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Traveling with Atlas Obscura amid COVID-19 How We’re Adapting Our Trips Destination Requirements (via Embassy Pages)From Khmer kingdoms to French rule, the various influences on Cambodian culture have yielded arts, music, textiles, cuisine, and dance as unmissable as the ruins of Angkor. Cambodia is both gloriously beautiful and culturally rich, so we will alternate activities between guided tours of Angkor's most striking and sacred sites and days spent reveling in Cambodia's living culture. We will marvel at giant stone buddhas, observe young monks studying, and enjoy traditional Khmer cuisine. We will learn about the Cambodian textile and fashion industries at a silk farm and fashion studio and experience the Cambodian Circus. The grand finale of this trip will be seeing Angkor Wat, at sunrise — one of the most breathtaking sites a traveler can behold.
The Siem Reap Airport is close to town, so we can start our adventure right away. After settling into our digs for the week, we’ll start exploring. First stop is the Angkor National Museum, a state-of-the-art introduction to the history of the Khmer empire and the surrounding temples, including Angkor Wat. The museum’s eight galleries are housed in a beautiful courtyard building, a work of art in itself. The jewels of the museum are artifacts from Angkor that were rescued from looters by archeologists and once otherwise unobservable. After this introduction, we will discover our host city during a stroll through the vibrant Central Market followed by a happy hour break at Mrs. Wong’s Cocktail Bar, an atmospheric haunt for world-class mixology with a hip Southeast Asian flair. We will finish our welcome to Cambodia with an exploration of traditional Khmer cuisine at dinner.
Shinta Mani Shack, or similar, Siem Reap
Happy hour, Dinner
At the apex of Khmer rule under Jayavarman VII, Angkor was the cultural center of the world’s mightiest empire and a metropolis with over one million residents. We’ll get a sense of this when we explore the grandest ruins of Angkor. First stop is Ta Prohm, one of the largest structures in the complex, made hauntingly beautiful over the centuries by silk-cotton and fig tree roots wrapping the temple. More recently, it was made a star as the backdrop of the Tomb Raider film. Nature overtaking such a great structure makes for one of the most stunning photo opportunities in world travel. One of the many intriguing features carved into the temple is the enigmatic stegosaurus known as the Dinosaur of Ta Prohm. Then there is the serene Neak Pean, a floating temple built on an island in the middle of the lily-adorned, emerald waters of Jayatataka Baray. Next is the walled heart of the city, Angkor Thom. This concentration of ruins is headlined by Bayon, Jayavarman VII’s state temple, with fifty-four well-preserved towers depicting the long-eared Buddha of Compassion.
After hitting the highlights of Angkor Thom in the cool morning, we will experience modern Buddhism with a visit to a working monastery to experience part of a day in the life of a practicing monk. From there, we enjoy a well-earned lunch of Khmer specialties with an informal lesson in local phrases from our guide. After lunch, the evening is free to either enjoy a cool dip in the hotel pool or explore the marvelous, bustling night markets of Siem Reap.
Shinta Mani Shack, or similar, Siem Reap
Breakfast, Lunch
The intricate carvings of Banteay Srei, or the “Temple of Women” are considered some of the finest works of Khmer sculpture and architecture left standing. It is also one of the oldest temples in Angkor, devoted to the Hindu deity Shiva the Destroyer. Because of the intricate details in the bas-relief carvings, admirers speculate that they could only have been crafted by the nimble hands of women.
After marveling at the historic contributions of Cambodian women, we will move on to the arts currently being woven by Sophea Preach at the Angkor Silk Farm. This husband and wife operation will introduce us to the entire process of production from harvesting silk from the farm's worms to creating finished designs. Sophea, being multi-talented, will also provide us with a lunch of traditional Khmer delicacies while we’re on the farm.
We will end our tour by learning about a sober, but necessary, chapter in Cambodian history at the Cambodia Landmine Museum. The museum was started by Aki Ra, once a conscripted child soldier for the Khmer Rouge. Ra began clearing mines by himself with a stick and keeping them at his house to show curious travelers. Funding has evolved his collection into a full museum that works to safely disarm mines around the world. After a long day of exploration, we will have the evening free to see the parts of town that we might not have gotten to yesterday.
Shinta Mani Shack, or similar, Siem Reap
Breakfast, Lunch
November 2023 departures & beyond: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Siem Reap has a thriving art scene waiting for us to explore. We will begin with one of the nation’s most internationally-recognized artists, Lim Muy Theam. Lim is a lacquer painter specializing in realistic images of everyday people in Cambodia. Mr. Theam’s art is fresh and relevant, but he’s also an art historian, steward of classic Khmer art, educator, and mentor to emerging artists. He is one of the forces behind Artisans Angkor, a school for promising young artists, and we will visit their workshop to watch their craft blossom.
