Search for Cambodia: Elephants and Rainforest
Services included
- 7 nights’ accommodation (simple accommodation and guesthouse)
- Breakfast every day and meals on specific days (3 lunches and 2 dinners)
- Airport and domestic transfers
- Guided tours & entrance fees
- Domestic flights
Highlights
- Taste the delicacies and quirks of local cuisine, including spiders.
- Discover the Elephant Valley Project and enjoy observing them in their habitat.
- Welcome the day with a morning yoga class.
- Hike through waterfalls and swim in crystal clear lakes.
- Visit temples and historical places declared world heritage site by UNESCO.
Search for Cambodia: Elephants and Rainforest
Explore some of Cambodia's lesser-known historical and natural wonders. Spend eight days wandering through lush forest, swimming in remote lakes and waterfalls, and traversing countryside that is sure to delight and amaze you. See elephants in their natural habitat, enjoy delicious Khmer food with a local cooking demonstration, and visit temples not as famous as Angkor, but no less fascinating.
Welcome to Phnom Penh!
Arrival in Phnom Penh and transfer to your hotel. Meet your fellow travellers and the tour guide at a welcome meeting tonight. After the meeting, head for dinner with your group at the Futures Factory, a dining room and creative space, dedicated to training vulnerable young Cambodians to work in the hotel industry.
Phnom Penh to Mondulkiri Province
Leave Phnom Penh and travel to Mondulkiri province, northeast of the city. It is a long day of driving with a few stops along the way. The first stop is Sukon, a city that has a unique delicacy on the menu: spiders, which have been fried and tossed with garlic and taste like a cross between chicken and cod. There is the option to stop by a local house to enjoy traditional food. Continue to Sen Monorom in the evening, upon arrival take an orientation hike and get your bearings. The night is free to spend as you wish, keep an eye out for a spectacular sunset.
On day 3, leave Sen Monorom behind and travel to the Elephant Valley Project to spend time in the company of a herd of elephants. Enjoy the day watching the elephants as they play and roam their natural habitat. In the afternoon go on a jungle hike.
Mondulkiri Province to Ratanakiri Province
Start your day with a private sunrise yoga class in the hills and awaken your senses for a day of exploration. Continue north to Ratanakiri province, stopping at the Bou Sra waterfalls, a great place to swim and have a picnic. Next stop is Banlung in a private minibus, upon arrival you can enjoy an authentic cooking demonstration from a local family. Share a meal with the family while you sit down to a home cooked dinner.
The next day, it is time to get active again, starting with a stroll through the morning markets, observing the daily practice of farmers selling their own produce. Then, transfer through fields and rubber plantations. Walk into the heart of the forest past towering trees and lush jungle. Along the way, stop at Boeng Yeak Laom, a sparkling crystal lake lined with forests. Perfect place for a picnic and a swim to cool off.
Visit Preah Vihear
Continue your eastern Cambodian expedition by taking a private minibus to the Preah Vihear Province. A route stop by Preah Rumkel in Stueng Treng and visit the Sopheakmit Waterfall, situated on the Cambodia-Laos border, and offer a series of moving rapids through large rock formations. Enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the falls.
Travel to Siem Reap
Take a short drive to the Preah Vihear temples – a UNESCO World Heritage Site atop a cliff with views overlooking the region. There are 2442 steps to the top of this site, however it is seriously worth the hike, with architecture and history akin to the more renowned suspects like Angkor Wat, but without the crowds. Spend some time exploring the temples before continuing onto Siem Reap. On arrival take an orientation walk around the city. The rest of the day is free to spend as you wish.
Goodbye Cambodia
Your journey is coming to an end. After breakfast, a transfer will take you to the airport for a domestic flight to Phnom Penh, to connect with your international flight. See you next time!
