We spent 6 days visiting Cambodia. We split our time between Siem Reap, primarily to visit the spectacular Angkor Wat temple, and the capital, Phnom Penh. Below is my itinerary for our visit to Cambodia, including attractions, accommodation and dining options.
Cambodia 6 Day Itinerary
| Day 1 | Siem Reap Flight to Siem Reap Accommodation – Sokkhak Boutique Resort & Spa Drinks and Dinner on Pub Street Night Market |
| Day 2 | Siem Reap Floating Market Purchase of Angkor Pass Angkor Wat at Sunset Dinner at Khmer Kitchen |
| Day 3 | Siem Reap Angkor Wat (including Sunrise) Angkor Thom Bayon Ta Promh Preah Neak Poan Cambodian Barbecue at Paper Tiger Eatery |
| Day 4 | Phnom Penh Bus to Phnom Penh Accommodation – Plantation Urban Resort & Spa Dinner at Panorama Mekong Hostel |
| Day 5 | Phnom Penh The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum The Royal Palace Dinner at Khmer River House |
| Day 6 | Phnom Penh National Museum of Cambodia Walk along The Mekong Bus to Siem Reap Dinner at Madam Pizza |
Cambodia Day 1 – Siem Reap
Flight to Siem Reap
We have a lunchtime flight to Cambodia so no need to rush this morning; a leisurely breakfast and one last fight through the Vietnamese traffic to reach the airport. Getting through security takes a while. Carrying epipens means I’m used to my luggage being pulled aside for a visual search. But now my ever increasing fridge magnet collection creates a large black shadow on the x ray screen which also requires further inspection.
The flight to Siem Reap is on time and only takes 70 minutes; just enough time to fill out my life history in triplicate for immigration/ customs.
Accommodation – Sokkhak Boutique Resort & Spa
Upon arrival, we are picked up and taken to our hotel; Sokkhak Boutique Resort & Spa. Our daughter arrived in Cambodia a couple of days ago and is staying at a backpackers’ hostel in town. When we reach our hotel, she is already there, chilling by our pool and drinking wine she has put on our tab. It’s a beautiful hotel, set in a garden with flowers everywhere both inside and out. A sea of cool and calm in this bustling, hot city.
Drinks and Dinner on Pub Street
Once we have settled in to our hotel, we take a tuk tuk into town to Pub Street for dinner and some 40p a pint draft beer. This is usually where I would provide details of where we had dinner. Did I mention that it was very hot and beer was 40p a pint?
Night Market
Then, it’s on to the Night Market for souvenir shopping. I have no clean clothes left – my choices are do laundry or buy some ‘gap year’ trousers. I opt for a snazzy pair with an elephant print motif.
Then we take a Tuk Tuk back to the hotel. It’s not a bad way to ride; the breeze is very welcome in the tropical heat. But getting stuck behind a durian seller at traffic lights isn’t much fun.
Cambodia Day 2 – Siem Reap
Floating Market
I have an upset stomach, so opt out of this morning’s activity and chill by the pool instead, which is blissful (notwithstanding the necessity for regular bathroom trips). Meanwhile, the others head to a Floating Market, which isn’t floating because it’s the dry season.
Purchase of Angkor Pass
In the afternoon, we take a Tuk Tuk to the Ankgor ticket booth to buy our Angkor Pass. As you can buy a day pass from 5 pm the night before and most temples close at 5.30, we attempt to squeeze in a quick peak at Angkor Wat. The tuk tuk driver waits for us while we purchase our tickets, then whisks us off to the entrance to Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat at Sunset
We only just manage to cross the moat and pass the gatehouse into Ankgor Wat before they start to close up and usher visitors towards the exit.
However, it is still a sight to behold, just as the sun begins to set.
Dinner at Khmer Kitchen
Then we return to the Pub Street area for dinner at Khmer Kitchen. The old man to get squiffy on $1.50 margaritas. We have to abort a trip to the night market to buy fake Havaianas, as he is struggling to walk, and instead return to the hotel for an early night. This is doubly advisable as we are being picked up at 5 am tomorrow so we can watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat.
Cambodia Day 3 – Siem Reap
Angkor Wat
Today is temples day, and involves a very early start, with a 5 am departure to reach Angkor Wat before sunrise.
