This morning we’ll take a street art city tour by tuk tuk. As we wind through the city’s frenetic streets, we’ll view murals and street art from the top artists in Cambodia. Afterwards, we’ll rest and unwind over lunch at a local Khmer restaurant. In the afternoon, we’ll head to the local art district to see Khmer traditional painters and sculptors, which will provide a sense of how the arts have continued to develop since the Khmer Rouge genocide. This evening, we’ll wander along the lively riverfront, which boasts a variety of dining options. Feel free to stay and linger into the night, or head back to the hotel for an early night’s rest.

We’ll begin the day on a somber note with a guided tour of Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. This critical historical site provides necessary insight into the devastating Khmer Rouge genocide, and also creates context for the importance of Cambodia’s recent art revival. We’ll then travel to a local Buddhist pagoda and monastery, where we’ll have the opportunity to speak with a monk about Buddhist traditions and practices in the region, some unique to Cambodia. Following lunch at a favorite local spot, the afternoon will be yours to rest and relax. (Be sure to check out the hotel’s rooftop pool and bar.) We’ll reconvene in the evening at the National Museum for an Apsara dance performance, which showcases the many traditional styles—and colorful regalia—of Cambodian dance.

After breakfast in Phnom Penh, we’ll make the four-hour drive to Kampot, located on the Preaek Tuek Chhu River and brushing up against the Gulf of Thailand. After checking into our hotel, we’ll visit the home studio of Nicolas Grey, a unique outsider artist from the U.K. who melds the metaphysical and supernatural with the mundane angst of daily life. Grey’s studio is housed inside a 1960s pre-Khmer Rouge apartment in the center of Kampot packed to the brim with art, oddities, and antiques. We’ll finish the day with an optional happy hour boat cruise, taking in views of the sunset over the river and Bokor Mountain. Upon returning to shore, check out the many great dinner options along the riverside.

We’ll start the day with a cooking class hosted by a local chef. Before entering the kitchen, we’ll be guided through the local market to choose ingredients and learn about the region’s produce. Back in the restaurant kitchen, we’ll learn to make a Cambodian appetizer, main course, and dessert—and we'll reward our hard work by promptly gobbling up our creations for lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll travel to the top of Bokor Mountain, once home to a resort complex for French colonial residents in the 1920s. Atop Bokor, we’ll have the chance to explore these increasingly dilapidated, long-abandoned buildings, such as Bokor Hill Station, some of which are now adorned with colorful murals by well-known Cambodian artists. We'll also enjoy a short stroll to a waterfall that's become a popular picnicking destination for Khmer families. This evening, take some time to relax and enjoy dinner on your own.

We'll begin the morning with a visit to Open Studio Cambodia, a project founded by your guide, Lauren, to support emerging Cambodian artists in Kampot Province. Some of the artists will join us to share their life stories, which have served as the inspiration for their work. One of the artists, Chan Phoun, will speak about how an occupational accident as a child laborer led him to harness the power of art for self-improvement and rehabilitation. Chan has been kind enough to invite us to his family home on a nearby rice farm, where we'll join him for a traditional lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll continue to a local pepper farm that's working to revive the lost art of cultivating the world’s finest black pepper, in addition to other herbs and spices, following decades of war. From here, you can sit and cool off with some ice cream, take an optional tour and tasting, or stroll back to town through the picturesque salt flats and enjoy the rest of the evening on your own.

We’re off to Rabbit Island for some rest and relaxation! We’ll take a half-hour drive from Kampot to Kep, with a brief visit to the crab market, where you can watch women tending to bamboo crab pots. From Kep, we’ll take a wooden fishing boat to Rabbit Island (around 30 minutes on the water). Once we’ve docked on the island, we’ll enjoy the beautiful beach and fresh, locally harvested seafood cooked right on the water’s edge. The water here is clean, warm, and perfect for swimming, and the beach is normally quiet on weekdays, with lounge chairs available for rent and fresh coconuts everywhere. Feel free to wander the trails winding along the island’s edge or nap on the beach. We’ll relax on the island until mid-afternoon, then return to Kampot the same way we came. 

