Real Food Tour of Cambodia
Explore the unique and ancient food culture of Cambodia on this 9day real food adventure. Cambodian food has a distinct style and flavor that's best experienced while seated at a local beer hall or family home. While traveling from Phnom Penh through to Siem Reap, discover the sights, sounds, and flavors of Kampot, Battambang, Banteay Chhmar and Angkor Wat, and marvel at a cuisine, culture, and population so special that you will very quickly be won over for life.
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Day 1 – International outbound flight - Phnom penh
Today begin your adventure by boarding your international outbound flight to Cambodia.
The sensational Angkor ruins may be the main attraction, but Cambodia’s exquisite temples, charming villages and unique cuisine deserve attention too. Phnom Penh is set at the meeting point of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers, and life centers around the lively river-front area where the locals come to take in the air, enjoy impromptu waterside entertainment and snack on the street hawkers food. Your adventure starts with a welcome meeting. The Cambodian cooking pot combines an eclectic mix of local and international influences and has a flavor all its own. Kick-off this food tour ‘eating for a cause’ at an inspirational hospitality school that provides vocational training for former street youths in Phnom Penh. It’s a great opportunity to sample some tasty modern Cambodian cooking. After dinner will be free time to choose between having a relaxing drink at the Foreign Correspondents' Club, or stroll along the famous Sisowath Quay and enjoy a cocktail or coffee at one of the many cafes while observing the busy river traffic.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Phnom Penh - Welcome Dinner
Meals Included
Day 2 – Kampot
Discover some of the interesting sights, sounds, and smells of the capital. Take a morning cyclo (cycle-rickshaw) tour around Phnom Penh, seeing the wonderful art deco-designed Psar Thmei (Central Market). Along the way, taste some of the best street food in the city, like sticky rice with beans wrapped in banana leaf and spiced fried crickets!
Back to the hotel to freshen up, and check out. Before you leave Phnom Penh, Confront Cambodia's tragic past on a guided tour of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, located in a former high school that served as the notorious Security Prison 21 (S-21) for the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979. You will also stop past the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek which represent the tragic legacy of the Khmer Rouge. Afterward, drive south by private vehicle for around 3 hours, towards Kampot, one of Cambodia's most attractive old towns. Arrive in Kampot by evening.
Famous for its pepper, Kampot supplied most French restaurants for many years during colonial rule. Today, the region is also renowned for its Durian, a spiky, pungent fruit that either incites adoration or sheer loathing. Try it if you dare! In some free time, you might stroll along the riverside's French colonial architecture, or enjoy a coffee on the veranda of a riverside restaurant and admire the Bokor Mountain Range.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Phnom Penh - Cyclo Food and City Tour
- Phnom Penh - Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21)
- Phnom Penh - The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
- Kampot - Orientation walk with local tipples
Meals Included
Day 3 – Kampot
Taking a tour of the countryside after breakfast, tasting locally-grown, seasonal produce. Depending on the season, you'll be treated to durian or rambutan, plus lychee, pineapples, mangos or bananas. Next, visit the Kampot Pepper Project. Grown in Cambodia for centuries, Kampot pepper is considered among the world’s finest. Today pepper is also seen as an important symbol of Cambodian regeneration – the province’s pepper was almost completely wiped out by rice production during the Khmer Rouge period. Continue on to the lively Kep Crab markets, where crabs are kept fresh in pots that float in the Gulf of Thailand's warm waters. Enjoy a lunch of fresh crab cooked to perfection, eaten on a pier overlooking the ocean. After lunch, walk along the Kep beach and explore the old oceanfront buildings. Kep was once Cambodia's most popular and prestigious beach town, but the Khmer Rouge destroyed many of Kep's mansions and villas. The ghostly remains now stand as a silent reminder. Alternatively, relax in a hammock or swim in the warm South China Sea.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Kampot - Phnom Chhnork
- Kampot - Food tour and lunch
- Kampot - pepper plantation visit & salt field tour
Meals Included
Day 4 – Phnom Penh
Rise early to see the fishing boats arrive at the port with their daily catch. For breakfast, perhaps partake in a meal of crab, prawns or squid cooked up with Kampot green peppercorns and served with rice. Alternatively, try some of Kampot's tastiest baguettes on a visit with the owner of a small wood-fired oven. This legacy of French colonization is ubiquitous – many roadside carts sell baguettes with meat, sauces, and salad as a snack for workers.
After breakfast, you’ll return to Phnom Penh (approximately 3.5 hours).
