Classic Combination: Thailand & Angkor Wat

Upon arrival you will be met by your guide, who will transfer you to your hotel. The remainder of your day is at leisure.

Morning you will visit with your professional guide, the "Great City" of Angkor Thom, visits include the famous Bayon Temple, Phimeanakas Temple within the Royal Palace enclosure, Baphuon Temple, the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King and Ta Prohm. Lunch not include.

Afternoon dedicated to visit the most famous & magnificent Angkor Vat temple .This architectural masterpiece was constructed in the 12th century and covers an area of about 210 hectares. With many galleries with columns, libraries, pavilions, courtyards and ponds full of water, carved low-reliefs about Ramayana Story and day-to-day life at the time of Angkor's construction. At the end of afternoon, we enjoy sunset view at Prae Rup Temple. Dinner not include. Overnight in Siem Reap

Morning transfert to visit Banteay Srei temple (10th century), regarded as the jewel in the crown of classical Khmer Art. Then continue your visit to Banteay Samre, the built in the third quarter of the 12th century. It consists of a central temple with four wings preceded by a hall and accompany by two libraries, the southern example remarkably well preserved. We will visit of a local village where we can find the fabrication of sugar palm. Lunch not include.

We will transfer to Tonle Sap Lake for taking boat trip to visit at Kampong Phluk, where we will have the opportunity to learn about life on the lake. On the way, we will pass floating houses and impressive flooded forests, portraying life on the water. Return back in town, we will go to visit Artisans d’Angkor. In there, we can take a tour through the workshops and watch students as they learn how to create silk fabrics and garments, stone and wood carving, lacquer ware, polychrome products, silver plating and silk paintings. Dinner not include. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Departing after breakfast accompanied by your guide, your day will be spent travelling through a number of relatively untouched villages and learning about the day-to-day lives of the local people. This is a world away from Siem Reap, and provides you with the perfect opportunity to get ‘off the beaten track’ and gain a better understanding of Cambodian rural life, along with an insight into traditional Khmer culture; something which few visitors are lucky enough to experience.

Your first stop is the village of Krabei Real, where there is time to explore the local market and to purchase some supplies for your lunch. Continue on, this time without the benefit of air-conditioning, using a more typical method of transportation for this region. The (almost!) pollution free ox and cart is still widely used throughout Cambodia, and allows you to travel at a gentle, almost hypnotic pace along the narrow, sandy, village roads. Winding your way through the rice fields, you’ll pass houses, schools and pagodas. Many of the families in this area are skilled rattan weavers, using techniques passed down through the generations to create a wide variety of crafts and day-to-day items to sell in the markets of the nearby towns.

After around an hour, arrive at the home of a local family who have been carefully chosen by My Way Travel. Having been welcomed by your hosts, there will be plenty of time to relax and chat with the family as they prepare lunch using the produce selected at the market (with your guide acting as interpreter). If you wish to assist then you are very welcome to do so, and this is also a fantastic opportunity to further your understanding of typical Khmer cuisine. This is likely to be very different from the dishes you may have sampled in the more westerner-orientated restaurants of Siem Reap and Phnom Penh!

Having enjoyed your lunch, there is time to explore the village before returning to Siem Reap. En route, stop to visit the workshops of the Angkor Artwork - all products sold are produced using long forgotten traditional methods and the quality of craftmanship is outstanding. If time permits, make a stop at Siem Reap’s market before arriving back at your hotel. The remainder of your day is at leisure.

Morning departure for Phnom Penh by car (driver only). Taking approximately 5 hours, you’ll pass through provincial towns, villages and roadside hamlets offering you an insight into life away from Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. There will be the opportunity to stretch your legs and enjoy a coffee in Kampong Thom and stop at Skun Village, famous for its deep-fried tarantulas, if you so wish.

Upon arrival, transfer directly to your hotel.

Phnom Penh was once considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Orient and despite its recent turbulent history it still retains a certain Colonial charm. Today this rapidly developing city buzzes with energy and an air of opportunity as Cambodia advances into the 21st century.

After checking in to your hotel the remainder of your day is at leisure until 5pm when you will be met by your guide in a tuk-tuk, your transportation for the evening, for a memorable food-focused experience.

First stop is the Foreign Correspondents Club, more commonly known as the FCC. This legendary colonial watering hole oozes history, having been the social hub for foreign journalists and aid workers during the Khmer Rouge era. Some interesting memorabilia adorns the walls which your guide will talk you through, before leaving you on the rooftop terrace to enjoy a cocktail and views across the Mekong & Tonle Sap rivers as the sun sets.

Re-joining your guide in the tuk-tuk, it’s time for a completely contrasting experience…Cambodian's don’t shy away from entomophagy (that’s ‘snacking on insects’ in layman’s terms), and they have long been seen as a good source of nutrition. Head down to the river where roadside stalls sell a variety of edible bugs which you will have the opportunity to try. Your guide is on hand to decipher the surprisingly tasty offerings. Continue by tuk-tuk to the Russian Market. By day this market is a tourist hotspot, but come evening the food stalls come alive, attracting local diners with typical Khmer food such as Banh Chheo, chicken rice porridge and beef skewers. Choose what you wish to eat, pull up a plastic stool alongside the locals and soak up the atmosphere. Next up, and your final food stop for the evening, are the popular seafood stalls where you can enjoy freshly barbecued seafood before returning to your hotel, again by tuk-tuk.

