent out about eight weeks before your departure date.

Foreign Office Travel Advice

Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.

On your flight

All flights travel overnight and land at your destination the next day. On-board meals will usually be dinner and breakfast. All drinks are complimentary.

Luggage allowance

You are permitted to take one suitcase per person on the aircraft, which should not exceed 23kg.

Special requirements

If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.

Disabled access

The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made. In many developing countries access is sometimes not as easy as at home. Should you have walking difficulties, getting around monuments and attractions may be harder and, in some cases, impossible. Should you have any concerns whatsoever please do contact us prior to travel.

Travel vaccinations

Requirements and advice can vary over time, and from person to person, so please contact your GP about eight weeks before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations or any other preventive measures.

Itinerary changes

Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.

Changes to your hotels

Should circumstances require, we reserve the right to accommodate you in alternative hotels, of a similar standard, nearby. Full details of your hotels will be sent with your Final Travel Documents.

Road Conditions

In developing countries road networks are continually being improved and expanded, which can mean that, from time to time, roadworks and rough road surfaces can extend journey times. Some journeys are made on winding mountain roads and passes, which may also make for slow travelling - although the scenery is usually worth it! Many roads do not have separate pavements or safety barriers, and great care should be taken when crossing or walking alongside roads. Back to top