Suggested itineraries

CAMBODIA: One month adventure

Where to go in Cambodia
If you want to really see much of what Cambodia has to offer, a month long exploration of the country will allow you ample time to see the most interesting destinations in the country. As with all travel in Cambodia, there's a fair amount of bus or boat travel involved, but with a month there's also enough down time to rest your sore bum.

We've designed this trip as a circuit that loops around the country so you can start it in any number of locations and it also fits in well with those who are planning on continuing on to Laos, Thailand or Vietnam through one of the overland crossings.

Both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh have international airports, so some will be starting the trip in one of those two spots, though those entering Cambodia overland will have a range of options.

Remember this is just a guide -- often the best trips are the ones you make up yourself!

Trip length:
The suggested minimum time for a trip like this is around three weeks, though four weeks or more would be better.

Sample plan:
1) Arrive overland from Thailand at Ko Kong (beaches, island, waterfalls)
2) Ko Kong -> Sihanoukville (beaches, islands, waterfalls, backpacker scene)
3) Sihanoukville -> Kampot (riverside town, national park, pepper)
4) Kampot -> Kep (beaches, island)
5) Kep -> Phnom Penh (capital city, Khmer Rouge history, colonial architecture, scenic riverside setting)
6) Phnom Penh -> Battambang (temples, silk villages, river-trips)
7) Battambang -> Siem Reap (Angkor Wat)
8) Siem Reap -> Phnom Penh
9) Phnom Penh -> Kompong Cham (Temples, river trips)
10) Kompong Cham -> Sen Monorom (Elephant rides, trekking, remote location)
11) Sen Monorom -> Kratie (Irrawaddy Dolphins)
12) Kratie -> Stung Treng (Riverside town, gateway to Laos)
13) Stung Treng -> Ban Lung (Remote location, trekking, national park)

Save some time
One day: fly from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
Two day: Fly from Ban Lung to Phnom Penh

Take a sidetrip
One day: Break the Ko Kong to Sihanoukville trip with a stop at Ko Sdach -- a very little-visited island with access to great beaches
One day: Head out from Kep for an overnight stay on Ko Tonsay -- a great back-to-basics island
Two days: Strike north from Siem Reap to the Khmer Rouge hideout of Anlong Veng -- a destination unique in Cambodia
Two days: Escape the tourist hordes at Sihanoukville and head to Ko Russei -- for a day or two as a beach bum

Further reading
Spas, shopping and seers in Siem Reap
Sihanoukville's beach lifestyle lure expatriates

Sample Trip Times (in hours)
To help you work out how you'll get around, we've listed the trip durations for the various forms of transport available. Note that with the exception of flight times, these are average trip times, so no hate mail if you take the slow train.

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