Angkor Wat at Sunrise
We are actually the first people to arrive at the temple. We cross the weird squishy squashy bridge over the moat by torch light and wait for the sun to rise over a lake full of water lilies, so you can see the temple reflected in the lake. It certainly is a spectacular sight!
Bakan
After sunrise, we explore the site of Angkor Wat, including climbing to the top of the Bakan (Inner Sanctuary).
This involves negotiating a flight of around 60 very steep wooden steps. The final step is particularly deep, and as I climb, I hear an almighty tear. There is a large rip in my gap year trousers and I’m at the top of a temple which requires modest dress, flashing my arse to the long queue below.
By this stage, we have been at the temple for over two hours and it’s 34 degrees. We need to cool down. Luckily our lovely Tuk Tuk driver is waiting under a tree with a cool box full of drinks. Fluids replenished, we return to the hotel for breakfast and a change of trousers.
Angkor Thom
Once we have regrouped, we set forth again, this time for Angkor Thom. It’s a huge complex, several times larger than its neighbour. You start by crossing a bridge over a moat lined with carved warriors. I climb out of the Tuk Tuk without checking for traffic, and almost get run over by an elephant.
Baphuon
Over the bridge is Baphuon, a temple sitting atop an artificial hill.
Terrace of the Leper King
Then comes the Terrace of the Leper King, a viewing platform decorated with thousands of carved animals and statues.
Terrace of Elephants
The 350 metre long Terrace of Elephants is decorated with elephant carvings.
Bayon
The pièce de résistance of Angkor Thom is the Bayon Temple. Built in the 12th Century, it consist of 54 towers decorated with 216 faces.
Angkor Thom is probably even more impressive that Angkor Wat. However, after another 2 hours sightseeing with the temperature soaring to a brutal 36 degrees, it’s time to return to the hotel again for lunch and a cool down. I’m not feeling well so decide to call it a day. Meanwhile, the others set forth to visit two more temples.
Preah Neak Poan
Preah Neak Pan is an ornate water temple.
Ta Prohm
The overgrown temple of Ta Prohm has trees growing through the buildings, which somehow adds to its allure.
Cambodian Barbecue at Paper Tiger Eatery
The evening takes its familiar pattern; drinks and dinner on Pub Street. We opt for a Cambodian Barbecue at Paper Tiger Eatery. The Regular Degustation Set gets you a selection of raw food (including 6 kinds of meat), a gas stove and some boiling water to cook your own dinner. There are also vegetarian and deluxe options (12 kinds of meat, including eel, kangaroo and ostrich). If you like the food at Paper Tiger, they also offer cookery classes.
Dinner complete, we return to pack ready for our morning bus to Phnom Penh.
Cambodia Day 4 – Phnom Penh
Bus to Phnom Penh
It seemed like a good idea at the time; a six hour bus trip to the capital, Phnom Penh. It’s only 199 miles, so that’s an average of 33 mph. The old man and I reach the bus terminal. It’s rather chaotic. Our daughter has booked the complimentary pick up service and is nowhere to be seen, finally arriving a couple of minutes before the bus is due to depart.
We are late leaving; some American kid has his ticket on his phone which he forgot to charge. Then we have to make an unscheduled stop after a few miles; some American kid needs to pee and can’t wait. It’s going to be a long day.
The road is less rural than I’d expected; it’s lined with townships for most of the route. And litter – lots and lots of litter. The verges are thick with plastic bags and bottles.
After six hours, three scheduled stops at service stations on stilts and two unscheduled stops (Mr ‘I need to pee’ demands to be dropped off when we pass a brewery) we reach our destination.
We take a Tuk Tuk to the hotel. We climb in, but the driver has parked over a tree root and can’t push the Tuk Tuk back onto the road, so we have to get out again. Still no success, so we have to help push. Then he asks me to stand in the middle of the busy road and stop the traffic so he can reverse.
Accommodation – Plantation Urban Resort & Spa
We make it to our hotel, Plantation Urban Resort & Spa. But are face with guests making a run for the door, followed by staff. They are spraying insecticide round the pool. After a brief wait outside, we are issued with masks and allowed to check in. (Ironically, when I visited in 2018, this was the first time I’d ever worn a face mask – little did I know what the next few years had in store!)
