Today we will discover the streets of Phnom Penh by tuk tuk, a popular form of transport throughout Southeast Asia that is still widely used in the Cambodian capital, and a local, comfortable and green mean of transport. Wat Phnom, symbol of the city, will be our first destination before heading west past the National Library and Hotel Le Royal.

We will pass the emblematic Phnom Penh train station before winding our way down to Psar Thmei, the leading market in the city. We then will snake through some of the smaller back streets, including 178 St, brimming with art shops, and Bohemian 240 St with its cafes and boutiques.

Afterwards, we will pass the Independence Monument, and continue to the elegant riverfront where there are dozens of cafes, bars and eateries to enjoy some refreshments. The glittering Royal Palace and the stunning National Museum will also be on our way.

We will be back in our hotel in the afternoon, enjoying the rest of the day on our own, as we prefer.

We will leave in the morning to the Phnom Tamao Rescue center, south of Phnom Penh, where thanks to the partnership between Wildlife Alliance and the Cambodian Forestry Administration, the animals rescued from illegal wildlife traders in Cambodia are guaranteed a lifetime of care. Those who manage to make a full recovery have the chance of being released back into the wild.

We will go behind the scenes and learn how it is looking after more than 100 rescued Sun bears, being able to join the bear keepers in preparing food and enrichment toys which keep the bears happy and healthy in their forested sanctuary. There will also be the chance to look at other endangered species at the Centre, before enjoying a traditional Khmer lunch.

Note: Our visit will contribute to raise funds for the Rescue center, which is home to over 1,200 animals that have been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. No animal in need is ever turned away. At the same time, our children will get a deeper understanding about the interaction, survival, and beauty of these creatures.

Today we will bid farewell to Phnom Penh and the urban atmosphere while starting our journey to Siem Reap through a very special route. We will travel through the busy riverside town of Kompong Chhnang, where if we wish, we can visit a local pottery village, since this town is famous for producing undecorated items for the Cambodian homes.

Afterwards, we will arrive to Kompong Luong, the largest floating community on the Tonle Sap, with its almost 10,000 inhabitants, where everything floats on the water, including the schools, a clinic, the shops and the petrol station. We will explore it by boat and experience life in a real floating community untouched by the mass tourism.

We will head later to the provincial capital of Pursat for lunch, a pleasant riverside town in Central Cambodia, and continue then through Pursat province, passing through typical Cambodian landscapes of endless rice fields dotted with sugar palms. It will be late afternoon when we arrive in the charming Battambang and check into our hotel.

Today we will visit in the morning a local village in Wat Koh and learn about farming, rice harvesting and rural life in Cambodia.

After lunch, we will travel to the hilltop temple of Wat Banan. The winding road follows the Sangker River and passes by many traditional wooden homes, offering an authentic glimpse of rural Cambodia. We will also be rewarded with striking views when we ascend to the Temple.

Phnom Sampeau, a sacred mountain dotted with interesting pagodas and stupas, will be our next target. There is also a moving memorial to Khmer Rouge victims who were thrown into one of the many caves that pepper this holy mountain.

We will return to Battambang town for the night.

After breakfast, we will leave Battambang and travel North towards Siem Reap, the atmospheric gateway to the majestic temples of Angkor.

It will only take us only a few hours to get there (around 3 ½ - 4 hours). After checking-in in our hotel in Siem Reap, we will count on the rest of the day free till the evening, when we will enjoy a dinner with a classical dance performance, where we will see many of the most popular Cambodian dances, including the graceful Apsara dance, scenes from the Ramayana (known as Reamker in Cambodia), the coconut dance and more. The classical dances include elaborate costumes and date back to the time of Angkor, while the folk dances are connected to the harvest and the cycle of the seasons. No visit to Cambodia is complete without attending at least one traditional Khmer dance performance!

We will rise early morning and travel to one of the man-made wonders ever built: The Temples of Angkor. We will get started by Ta Prohm temple. Ta Prohm has been abandoned to the elements, as reminding that while empires rise and fall, the riotous power of nature marches on, oblivious to the dramas of human history. Left as it was ‘discovered’ by French explorer Henri Mouhot in 1860, the tentacle-like tree roots here are slowly strangling the surviving stones.

Afterwards we will enjoy a very nice adventure around Angkor, a unique zip-line experience within a peerless setting. Family‐friendly, fun and safe, flying through the air above the jungle canopy is an exhilarating experience. The course includes 10 zip-lines, including a tandem line, rope bridges, a tree-house and a 15m abseil descent to navigate. There is also a nature trail and a family of wild gibbons in the jungle.

In the afternoon, we will join the pottery and painting class at the Khmer Ceramics Center. We will learn how to throw a pot on the wheel, from pulling our clay out of the bag to removing our pot from the wheel. If we wish, we can make our own Angkorian bowl! We will be using the potter’s wheel and experience how it feels to make these art crafts.

After giving shape to our bowls on the wheel, we can be creative by adding a Khmer carving with our teacher’s help and with different potter’s tools. Later we will learn how to use some special painting tools and also about different ceramics painting techniques. We can draw, paint and design what we want, but sometime will be need to make our pieces functional (fire, glaze). They will be ready the next day at 4PM.

Today we will travel to the pristine biosphere of Prek Toal, home to some of the most endangered birdlife on the planet, on the northeastern shore of the Tonle Sap and about one hour by boat from the port at Phnom Krom. Prek Toal is a vast area of natural flooded forest that draws thousands of birds annually to breed during the dry season (Oct-Mar). This is one of the premier places in Southeast Asia to see rare birds such as storks, adjutants, pelicans and ibis. As birdwatchers, we will drift through their habitat and be able to observe large flocks of birds feeding on the lake shore, perched in the trees or soaring above the forest.

A trip to Prek Toal requires an early start (around 5.30 am). We will transfer by boat from Phnom Krom to Prek Toal, enjoy breakfast along the way and spend the bird-watching morning on a traditional wooden boat as we glide through the flooded forest with local specialists. After our local lunch, we will experience the life in the floating village, learning about different fishing techniques and the traditional water hyacinth weaving.

We will return to Siem Reap in the afternoon and head in the evening to the innovative Phare circus. Their nightly modern performers are highly appreciated by visitors and locals in Siem Reap, since they display a variety of disciplines including beautiful acrobatics, juggling, clowning, live music and much more.

After pickup from your Siem Reap hotel, travel to the Angkor Archaeological Park. Although your tour can be customized to suit your preferences, most start with visits to Angkor Thom and Bayon Temple, two of the most memorable sights. Your guide will point out notable architectural elements and explain the fascinating history of the temples and the Khmer Empire. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to Ta Prohm Temple, also known as the “Jungle Temple” due to the trees that wind through the structure. Finally, arrive at the famous Angkor Wat, where your guide will show you where to take the best photos, and then head inside to explore further. At the end of the day, make your way to Bakheng Hill to watch the stunning sunset over Ang