Cambodia's Front Lines: Past and Present Tour
Day 1 Phnom Penh - The Killing Fields
Arrive on your flight - Arrive in Phnom Penh where you will be met by an air conditioned car and driver.
After checking into your hotel head to the Tuol Sleng Prison where you will meet Chum Mey, one of the only survivors of the Tuol Sleng Prison and an amazing resource on the sordid history of this once-peaceful school.
Chum Mey will then accompany you to the Killing Fields and he and your guide will show you the fields now featuring large holes from excavated mass graves, but also featuring the clothes and bones that couldn't be excavated. This simple field often has cows grazing on it and children playing and begging nearby, a stark difference to the suffering that once took place here. You will return to your hotel in the evening and explore on your own for dinner.
Meals Included: None
Overnight at FCC The Quay Hotel - Panoramic Suite Room
Day 2 Siem Reap - Angkor Wat and the Land Mine Museum
Enjoy breakfast and the morning at leisure before being transferred to the airport for your flight - Vietnam AirlineVN1103 departing at 09:45 and arriving at 10:35.
You will be met by a Journeys Within representative and taken to Journeys Within Boutique Hotel.
After lunch head straight out to the Angkor Wat Temples. Visit Angkor Wat this morning and then drive out to the Land Mine Museum, an amazing museum run by Akira, a former soldier for the Khmer Rouge and now a major player in land mine removal. Meet Akira and discuss his past as well as his plans for the future. After exploring the museum return to your hotel, stopping reroute to visit Ta Prohm and Banteay Kdei, two of the best temple in the complex.
This evening if you're interested we can introduce you to Sophary, a Journeys Within Our Community Scholarship Student Graduate who is now starting the first All Women's Demining team in Cambodia. She is an amazing young woman helping to right the wrong of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge past and empower the women to get involved and be a part of the solution. Enjoy dinner with a group of students to hear their reaction to their countries violent past.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Journeys Within Boutique Hotel
Day 3 Siem Reap - Angkor Thom and the Anlong Veng
This morning visit Angkor Thom, including the amazing Bayon Temple. Return to Journeys Within for an early lunch before heading out to Anlong Veng. This region is known as the birthplace of the Khmer Rouge and in the 1990s the Khmer Rouge still controlled Anlong Veng. The roads aren't too bad and the drive will take about two and a half hours.
Once there you can check into your guesthouse, this is basic accommodation, but has private bathrooms and fans in all the rooms. Once checked in get back in the car and head about 10km from Anlong Veng to the site of Pol Pot's grave. Return to town and visit the home of the late Ta Mok, also known as Brother #5. This evening we will arrange for dinner with friends of our staff living in the area, many knew Pol Pot and Ta Mok and can give you their perspective on the Khmer Rouge and it's leadership.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Lucky Star Guesthouse
Day 4 Siem Reap - Anlong Veng to Preah Vihear and back to Koh Ker
This morning you will get up early and drive to Preah Vihear Temple and the front line of the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand. At the base of the mountain you will get out of our van and get into a local pickup truck for the drive up the very steep road to the temples. There are some checkpoints on the way up where soldiers will make sure you don't have any weapens, your guide will be there to translate and we've never had any problems. At the top local army members will take you on a tour of the Cambodia front line as well as a tour of Preah Vihear Temple.
In 1962, following a lengthy dispute between Thailand and Cambodia over ownership, a majority of the International Court of Justice in The Hague awarded the temple to Cambodia, but Thailand refuses to recognize Cambodia's right to the temple and the fighting continues to this day. Affording a view for many kilometers across a plain, Prasat Preah Vihear has the most spectacular setting of all the temples built during the six-centuries-long Khmer Empore. As a key edifice of the empire's spiritual life, it was supported and modified by successive kings and so bears elements of several architectural styles.
Enjoy the views and chat with the local military before heading back down the mountain and driving on to Koh Ker Province. The drive is about three hours and when you arrive you can check into your guesthouse and relax. We will arrange dinner with the owners of your guesthouse who make great noodles. This guesthouse does have private bathrooms, but the electricty does go off each night at 10pm.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at Koh Ker Guest House
Day 5 Siem Reap - Koh Ker - Beng Mealea
Visit Koh Ker in the morning when it is still cool. This was the old capital of King Jayavaraman IV when he moved the capital from Angkor Wat north to here. The temple itself has faced a lot of vandalism and many of the once beautiful sculptures are missing heads, but it still is a beautiful legacy to the Khmer Empire. If you have the energy, and aren't afraid of heights you can climb to the top of the temple and enjoy amazing views of the rural countryside and the border of Thailand in the distance.
Enjoy a basic noodle lunch at Koh Ker and if available meet an infamous soldier from the civil war. Known as a magic man, Ta Kok (Grandfather Kok) was a hero in his village…legend goes that bullets bounced off him and even a landmine exploding under him didn't leave a scratch. He will be happy to answer questions through your guide and he can show you the tattoos that give him his magic power. Now the head of police in Koh Ker his wife runs the noodle stall.
After lunch start your return drive, stopping at any of the smaller temples you would like to visit. On the way back to Siem Reap you will also visit Beng Mealea, this temple was controlled by Khmer Rouge during the civil war in the 1980's and has only recently been opened to the public. With much of it in ruins and other parts being taken by the jungle it is interesting to climb through and always a quiet place to visit away from the crowds. Return to Journeys Within stopping for some famous bamboo sticky rice along the way.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Journeys Within Boutique Hotel
Day 6 Siem Reap - Departure
Transfer to the airport in time to catch your flight.
Meals included: Breakfast
Tour Rate: $1,435 per person based on 2 people traveling with a $500 single supplement
Price includes:
- Air tickets Phnom Penh - Siem Reap
- Boat tickets as specified above
- Accommodation as specified above
- Air-conditioned car/van with driver
- Licensed English speaking guides
- Tours and admission fees as mentioned above
- Meals as specified in itinerary, including water
Price excludes:
- Personal expenses
- Visa fees
- Airport tax
- Drinks (except water) and meals not mentioned in itinerary
- Tips