Traveling in Cambodia is the ultimate South East Asian experience
Overview
Beneath the Cardamom Mountains and on the banks of the Mekong, Khmer village life goes on pretty much as it always has (give or take the odd iPhone). And when you’re watching the sunrise over Angkor Wat or the ruins of Tha Promh, the modern world feels pretty far away. While progress was dampened for years by a tragic history, Cambodia is now a country on the move. With riverside boulevards and art galleries popping up in Phnom Penh and Siem Riep’s growing reputation for hip cafes and top-notch dining.
Cambodia has a unique and ancient food culture all its own, and unlike Thai and Vietnamese food, it’s probably difficult to find a bowl of it in your local neighborhood. Using pepper rather than chilli to add spice, Cambodian cuisine is laden with fresh herbs, spices, rice, freshwater fish and condiments. While there are influences from French and Thai styles, Cambodian food has a distinct style and flavour that’s best experienced while seated at a local beer hall or family home. While traveling from Siem Reap, to Phnom Penh discover the sights, sounds and flavors of Kampot, Battambang and marvel at a cuisine, culture and population so special that you’ll very quickly be won over for life.
Highlights
Head to a nearby village for a homemade traditional breakfast of Khmer noodles. Once fuelled, spend the day roaming the UNESCO World Heritage Angkor complex.
Tour the markets in Phnom Penh with a passionate local chef and then head to his home for a cooking class, where you’ll learn about Khmer cuisine.
Cycle through Battambang meeting locals as you stop to see the production of fish paste, rice paper and rice wine, finishing with a delicious sticky rice tasting.
Learn about the sombre but important history of the Cambodian people at the S21 Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields.
Feast on local delicacies and street food favourites, like fish amok, fresh seafood, num banh chok, beef lok lak and black pepper ice cream.
Note: Official check-in time at 2:00pm, early check-in subjects to room available.
Sua s’dei! Welcome to Cambodia.
The small but expanding town of Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor. This is the most popular destination for travellers in all of Cambodia, perhaps even in South-East Asia.
Your adventure begins in Siem Reap with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight.
Tonight, welcome dinner at Malis, diners are treated to a delightful ambiance with a beautiful garden. It desires and passions to restore Cambodian cuisine to its former glory and put Cambodia back on the map as a culinary destination. Renowned for its fresh seasonal produce, delicate flavors, making Malis is famous for Khmer course.
After, head to the village of Preah Dak for a traditional breakfast of homemade num banh chok (a popular Khmer noodle dish). This village is famous for its lifestyle, language, spirituality, culture and of course, its food! You’ll see how the local families make the noodles as their ancestors made them, learn about this dish’s history and then end your experience with some seasonal fruits.
Then it’s time to explore more of the Angkor complex, built between the 9th and 13th centuries when the Khmer Empire was the pre-eminent influence in Southeast Asia.
For lunch, visit the Sala Bai Hotel School, where underprivileged local youths learn skills to find gainful employment in the hospitality industry. Enjoy a meal prepared by students at the school, then back to the Angkor complex to see the Bayon temple.
Tonight, head out for dinner and a theatre show at Angkor Village Apsara Theatre, where you’ll watch Khmer traditional dance and dine on Khmer favorites.
A very rewarding morning to get to Angkor Wat in the early hours to watch the sun rising over it as it did in the ancient times. Then Temple-hop with your local guide and make the most of your visit to the world-famous Angkor complex.
Visit an ancient monastery where you’ll meet a Buddhist monk and take part in a ritual that has survived for thousands of years. Sit on the floor as the monk chants and sprinkles holy water over you before tying a sacred thread around your wrist, ensuring protection and good luck for the rest of your journey.
Enjoy the rest of the day free at leisure until we meet again in the evening for a street food tour. We will zip you through the streets, off the tourist trail and straight into local street heaven. Your food-loving tour leader will uncover hidden local street food treasures and beloved recommendations of local snacks, or Khmer rice cake that you will be able to taste with different foods. Our food mission also continues with a tasting of seasonal fruits that are grown around. Hopefully, you still have room for even more amazing Cambodian food, because our next stop is a local restaurant to sample some tasty local delicacies for dinner, before finishing at a dessert stall where fruit shakes.
After dinner, you will have the option to return to your hotel or end our Siem Reap food tour at Pub Street. Alternatively, our leader will be happy to provide some less touristy recommendations for a great night out.
