Offroad Cambodia
15 Days / 14 Nights

Day 1. Arrive Phnom Penh. Visit Royal Palace and National Museum.
Upon arrival check in to hotel.
In the afternoon, we explore the stunning Royal Palace complex, home to the Cambodian royal family and a symbol of the nation. We enter the Throne Hall where the royal receptions are held, see the Napoleon III Pavilion made from iron, a gift from the French emperor in the 19th century and continue to the Silver Pagoda, named after the 5000 silver tiles covering the floor, each weighing 1kg. Inside are some of the country's most cherished treasures, including a life-size gold Buddha studded with 9584 diamonds, the largest weighing 25 carats. There is also a delicate emerald Buddha made of baccarat crystal, which gives the temple its Khmer name of Wat Preah Keo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha).
We leave the Royal Palace and continue to the nearby National Museum, home to the world's finest collection of sculpture from the Angkor period. The exquisite building was completed in 1920 and features collections from the pre-Angkor, Angkor and post-Angkor periods. We concentrate on the incredible sandstone sculpture from Angkor, as well as the intricate bronzes.
We then make for Wat Phnom, a symbol of the city, for sunset. Located on one of the few hills in this pancake-flat capital, the first pagoda was originally built in 1373 to house Buddha statues discovered in the Mekong by a woman named Penh. This gives us the modern name of the city, Phnom Penh or Hill of Penh. Cambodians come to the shrine to pray for luck in love and life, employment and exams, so there it is always a bustling place.

Day 2. Tuol Sleng and Killing Fields. Visit PSE for Lunch.
We come face to face with the horrific crimes of the Khmer Rouge. Tuol Sleng was a former high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a centre for interrogation, torture and death. Today it is a museum of torture and serves to remind visitors of the terrible atrocities that came to pass in Cambodia. 17,000 people passed through the gates of this prison and only seven lived to tell the tale. The Khmer Rouge were meticulous in their record keeping, photographing all the prisoners and many of these haunting black and white images are on display in the cells. Tuol Sleng is a profoundly moving experience and not everyone will want to visit. However, it is key to understanding the hell into which Cambodia descended and how far it has come in the years since.
We then travel out of town to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Prisoners from Tuol Sleng followed this same route to their fate. An old Chinese cemetery, Choeung Ek was turned into an extermination camp for political prisoners. The remains of 8985 people were exhumed from mass graves and are kept in a memorial stupa here. Despite the horrors of the past, it is a peaceful place to go and a tranquil spot to reflect on the tragic events that engulfed Cambodia and its people.
We have lunch in the capital at PSE (a French NGO supporting children from the garbage dump) where their Lotus Blanc restaurant serves excellent international and Asian cuisine. The clients can then take a tour of the PSE facilities where both schooling and work/life skills are available to the children and youths as a way of escaping the poverty of their lives spent on the city’s main garbage dump.
Free afternoon to prepare your bike.

Day 3. Visit Forest Temples of Sambor Prei Kuk.
This morning, you travel northwest to the provincial capital of Kompong Thom, stopping en route to visit the 11th century temple of Wat Guha Nokor. Lunch is of the picnic variety at the impressive pre-Angkorian capital of Isanapura, known today as Sambor Prei Kuk. The first major temple city in South-East Asia, the brick temples of Sambor Prei Kuk are a peaceful contrast to their more illustrious relatives at Angkor. We explore the main temples here, including Prasat Tao with its elaborately coiffured lions and Prasat Sambor, with its crumbling sanctuaries. We spend the night in hotel accommodation in Kompong Thom.

Day 4. Preah Khan Temple safari.
Today, we continue to the remote complex of Preah Khan. This extremely remote temple is often referred to as Preah Khan Kompong Svay by scholars or Prasat Bakan by locals. The largest single enclosure constructed during the age of Angkor, its total area is larger even than that of Angkor Thom and it is believed to have been the second city of the Khmer Empire, where mighty King Jayavarman VII was educated.
There are several principal structures at Preah Khan, including four-faced Prasat Preah Stung, a trademark of Jayavarman VII constructed in the style of the Bayon, and delicate Prasat Damrei, or Elephant Temple, a small pyramid with two elegant carved elephants ceremoniously adorned by locals. After exploring this immense temple, we retire to our luxury safari tent.