Returning to Phnom Penh, we’ll stop to visit a local shaman in a neighboring village. During our visit, he’ll explain and demonstrate shamanistic rituals commonly practiced throughout contemporary Khmer society, and help us to understand the key roles they play in the everyday lives of millions of Khmers. Following a ritual demonstration, anyone interested can have their future foretold and ask questions. We’ll then continue to Phnom Penh (around 3.5 hours), and we'll enjoy a late lunch once we arrive. After checking into our hotel, the rest of the day is yours to relax or explore. 

This morning, we’ll check out the Russian Market, featuring various textiles, clothes, shoes, hand-woven baskets, ceramics, and antiques. Inside, a local artisan will tell us more about traditional shadow-puppet-making using hand-punched leather. We’ll have a chance to shop for souvenirs and see how most locals rely on markets like these for nearly all their daily needs. After lunch nearby, we’ll meet with Neak Sophal, one of Cambodia’s leading artists. Her body of work includes performance, photography, and social-practice art, and explores themes of gender roles, feminism, loss, and redemption for Khmer Rouge families. In the late afternoon, we’ll visit a traditional musical instrument workshop and studio, owned by one of the country’s leading instrument makers, who also is a master musician and teacher. He'll demonstrate several ancient instruments driven nearly to extinction during the Khmer Rouge years and speak about how he and other young people are reviving these lost and endangered arts.

This morning, we’ll visit the home studio of Chov Theanly, an accomplished and internationally regarded oil painter. He’ll show us his work, talk about it, and give us a chance to ask questions. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the studio of Pich Sopheap, one of Cambodia’s most internationally acclaimed contemporary artists. At his  home studio just outside the city, he’ll guide us through his process of making large-scale sculptures from natural materials including bamboo and beeswax. This evening, we’ll raise a glass to our time together at a final dinner—though if you're continuing onward with us to Siem Reap, there’s still lots more to see.

Today is departure day for those not continuing to Siem Reap. If you're headed to the airport, we’ll arrange you a trusty tuk tuk for you (or car for late-night departures). For those continuing on to Siem Reap, today is dedicated to resting up before the next leg of our journey. Your guide is happy to provide suggestions if you’d like to explore more of Phnom Penh.

This morning after breakfast, we’ll take the one-hour domestic flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, we’ll check into our hotel and have some time to get settled and explore the area. Later in the afternoon, you'll have the option to attend a French-style circus arts performance at the Phare Ponleu Selpak Big Top just outside Siem Reap—a magical performance full of acrobatics, variations on traditional dramas, and live music. Ticket sales support a reputable visual and performing arts school in Battambang.

This morning, we’ll leave the hotel early enough to catch the sunrise over the ancient temples of Angkor Wat. (It’s well worth it, and also helps to beat the crowds and the intense heat.) During a guided tour of the vast Angkor Wat complex, we’ll stop and explore four temples: Angkor Wat (the big main temple), Bayon (Angkor Thom), Terrace of the Elephants, and Ta Prom. Keep in mind that this will involve a considerable amount of walking and standing over the course of about five hours; bring good walking shoes, lightweight clothing that covers your knees and shoulders, and sun protection. In the afternoon, we’ll return to our hotel for a chance to relax and freshen up. We’ll meet back up for happy hour at Miss Wong’s Cocktail Bar in the bustling central area of Siem Reap. Take a walk around after dark for shopping, street vendors, vibrant nightlife, and great people watching.

This morning, we’ll take a short drive to a quiet countryside location, home to one of only two lotus textile production houses in the world. Coined as “vegan silk,” lotus fiber is spun by hand by teams of local women into high-quality, sustainable fabrics. After a showroom visit, we’ll have lunch in town. On our final afternoon, we’ll visit the home studio of the internationally acclaimed couple, Svay Sareth and Yim Maline. They’ll speak to us about their individual installation work, durational performance, drawings, and sculptures. From there, we can gallery hop and get a feel for the thriving contemporary art scene before enjoying a farewell happy hour on a local rooftop.

Our time together ends this morning in Siem Reap. From here, we invite you to extend your stay and explore further on your own, or catch flights home from Siem Reap International Airport (REP). Until next time!