Rural Cambodia: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap by Road

Every part can be changed to suit your group.

1. Day 1 Phnom Penh to Kampong Chhnang

   We leave Phnom Penh in the morning and drive north to Kampong Chhnang, a province known for its clay pottery. We walk through a potters’ village and watch women shape pots by walking around them, without a wheel. After lunch we visit a floating fishing village by small boat and continue to our homestay for dinner with the family. Kampong Chhnang means port of pots, and the clay from this area has been used for pottery for centuries. The homestay is simple, with mattresses, mosquito nets and shared bathrooms, and dinner is cooked by the family with local ingredients. It is a rare chance to see everyday rural life in Cambodia up close.

   
2. Day 2 Sambor Prei Kuk Temples

   We drive to Kampong Thom and walk through the forest to the temples of Sambor Prei Kuk, built in the 7th century, long before Angkor. The brick towers, carved lions and quiet paths make this one of the most peaceful sites in Cambodia. We continue to Siem Reap in the late afternoon. Sambor Prei Kuk was the capital of the Chenla kingdom and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unlike Angkor, it is quiet and shaded by tall trees, and you may have some of the temples to yourself. Along the road to Siem Reap, we stop at small markets selling fruit, rice cakes and palm sugar.

   
3. Day 3 The Stilt Village of Kampong Khleang

   In the morning we drive to Kampong Khleang on the edge of the Tonle Sap lake, where houses stand on stilts up to ten metres high. We take a boat through the village and onto the lake, see how families live with the rising and falling water, and return to Siem Reap for lunch. The stilt houses of Kampong Khleang are among the tallest in Cambodia, built to survive the huge rise of the lake in the rainy season, when the water reaches the floors. In the dry season, the houses stand high above the ground and you can walk among them. The visit gives a real understanding of how life on the Tonle Sap depends on the water.