Day 5. Beng Mealea and Koh Ker temple safari.
Today, we head west to the lost temple of Beng Mealea, the titanic of temples, a slumbering giant lost for centuries in the forests of Cambodia. It is the most accessible of Angkor’s lost temples, a mirror image of Angkor Wat, but utterly consumed by the voracious appetite of nature. Constructed by Suryavarman II in the 12th century, the builder of Angkor Wat, the forest has run riot here and it is hard to get a sense of the monument’s shape amid the daunting ruins.
We then head into the bush to the remote Angkor capital of Koh Ker. In the 10th century Jayavarman IV (928-942) fell out with his family, stormed off to the northwest and established the rival capital of Koh Ker. Although the capital for just 15 years, Jayavarman IV left a legacy of 30 major temples and some gargantuan sculpture that is on display in the National Museum in Phnom Penh.
We visit Prasat Thom, a seven-storey step pyramid, more Mayan than Khmer, with commanding views over the surrounding forest, nearby Prasat Krahom or Red Temple and other temples, including the five towers of Prasat Ling, each enclosing a giant linga or fertility symbol, the biggest and best found in situ anywhere in Cambodia.
We then return to our camp for the night, spending the night in a luxury safari tent.

Day 6: Koh Ker to Anlong Veng. Preah Vihear.
We rise early to enjoy a sunrise across the temple complex and after breakfast, we explore some of the lesser known sites around Koh Ker. We then continue north towards Preah Vihear. We enjoy a local lunch along the way before arriving at the base of this sacred mount. The snaking road up the mountain is very steep in places and we eventually emerge at the second enclosure of this king of the mountain temples.
We explore the temple on foot and continue onwards to the final level, clinging to a cliff face in the Dangrek Mountains, towering hundreds of metres above lowland Cambodia below. The views from this most mountainous of temple mountains are breathtaking. Later we continue our journey to the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Anlong Veng, where we enjoy dinner and our overnight accommodation.

Day 7. Anlong Veng to Banteay Chhmar Temple Safari.
We rise early for breakfast and to visit the house of the former military strongman Ta Mok as well as the gravesite of Brother No 1, Pol Pot. Anlong Veng was the last Khmer Rouge stronghold to surrender to government forces in the late 1990s.
We then travel west to the incredible jungle temple of Banteay Chhmar, famous for its signature faces of Jayavarman VII. On arrival we see the magnificent carvings of Lokesvara with 32 arms, nicknamed lok sam-pee (Mr 32) by Khmers, as well as the beautiful Hall of Dancers, similar to the famous Preah Khan. After clambering about among this sleeping giant, we continue to explore the outer complex, including the outer gate of Ta Prohm, like a smaller cousin of the impressive Angkor Thom gates and protected by a moat and the jungle-clad face-tower of Samnang Tasok. We spend the night in our luxury tent close to the temple of Banteay Chhmar.

Day 8. Banteay Chhmar to Siem Reap. Visit Artisans d’Angkor.
After enjoying the sunrise at Banteay Chhmar, we leave some free time to explore more remote outer gates and temples around the main complex. We continue south to the enigmatic temple of Banteay Top. Here the central tower has collapsed, only to be rebuilt and resembles a precarious tower of building blocks. We then journey south to the provincial capital of Svay Sisophon before we then continue west to Siem Reap to the rural district of Puok, home to the Artisans d'Angkor silk weaving project. We visit a working silk farm where it is possible to learn about all aspects of the production process. Then, transfer to hotel for overnight.

Day 9. Visit Banteay Srei. Afternoon Visit to Walled City of Angkor Thom.
We head to Banteay Srei, Angkor’s ultimate art gallery. This petite pink temple is the jewel in the crown of Angkor-era sculpture. The elaborate carvings here are the finest found in Cambodia and the name translates as ‘Fortress of the Women’, thanks to the intricate detail here, considered too fine for the hands of a man.
On the way back to Siem Reap, we visit the Cambodia Landmine Museum to learn more about the scourge of landmines and the shadow they cast over rural communities in Cambodia with a visit to this flagship museum promoting mine awareness and education. Later we visit the 12th century temple of Banteay Samre. Built by King Suryavarman II, the genius behind Angkor Wat, this temple has been extensively restored.
In the afternoon, we visit the immense walled city of Angkor Thom that was the masterpiece of King Jayavarman VII. The scale is simply staggering and we are immediately overwhelmed by the audacity of Jayavarman on arrival at the city’s gates. We begin our visit at the Terrace of the Leper King, continue along the Terrace of Elephants, and visit the Baphuon, once of the most beautiful temples at Angkor, dating from the 11th century. It has undergone a massive renovation by the French and is now once again open for viewing. Our climax is the enigmatic and enchanting temple of the Bayon. Its 54 towers are each topped off with the four faces of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion), which bear more than a passing resemblance to the king himself. We unravel the mysteries of the temple’s bas-reliefs, with their intricate scenes of ancient battles against the Chams and their snapshot of daily life during the Angkor period.