Dinner at Panorama Mekong
Our daughter is staying in less salubrious circumstances at the nearby Panorama Mekong. However, it does have a 4th floor bar offering a stunning view across the Mekong River. And sit ells cocktails at £1.35 each, so we join her by the river for drinks and dinner.
It’s a popular area. The riverside footpath is lined with palm trees and packed with walkers and runners. The river is full of boats. As it gets dark, the boats light up and there are red and blue fairy lights on the palm trees, which match the Cambodian flags dotted along the street. It’s a magical sight.
Walking back to our hotel, we pass the Royal Palace, which is also illuminated at night.
Cambodia Day 5 – Phnom Penh
The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
Some may think it a macabre way to spend a day, but I studied history at university, so the first stop on today’s itinerary is a visit to The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. In a site a few (around 11) miles out of town, are the mass graves of up to 20,000 victims of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge. The hotel arranges taxi hire for the day to take us both here and to our next destination.
An audio tour takes you round the site of the graves whilst providing ample information about this terrible time in Cambodia’s history. Some graves have been excavated, leaving huge dents in the ground, others left untouched, meaning bone fragments, teeth etc are randomly scattered around.
The tour finishes at a Memorial to the victims, which contains over 5000 skulls.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
After this, we move on to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. This former school became a prison (named Prison S21) during Pol Pot’s regime. The four main buildings can be visited.
Building A was used for interrogation. Each former classroom contains a bed. Just before the regime was toppled, the final 14 prisoners were tortured to death and left in situ. There is a large photo in each room showing how its final victim was discovered, lying on the bed, covered in blood. You can still see traces of blood on the floor.
Building B contains thousands of mug shots of those who were detained here. There are photos taken when prisoners arrived, plus a gruesome set of photos taken post torture.
Building C houses the mass cells where inmates were shackled to the walls.
Building D displays many of the instruments and methods of torture utilised to make prisoners confess to crimes or give names of CIA/KGB agents. One survivor explains that he’d never even heard of the CIA, yet managed to name over 60 agents under torture.
It’s been a long and draining morning, both emotionally and physically; we have spent 4 hours walking round the sites with temperatures in the mid 30s, so we cool off with a swim.
The Royal Palace
Suitably refreshed, we set off to visit The Royal Palace – a huge complex containing many grand buildings.
Most opulent is the Silver Pagoda, which is named for its silver tiled floor.
Dinner at Khmer River House
We round off our last evening in Phnom Penh with another round of riverside cocktails followed by dinner at Khmer River House.
Cambodia Day 6 – Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
It’s our last morning in Phnom Penh. Today, our daughter departs Cambodia, while we catch a bus back to Siem Reap.
National Museum of Cambodia
First, just enough time to visit the National Museum of Cambodia. The museum houses a large collection of Khmer artifacts.
The museum doesn’t have air conditioning, so we only manage an hour before we are so sweaty our clothes are stuck to our bodies and we go in search of cold drinks and a cooling breeze.
Walk along the Mekong
We round our trip to Phnom Penh off with a walk along the promenade, which runs alongside the mighty Mekong. The prom, which is lined with flags and sculptures is popular place for a stroll. Then it’s time to say goodbye our daughter and begin the long journey back to Siem Reap.
We make it back to Siem Reap, despite the kamikaze driving, the dodgy clutch, a torrential downpour and multiple stops to pick up and drop off passengers. It’s an intriguing combination of services; westerners pay in US dollars to be taken on a direct service from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. But Cambodians flag the bus down and get on and off at will without tickets. I’m not sure if this is an official policy of making foreigners subsidise Cambodian travel, or a little sideline run by the crew. Either way, the eight additional stops mean we are 20 minutes late arriving in Siem Reap. This means that the final part of the journey is in the dark; a hair raising experience as there are no street lights and head lights are very much an optional extra. It also means that we arrive after the laundry (where we left most of our clothes) has shut. A source of much stress as we have a flight to Singapore first thing in the morning…
Dinner at Madam Pizza
We check into our hotel and walk to Madam Pizza for surprisingly good pizza and beer. I’m not sure they actually sell beer; when we ask, they say yes, then send someone out to source a case. It takes a while, but beer does indeed eventually appear. We get beer, they get dollars. As they would say in Cambodia: “Good for you. Good for me.”
- Trip taken: 2018
- Updated: March 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
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