10-Day Cambodia: Temples, Mekong & Countryside

Arrive at Siem Reap. Welcome dinner with Oliver in the old market area — an introduction to Cambodian cuisine and to the ten days ahead.

Dawn departure for the Angkor Wat sunrise. After the sunrise, a full morning in the temple — the bas-relief galleries, the inner sanctuary, the upper terraces (for those able). Return for the midday hours. Late afternoon at Angkor Wat for the different quality of light.

A full morning at Angkor Thom — the Bayon, the Elephant Terrace and Baphuon. Lunch at the hotel. Late afternoon: Ta Prohm — the jungle temple with its famous strangler figs — and Preah Khan. Free evening in Siem Reap.

A morning at Banteay Srei — the extraordinary pink sandstone temple of the 10th century. Then a scenic 2.5-hour drive west to Battambang — Cambodia's second city, a riverside town of remarkable French colonial architecture almost completely unknown to international tourists. Check in, evening walk along the riverside promenade.

The bamboo train: a flat bamboo platform on two sets of wheels, powered by a small engine — assembled in minutes, capable of 40km/h, and used by villagers to transport goods across the countryside. A journey of about 8km along an old single track, stopping to let oncoming trains pass by the simple expedient of one platform being disassembled and stacked by the side of the track. One of Asia's most charming experiences. Afternoon: Battambang's extraordinary French colonial quarter on foot with Oliver. Optional Phare Circus performance in the evening.

A scenic 4-hour drive east through Cambodian countryside to Kratie on the Mekong — a small riverside town that time appears to have treated gently. Check in to a riverside guesthouse. Evening boat trip on the Mekong to watch the sunset over the river. Dinner by the water.

An early morning boat trip to Kampi Pool — the last significant habitat of the Irrawaddy dolphin in Cambodia. These rare, blunt-nosed freshwater dolphins surface regularly in the early morning; sightings are almost guaranteed. A genuinely memorable experience. Return for breakfast. Optional bicycle ride through Koh Trong island rice paddies and stilted villages in the afternoon — the cycling is completely flat.

A morning drive south along the Mekong to Phnom Penh. Check in to the hotel. Afternoon: Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda with Oliver. Evening by the riverside.

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in the morning — carefully contextualised by Oliver. After lunch and recovery time, the National Museum of Cambodia — a superb collection of Khmer sculpture and artefacts, including pieces from Angkor. Farewell dinner at a riverside restaurant.

Final breakfast and transfer to the airport. Ten days of Cambodia — the temples and the country beyond them.