Deluxe Cambodia: Phnom Penh & Siem Reap

French colonial elegance greets guests in each step of their experience at Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra an inspired 5-star hotel located in close vicinity of modern government offices businesses embassies and the charms of the riverfront. Hardwood floors and a colonial-influenced aesthetic evoke a timeless refinement in each luxury hotel room and suite. Guests enjoy a riverside setting minutes from landmarks and attractions like the Royal Palace, National Museum and Sisowath Quay.
Hotel features 201 rooms including 36 suites

Depart early this morning to visit the Royal Palace, built in 1866 by King Norodom. The Palace is made up of a number of structures within a pagoda-style compound, one of which is the Silver Pagoda. The Silver Pagoda takes its name from over 5000 silver tiles and the building itself holds a number of national treasures. The most notable treasures are perhaps the life-sized gold Maitreya Buddha, decorated with 9584 diamonds and weighing 90 kg and also the small 17th century Emerald Buddha, made from baccarat crystal. Continue on to the National Museum, a Khmer temple-inspired building that houses the world's largest collection of Khmer art sculptures, ceramics and bronzes from different periods of Cambodia's history. Over 5000 objects are on display including Angkorian era statues, lingas and other artifacts, most notably the legendary statue of the 'Leper King.' Though the emphasis is on Angkorian artifacts, there is also a good collection of pieces from later periods, including a special exhibition of post-Angkorian Buddha figures. Finish the morning with a local shopping experience at Toul Tom Pong Market (also known as the Russian Market) where you can find silk, silver and countless souvenirs. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant (included) and in the afternoon visit the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum and Cheung Ek. During the Pol Pot regime, Toul Sleng, formerly a high school, was converted to a detention centre known as S21. After interrogation and often torture, prisoners were transferred to the 'Killing Fields' where they were often tortured again and brutally killed. Visit Cheung Ek, it was a Chinese Cemetery before it became the Khmer Rouge's best known Killing Field. The remains of almost 9,000 bodies have been excavated from mass graves in this area. Today Cheung Ek is a Memorial site for Cambodians and visitors from all over the world to pay their respects for the lives that were lost. A memorial stupa has been erected and displays over 5,000 human skulls, bones and clothes of the victims. During the Khmer Rouge years, thousands of Cambodians were tortured and imprisoned in detention centres around the country; the visit is a profoundly moving but also depressing experience.

Today you visit the abandoned Royal Capital of Oudong 'The City of Past Kings'. Oudong was capital of the Khmer Empire from 17th Century until 1866 when it was moved to Phnom Penh. Several temples and religious structure dot the ridgeline and stupas containing the remains of several great Khmer Kings such as King Monivong and King Ang Duong can be found here. These hills were also the site of some of the Khmer Rouge's most prolonged resistance against the encroaching Vietnamese army in 1979. The summit of Phnom Oudong offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and is a favourite picnic spot for residents from Phnom Penh.

After walking tour you will receive a personal blessing by the monks in which they will perform an traditional ceremony by sprinkling water and flowers over the group while chanting for about 5 to 10 minutes. It is believed that this traditional Khmer blessing ceremony cleanses bad spirits from the past and brings good luck for the coming year. You will feel surprisingly renewed and relaxed after this memorable experience. After the blessing ceremony you will receive a small string for their wrist from the monks.

Sofitel Phokeethra Royal Angkor is set among tranquil landscaped gardens on tree lined Charles de Gaulle Avenue and is the closest hotel to the ruins of Angkor Wat. The resort is near traditional markets, local tourist attractions and only 15 min drive from the airport.
Combining French and Khmer architecture to provide elegant accommodation, the hotel features 238 rooms with balconies.

You will start with a visit to Ta Prohm, a temple left largely in its natural state. Surrounded by jungle, its labyrinth of stone hallways is overgrown with the roots and limbs of massive banyan trees, which envelop the stone like tentacles. It is one of the largest temples at Angkor, dedicated in 1186.

You will continue to Preah Khan, "The Sacred Sword", an extensive monastic complex covering over 56 hectares and built by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a monastery and teaching centre. It is one of a group of temple complexes situated on a small 'Baray' or water reservoir, including the temples of Neak Pean and the monastic complex of Ta Som. Together these structures constitute one of Angkor's major axial arrangements and hydrological complexes. Preah Khan was the site of the World Monuments Fund 'prime' Asian project, a painstaking renovation that maintains its mysterious allure and superb original structure.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you will go to Ton Le Sap Lake, the largest fresh water lake in South East Asia and the lifeblood of the Cambodian fishing industry. The Mekong River, from as a far away as Phnom Penh, reverses the direction of the Ton Le Sap river to bring an overflow of water and silt to support both rice growing and breeding fish of many sizes and varieties. Hopping on board a small shaded vessel and moving between the floating homes and small fish farms will allow you to intimately experience daily lake life.

This afternoon, you will visit to Angkor Wat, the largest temple in the world, with a volume of stone equalling that of the Cheops pyramid in Egypt. It is unlike all the other Khmer temples in that it faces west, and is inspired by 12th Century Hinduism. Conceived by Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat took an estimated 30 years to build. It is generally believed to have been a funeral temple for the king. Intricate bas reliefs surround Angkor Wat on four sides. Each tells a story. The most celebrated of these is the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, which is located on the east wing. In it the Naga serpent, is twisted by demons and gods to spurt out the elixir of life. Enjoy the sunset after your tour.