Day 10. Angkor Wat. Afternoon Visit to Floating Village.
Rising at the crack of dawn, we journey out to the Mother of all temples, Angkor Wat. Believed to be the world's largest religious building, this temple is the perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry and a source of pride and strength to all Khmers. Built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II, this is most famous temple at Angkor. We stay at Angkor Wat to enjoy a picnic breakfast. As the crowds return to their hotels, we venture into Angkor Wat to enjoy its magnificence in peace and quiet, beginning at the bas-reliefs that tell of tales from Hindu mythology and of the glories of the Khmer empire. After your visit, we make a short visit to the Artisans D'Angkor outlet with its cold drinks, inviting snacks and traditional handicrafts.
After lunch we take a break from the temples and travel out to the mighty Tonle Sap Lake to visit the floating village of Chong Kneas. Nestled under the hill of Phnom Krom, this floating community moves location with the waters of the lake. Everything floats on water in this living fishing community and if interested, we can also make a stop at the Gecko Environment Centre to learn more about the lake.

Day 11. Siem Reap to Kratie.
We leave Siem Reap and travel southeast over Spean Praptos which is the largest bridge in Cambodia with more than 20 arches and is a spectacular sight, reinforcing the impression that the Khmers were like the Romans of Southeast Asia. You continue through Kompong Thom and pause at Skuon, affectionately known as 'Spiderville', where it is possible to sample the local delicacy of deep fried tarantula. We arrive in Kompong Cham mid-morning and visit the 'fusion' temple of Wat Nokor, an 11th century sandstone temple with a colourful modern wat set in its central courtyard. We then enjoy a local lunch in Kompong Cham.
Our road journey continues on east bank, passing through the old river port of Chhlong, home to some of the best examples of French colonial architecture in the country. We then reach Kratie, a sleepy Mekong port and gateway to an encounter with the rare freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin that inhabit the upper reaches of the Mekong in Cambodia.

Day 12. Morning Dolphin Watching. Travel to Mondulkiri.
After breakfast in Kratie, we travel to Kampi, one of the many deep pools where the rare river dolphins gather to feed. We board a local boat and cruise out into the mighty Mekong for a chance encounter with these gentle creatures. Viewing is commonplace, although it is easier to see the dolphins in the shallower waters of the dry season, than in the swollen river of the wet season. After enjoying an hour or more of dolphin viewing, we then travel south towards the small junction town of Snuol, our gateway to the wilds of Mondulkiri.
After a (very) local lunch in the small town of Snuol, we leave behind the surfaced roads of civilisation and take on the red earth roads of hill country. The first half of the journey from Snuol is flat, passing through patches of lush forest and areas of cultivation and plantations. After Khau Si Ma district, the road snakes up through the mountains that give Mondulkiri its name of 'where the mountains meet'. There is lush jungle hugging the road and locals claim to see tigers on this stretch at night. Nearing Sen Monorom, the provincial capital, the scenery changes again, jungle giving way to clusters of pine trees and rolling grasslands. The scenery is unique for Cambodia and dotted with traditional Pnong villages, the main minority group in Mondulkiri. On arrival in Sen Monorom, we check into a comfortable local hotel for the night.

Day 13. Bike to Bou Sra Waterfall and Minority Villages.
We leave Sen Monorom after breakfast and head east towards the double drop waterfall of Bou Sraa, one of the most famous in Cambodia. Along the way, we stop at a Pnong minority village to learn a little about their way of life. We may be invited to drink some rice wine, as Pnong villagers are extremely hospitable and welcoming of outsiders.
We continue to Bou Sraa and explore the falls. It is possible to access both drops and there are swimming opportunities for those who want to take the plunge. We enjoy a picnic at the falls and then continue east to the village of Pichenda on the other side of the river. We return to Sen Monorom later in the day, perhaps stopping to visit another minority village along the way.

Day 14. Travel from Mondulkiri to Phnom Penh.
We leave behind the wilds of Mondulkiri, we travel provincial city of Kompong Cham, nestled on the banks for the Mekong. We pass through Cambodia's rubber country on the way, vast plantations that were originally established by the French and are once again being redeveloped. There may be the opportunity to stop along the way and learn about how the rubber is tapped. After lunch at in town, we continue towards the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. We arrive in the city and check into our hotel.

Day 15. Departure or Extension.
Today is free to explore, shop or simply rest and relax at hotel. Or opt for a beach extension to Kep or Sihanoukville to wind down after the long ride.