For further inspiration, we will move on to the Couture House, where designer Eric Raisina creates bold looks utilizing Cambodian silks adorned with traditional patterns and crafted into modern designs. After a break for lunch and some free time, we will be treated to a dinner and a show steeped in Cambodian culture. The Phare, The Cambodian Circus is composed of the most gifted students from the Phare Ponleu Sepak’s school in Battambang. We will learn some moves and participate in a rehearsal with these limber young artists before watching their show from the front row.
Shinta Mani Shack, or similar, Siem Reap
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today, we set out early for an adventure on the serene Tonle Sap Lake. We enter at Prek Toal, an enchanting spot popular with local bird watchers. This area attracts some rare species that are most commonly found in Cambodia including the Black Ibis, Painted Storks, and Spot-Billed Pelicans. Our guide is an expert in local avian life, so he will make sure that we see and identify everything that flies by. Due to the high concentration and diversity of trees that have been entrenched in the lake around the shore here, this area is known as the “flooded forest.”
After catching the birds at their most active in the morning, we will explore the culture of this living lake on a boat cruise. On the lake, we can witness a disappearing traditional way of life that is unique to Southeast Asia. Communities here live in stilted houses suspended above the water and travel entirely by boat. They live off of the resources of the lake, such as fish and aquatic plant life, and they enjoy the ultimate in waterfront living. We break for a meeting with local fishermen and a hearty lunch featuring their catch. Before we return to dry land, we will explore a local school and see how residents of all ages go about their days living, literally, on the water. After our adventures on the lake, we will return to Siem Reap for an evening free to explore our favorite galleries in the bustling art scene.
Shinta Mani Shack, or similar, Siem Reap
Breakfast, Lunch
Gazing upon Angkor Wat at sunrise is one of the most essential travel experiences on the entire Asian continent. Today we will wake up bright and early and witness it for ourselves. Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious building and one of the living wonders of the world. This is the spiritual centerpiece of a city that once stretched 700 square miles and is thought to be the largest pre-industrial city developed by hand. The site alone is extraordinary, but with a guide’s interpretation and the colors of dawn, it comes to life. Luckily, our guide is an expert in the history, architecture, sculpture, and Hindu cosmology on display at this breathtaking temple. After spending the full morning in awe of Angkor Wat, we will have a final chance to explore a few final sites in the fascinating city of Siem Reap. A day spent at an attraction as stunning as Angkor Wat deserves an evening to remember, so we are having dinner at one of the hottest restaurants in town, enjoying modern, elevated Cambodian fare. Dinner will include a visit from the chef and an explanation of their vision for Cambodian cuisine.
Shinta Mani Shack, or similar, Siem Reap
Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
The listed price of this trip is per person based on double occupancy.
You’re in good company. Solo travelers typically make up about half of our small groups. With curiosity at the center of our experiences, there’s a natural camaraderie that develops over the course of a trip. We have two options for you:
Shared Room (subject to the latest Covid-19 guidelines): You'll be matched with another solo traveler of the same gender.
Private Room: Have your own room, subject to availability, for a supplemental cost. After booking your trip, please request a single room when you fill out your traveler information form and we’ll send a separate invoice for the cost.
2022-March 2023 Private Room Supplement Cost: $675 per person
November 2023 & beyond Private Room Supplement Cost: $750 per person
When planning your travel, we recommend that you arrive in Siem Reap before 12 pm (noon) on Day 1 and depart anytime on Day 7. If you'd like assistance booking flights, let us know and we'll connect you to our flight specialists.
This trip is fairly active; travelers should feel comfortable walking four to six miles over the course of each day and remaining on their feet for long periods of time. Moderate walking and hiking over uneven surfaces, steps, and inclines can be expected.
A tourist visa is required for U.S. and Canadian passport holders on arrival for entry into Cambodia. A tourist visa can be obtained on arrival at all points of entry. The current fee for a single-entry visa is USD $30 (subject to change without notice) and must be paid in cash in U.S. dollars or local currency. We will provide more details as part of your confirmation.
Cambodia has a long and successful history of fostering a rich ecosystem of vocational and education organizations focused on children, women, and rural communities. We will be visiting several of these organizations during your trip and your participation in this trip will provide significant financial contributions to the organizations we visit. Your visit will also directly support small businesses, schools, villages, and local families we visit. In addition, this trip's focus on traditional customs and emerging artists will help to preserve and maintain them for future generations.
Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated, though in most cases ingredients can't be substituted or omitted from particular dishes. If you have a severe allergy, please contact us to find out if this is the right trip for you.
Angkor is warm and humid, year-round. We organize the daily itinerary to depart early and take advantage of the cooler morning, then typically schedule the afternoon free to swim, relax, and then explore when the weather cools again in the afternoon. Average temperatures from October through March can be expected to be in the high 70’s.