Meet a passionate chef for a guided tour of the markets, learning about the building blocks of Khmer cuisine. Enjoy a hands-on cooking class and master Khmer staples such as Samlor Machou Yuon (sour "Vietnamese" soup with fresh fish and tamarind) or Bok Svay (pounded green mango salad, usually served with dried fish or prawn). Feast on your creations over dinner.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Phnom Penh - Khmer Cooking Class and Market Tour
Meals Included
Day 5 – Battambang
Travel by private bus to Battambang (approximately 6-7 hours including several stops). Cambodia's second-largest city, Battambang (pronounced Battambong), is a pretty riverside town of French elegance, friendly Khmer people, and beautifully preserved colonial architecture. The city is famous for its many statues of animals and divinities that decorate the streets and buildings. It also lacks the traffic of Phnom Penh and the visitor numbers of Siem Reap, so it’s a great place to get a real slice of Cambodia. Your leader can recommend activities for your free afternoon. Perhaps join a local Battambang foodie for a home-cooked meal, tasting local dishes such as amok, Khmer curry, and fried spicy chicken with homemade rice noodles.
Accommodation
Meals Included
Day 6 – Banteay Chhmar
Take a bicycle ride into the countryside. The ride is easy and takes in mostly shady roads through local villages. Along the way, stop and experience rice paper-making, fruit drying and preparation, production of the famous prahok (fish paste) and rice wine-making. Finish up at the best Kralan (sticky rice in bamboo) stall in the district. Then travel by private bus to the temple city of Banteay Chhmar, sometimes referred to as the Citadel of the Cat (approximately 3-4 hours). Some of the roads are unsealed which slows down the journey, but it is worth it to visit this remote small community. The 9th-century temple here is a top candidate for World Heritage Status, with the ruins here similar to the famous Bayon with their face towers, and surrounded by an impressive 9 kilometer-long wall. Experience true Cambodian hospitality by staying with a local family in a traditional Khmer wooden-stilted house. As the day draws to a close, enjoy a memorable traditional Khmer dinner by torch-light on the grounds of the temple. If traveling during the rainy season the temple grounds may be too wet so we will instead visit a local Community Center for a traditional dinner.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Battambang - Rural Food and Cycle Tour
Meals Included
Special Information
A motor-remork – a reticulated tuk-tuk – is available if you are not comfortable cycling.
Day 7 – Siem Reap / Angkor Wat
Rise early for a morning temple visit. After a traditional Khmer breakfast, take a turn around the village food market. Collect some ingredients and help prepare lunch with your community hosts, picking up a cooking tip or two! Enjoy a lunchtime feast before farewelling your hosts and departing for Siem Reap by private vehicle (approximately 4 hours). The small but expanding town of Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor. This is the most popular destination for travelers in all of Cambodia, perhaps even in South East Asia. You'll probably notice a change of pace here, so take a short introductory walk around the center of town and enjoy the atmosphere. With its cafes, bars, restaurants, food and drink stands, Siem Reap caters for foodies of all persuasions. A visit to the old market is a must, even if you're not looking for souvenirs; wandering through the stalls and surrounding shops, the silks, cotton, sarongs, silver, and statues are a riot of color and a feast for the eyes.
In the evening, take a motor remork around the hidden local street food treasures of Siem Reap: barbecued corn and meat on skewers; Khmer Fried Chicken; green mango served with chili and salt; ducks eggs, and more. Finish at a dessert stall where fruit shakes, fruit with sweetened condensed milk, and baked puddings are the specialty.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Banteay Chhmar - Temple Visit
- Siem Reap - Angkor Silk Farm
- Banteay Chhmar - Village Market Tour and Cooking Demonstration
- Siem Reap - Street Food Tour
Meals Included
Day 8 – Siem Reap
Spend a full day temple-hopping with your local guide to make the most of your visit to the world-famous Angkor complex, built between the 9th and 13th centuries when the Khmer empire was the pre-eminent influence in Southeast Asia. The ruins are scattered over an area of some 160 square kilometers, but the main cluster of temples is close to Siem Reap so you'll have plenty of time to fully appreciate the great archaeological sites. These include Angkor Wat, Bayon, and the jungle-covered Ta Prohm. The temples were believed to represent the cosmic world and were set in perfect balance, symmetry, and composition. The intricately carved bas-reliefs and architectural designs are mind-blowing and there are spectacular photographic opportunities at any time of day. In the evening, enjoy a final dinner at a restaurant celebrating contemporary Khmer flavors.
Accommodation
Included Activities
- Siem Reap - One day Angkor Pass
Optional Activities
- Siem Reap - Landmine Museum - USD5
Meals Included
Special Information
While we include a full day sight-seeing at the Angkor Wat temple complex, some travelers choose to spend more time exploring here after the end of the trip.
Day 9 – Siem Reap
After breakfast transfer to the airport for your international return international flight to the UK.
Alternatively, additional accommodation can be arranged to extend your stay in Cambodia.
Meals Included
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