Today, you will gain insight into genuine Cambodian cuisine at a cooking class here you will prepare every dish from scratch. The venue will be at an antique style wooden house in the local village-Lum Orng meaning ‘pollen’. The restaurant sets amid the farm growing much of its own produce at organic gardens where you will visit. Then your teacher-cook will explain about Cambodian vegetables, herbs, spices and other ingredients for the course. You will observe and practice Khmer cuisine techniques creating your own dishes. (The restaurant is closed on Thursday. Guests will receive an Apron and a cookbook illustrating the dishes that they are going to prepare, with ingredients required and step by step procedures.)
In late afternoon by 03:30pm, embark on an immersive journey into the world of Phare, the Cambodian Circus in Siem Reap. You will attend a 2 hour workshop at “Phare Ponleu Selpak”. It is an NGO improving the lives of children, young adults, and their families with art schools, educational programs, and social support so far. You will experience the behind-the-scenes wonders that make the magic happen. Explore the technician, costume design, Khmer traditional music and artist work areas. Engage in an informative Q&A session with a Phare Circus manager to learn more about the project. Prepare for an unforgettable entertainment adventure.
Return back to town for early dinner before get inside the campus, you will enjoy the rotation of a spectacular show put on by a talented and energetic troupe of young performers. The performance is filled with awe inspiring acrobatics and musical accompaniment. It will reveal your heart goes into creating such a wonderful experience with fun and also enabling you to know about Khmer culture!
Travel by private bus to Battambang. It is a pretty riverside town of French influence, friendly Khmer people and beautifully preserved colonial architecture. The city is famous for its many statues of animals and divinities that decorate the streets and buildings. It also lacks the traffic of Phnom Penh and the visitor numbers of Siem Reap, so it’s a great place to get a real slice of Cambodia.
Upon arrival in Battambang, you will transfer directly to the hotel for checking and relaxing.
Lunch is on your own account, consider having lunch at the hotel or join with your leader to eat at local restaurants in town.
Enjoy tuk tuk riding into the countryside through local villages. This evening, you may enjoy a street tour for tasting local snack, drinks. It is fun and cheap, yet real experience with the real nightlife of the locals. The market sets along the lovely riverbank where you can enjoy the beautiful atmosphere during the night before real dinner as a home- cooked meal in a local family’s home.
This morning, taken on a bike tour around rural Cambodia with the local social enterprise Soksabike – dedicated to responsible tourism, this organisation provides local university students with training and employment and scholarships for their staff’s language or vocational studies. Learn some basic Khmer phrases and then explore the countryside, stopping to visit local families who make things like rice paper, dried bananas and bamboo sticky rice. See the memorial site for the victims of Khmer Rouge and spend some time in a local’s house, refuelling with some local fruit. (Tuk Tuk is available for non-cycling).
Your afternoon is free to explore how you wish.
Dinner will be your own account, your leader will give you recommendations or organize a non-hosted meal.
Travel by private minibus to Phnom Penh today. Break up an otherwise long trip with a visit to the pottery in Kampong Chhnang and learn about the craft of pottery making at local workshops.
Upon arrival in Phnom Penh you will transfer directly to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day free at leisure to explore the city or relaxing at the hotel pool.
Lunch and Dinner will be served at selected local restaurant.
The stories and history shared at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek are confronting and many travellers will find them upsetting. This is an important part of Cambodia’s recent history that we feel is important for travellers. If you prefer not to join these activities, your leader can recommend some optional alternatives
Phnom Penh remains a living relic of the country’s past struggles and successes. Today you’ll visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21) and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, which tell the story of the tragic legacy of the Khmer Rouge.
Spend the rest of the afternoon browsing through the colorful market at Central Market, a large market in the shape of a dome with four arms branching out into vast hallways with countless stalls of goods, you can find clothes, souvenirs, jewellery and tasting local food.
Enjoy the rest of the balance day free at leisure.
Your leader will give you recommendations or organize the restaurant for your dinner on your own.
This morning, you will be greeted by a driver who will take you from the hotel by Cyclo for a tour to the most significant sights of the city in a fun way. Three-wheeler cyclos were introduced to Phnom Penh streets in 1936. Its drivers are amongst the poorest of the urban.
First,visit the Royal Palace built in 1866, being the official residence of the King. It is a fine example of Khmer architecture with a slight French touch. The complex is divided into four main compounds two of which are opened for visitors: The Throne Hall is where the king’s general and official ceremonies are held. The Silver Pagoda houses many national treasures such as gold and jeweled Buddha statues and inlaid with more than 5,000 silver tiles covering its floors. (Note: Visit the Royal Palace, if visitors wear shorts or skirts that reach to the knees and T-shirts or blouses that reach to the elbows. The Palace is subject to close without prior notice.)