In 1975, after years of guerrilla warfare, the radical Communist Khmer Rouge party, under its leader Pol Pot, seized power of Cambodia and declared ‘year zero’. They immediately abolished money and private property, and ordered the entire population of Phnom Penh from their homes and into the countryside to cultivate the fields. Over the next three years an estimated 2 million Cambodians died, many from starvation and exhaustion. Many others were tortured and executed for being supposed ‘enemies of the state’.

During the morning you will have the opportunity to learn more about these terrible years, through visits to the infamous Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crimes and Choeung Ek, better known as the ‘Killing Fields’. It is an incredibly moving experience, but these are two visits you will be glad to have made. During your visit to Cambodia, you will barely meet a single person who didn’t lose a member of their family during these years, yet they are all willing to talk openly about it with you. They wish you to hear about it and see these places, to ensure that it never happens again.

Morning departure for Koh Kong, south west from the capital (driver only). As you drive further west, your journey will take you along the Koh Kong Conservation Corridor which stretches along either sides of NR48 from Koh Kong Town to the Gulf of Sihanoukville. It is home to many of Cambodia’s outstanding natural sites including the southern and central Cardamom Protected Forests, the mangrove forests of Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary, the beaches of Koh Kong and the Botum Sakor National Park.

Your day is at leisure.

Morning transfer by boat to Tatai Bridge and continue by road to the Thai border at Cham Yeam. Having cleared border formalities and entered Thailand, you will continue by car to Trat.

Upon arrival you will be met by a My Way Travel representative for the ferry crossing from the nearby Ao Thammachart Pier to Koh Chang, Ao Sapparot (a journey of 45 mins). Continue by road to your hotel where the remainder of your day is at leisure.

Koh Chang is Thailand’s second largest island and is nestled within a Marine National Park. Stunning beaches, clear waters, jungle treks, fishing villages and superb seafood are amongst the islands main attractions. Should you have your fill of land activities you will also have the opportunity to explore under the water at one of the handful of PADI schools based on the island.

Koh Chang at leisure

Koh Chang at leisure

Morning transfer to Ao Sapparot in time for the ferry to Ao Thammachart Pier in Trat. Upon arrival in Trat transfer directly to Bangkok. Driving through the streets you’ll have your first opportunity to witness the pace, the smells, the energy and the congestion that all combine to give Bangkok its own, very unique feel…it’s a fantastic city.

Siam’s capital moved south from Ayutthaya in 1782 and remained in Bangkok after the formation of the Kingdom of Thailand. This bustling metropolis is not to be missed, despite the infamous pollution, with world class shopping and dining opportunities, stunning temples and much evidence of its amazing cultural heritage.

Your day is at leisure until the late afternoon when you will be met by your guide for a street food tour with a difference. During the evening, visit local street food stalls whilst zig-zagging through the city in an infamous tuk tuk.

With your guide, initially travel by Bangkok’s efficient subway or sky train system to your first stop for the evening, Chinatown (aka Yaowarat) renowned for Bangkok’s longest street market. Every evening Yaowarat Road is awash with cheap street side eateries and you’ll have the opportunity to sample some of the offerings such as seafood dipped in spicy sauce, rice noodle rolls, stir-fried morning glory cooked on an open fire and Bua Loy Nam King (a sweet Thai dessert).

Travelling by tuk tuk, it’s a short ride to Pak Khlong Talat, Bangkok’s biggest flower market, where every square foot is filled with beautiful plants and flowers from across Thailand, many of which will make their way to the city’s temples, hotels and florists. Continue in your tuk tuk past the evening lit temples in the Grand Palace area and onto the locally well-known night market in Banglamphu and the Khao San area – your final stop for the evening – where there will be time to sample the famous traditional Thai snack of Kanom Buang and arguably one of the best Pad Thai's you will ever eat! With your appetite fully satisfied return to your hotel.

Morning departure with your guide on a city safari taking in a number of the city's better known highlights, as well as destinations a little bit more off the beaten track.

Start at the wonderful Lumpini Park where locals practice Tai Chi in the morning, before making the short journey to Wat Pho; home to the famous reclining Buddha, measuring a staggering 45m in length, as well as one of the oldest Traditional Thai-massage schools in the country.

Your day also includes visits to a handicraft community that is well-known for the unique art of making monk’s alms bowls; Jim Thompson's famous silk house which showcases the history of the mysterious American silk merchant; and the more cutting edge Siam Square.

The highlight of the day for many is the Grand Palace where you will have the opportunity to see some of the various buildings that were used for different occasions – the Funeral Palace, the Reception Palace, the Throne Hall, the Coronation Hall, the Royal Guest House, and the mysterious Emerald Buddha, the most revered Buddha image in Thailand.

Much of the fun of the day is traversing the city using various modes of public transport including a longtail boat, the skytrain and the ubiquitous and exciting tuk-tuk. This combination ensures that you get the chance to explore areas of the city that most visitors do not get to see. It's a long day, covering a lot of ground, however there is no better way to truly experience the 'City of Angels'.

Your day is at leisure until your transfer to Bangkok Airport for your onward flight.