Land of the Khmers

This itinerary combines culture with a relaxing stay on beautiful beaches. The temples and monuments of the ancient city of Angkor form one of the wonders of Asia. Once the centre of a city of hundreds of thousands of people at the heart of the Khmer empire, the ruins still give a powerful impression as they appear through the surrounding jungle. Also included are the capital Phnom Penh and the beautiful, unsophisticated beaches of southern Cambodia.

Day 1 Depart UK.
Day 2 Arrive Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Transfer to your hotel.
Day 3 City tour, including the National Museum, the royal palace, the Silver Pagoda and Wat Phnom, after which the city is named. Also visit the Tuol Sleng museum of genocide and the Killing Fields of Cheng Ek as grimmer reminders of the country's recent past. (B, L)
Day 4 Excursion to Tonle Bati and the temples of Ta Phrom and Yeay Peau. Then board a boat to the pre-Angkorian temple of Phnom Da and the early capital of Angkor Borei. Then visit Phnom Chisnor mountain for spectacular views over the surrounding plains. (B, L)
Day 5 Travel by car to the beach resort of Sihanoukville (Kampongsom). (B, L)
Day 6-7 Free days to relax on the comparatively quiet, beautiful, sandy beaches that line the Gulf of Siam. (B)
Day 8 Return to Phnom Penh for flight to Siem Reap, the nearest town for the exploration of Angkor. Transfer to your hotel. (B)
Day 9 Excursion to the Angkor complex. Visit Angkor Thom, the late 12th-century fortified city at the centre of the complex, with the Bayon, Baphoun, Elephant Terrace and Terrace of the Leper King. In the afternoon visit the stupendous Angkor Wat, built in the early 12th century by one of the most powerful of the Khmer kings, Suriyavarman II. (B, L)
Day 10 Excursion to the early temples of the Roluos group, (Lolei, Preah Ko and Bakhon) and then the atmospheric Ta Prohm, engulfed in jungle. (B, L)
Day 11 Boat trip on the Tonle Sap Lake to view the local `floating villages' on the margins of the lake. (B, L)
Day 12 Free day. (B)
Day 13 Transfer to airport for flight to Bangkok, to connect to flight to the UK, arriving the following morning. (B)