A short walk to the NationalMuseum-built of red bricks by the French in apseudo-traditional Khmer style with an inviting courtyard garden. It isone of the world’s largest collections of Khmer art, including sculptural, ceramics, bronzes and wooden objects. Over 14,000 items are on display,constituting the repository of the Kingdom’s cultural wealthfrom prehistoric to post Khmer Empire times.
Return back to hotel for relax before jumping on the Tuk Tuk again for your food adventures, You will visit small family run restaurant with specialize with one thing and discover many serval food store which serve which is serve as local for local.
This morning you will drive south by private vehicle, towards Kampot – one of Cambodia’s most attractive old towns. Famous for its pepper, Kampot supplied most French restaurants for many years during colonial rule. Today, the region is also renowned for its durian (a spiky, pungent fruit that you’ll either love or hate).
Tonight, maybe ask your leader about the sunset river cruises here and watch the gorgeous nightly display of colour, looking out for the resident fireflies.
Lunch and dinner will be served at local restaurants in Kampot province.
Drive outskirt to visit the salt fields which stretch across much of Kampot’s coastline. After learning a bit about the salt production here, head to Phnom Chhngok – a Hindu cave temple built in the 7th century, dedicated to Shiva.
Then it’s onto the Kampot Pepper Project. Grown in Cambodia for centuries, Kampot pepper is considered the world’s finest. Today, pepper is also seen as an important symbol of Cambodian regeneration. You’ll taste some pepper ice cream here before heading to Kep Beach for lunch – the nearby Kep markets serve fresh crab cooked to perfection – and eat on the pier overlooking the ocean.
After lunch, walk along the coastline and explore the old oceanfront buildings. Kep was once Cambodia’s most popular and prestigious beach town, but the Khmer Rouge destroyed many of Kep’s mansions and villas. The ghostly remains now stand as a silent reminder.
If you’re a morning person, you might like to rise early and see the fishing boats arrive at the port with their daily catch. Then, maybe find a good spot for breakfast and enjoy a leisurely morning.
Afterward, you’ll return to Phnom Penh to enjoy the rest of the balance day free at the pool hotel or explore the city.
Tonight, the final dinner will be served at Sombok Restaurant. The restaurant is a celebration of Khmer Cuisine, ingredients and the strength and creativity of a talented Khmer female chef.
Your trip comes to an end this morning, your local guide will arrange your appointment for departure transfer from the hotel to Phnom Penh International Airport(IATA: PNH)
$3,995 per person in a double ($500 non-refundable deposit + $3,495 balance payment);
$4,995 in a single ($500 non-refundable deposit + $4,495 balance payment). Note: there are a limited number of single rooms.
$500 non-refundable deposit per person.
Balance payment of $3,495 per person in a double, $4,495 in a single is due by November 10, 2024 or before. Deposits after November 10th, final payment is due within 5 days.
Additional “pre” and “post” nights can be arranged at itinerary hotels for an additional cost.
Price does not include International airfare, optional tips, most alcoholic beverages, or some small incidental fees like video or photo charges at specific sites, restrooms, etc…
If you would like to Deposit please contact Andrew McPheeters, Associate Vice President Community Education & Travel Programs at: mcpheete@lclark.edu
Lewis & Clark Team
Joann Geddes
Professor Emeritus Joann Geddes retired from Lewis & Clark after 35 years of service as a teacher and the Director of Academic English Studies. During her tenure she led seven Overseas Programs including Costa Rica, the former Soviet Union, Argentina/Chile, Kenya/Tanzania, Australia and Morocco. She founded the Vietnam overseas program and successfully took a student group there in 2008. Joann remains active within the campus community and recently traveled with the Lewis & Clark group to Madagascar. She was our academic leader for the LC Travel Program to Vietnam in February 2024 and will work closely with our in-country guide to facilitate a dynamic educational experience.
Khoi Dinh
Khoi is a native of South East Asia, has traveled in the region and across the globe widely and has an adventurous spirit. He has worked for Lewis & Clark for more than 16 years and supported our LC Travel program to Vietnam in February 2024. He will serve as the group’s administrative coordinator working to ensure a successful and safe trip.
Questions, contact Andrew McPheeters, Associate Vice President of Community Education & Travel Programs: mcpheete@lclark.edu or 503-768-7936.
