In the spring of 2017 we spent a short 3 weeks exploring the beautiful country of Cambodia. A map breakdown of our travels is included below as well as a full itinerary breakdown of how we spent each day. If you have any questions or suggestions for another visit – please comment below!
Day 1: March 26
Ha Tien/Kep
- Travel Day: Ha Tien to Kep
- 18 miles, 2 hours
- Cross Prek Chak Border from Vietnam into Cambodia
- Hired motorbike guides at Oasis Bar for border crossing
- Explore Kep
- Coastline
- Kep Beach
- Crab Market/Koh Tonsay Pier
- Overnight: Kepmandou Hostel
Day 2: March 27
Kep
- Explore Kep via motorbike
- Hiking in Kep National Park
- Led Zep Cafe
- Sothy’s Pepper Farm
- Swimming at Kep Beach
- Sela Cham P’Dey (Fisherman’s Wife Statue)
- Explore Abandoned Villas/Mansions
- Sunset in Kep National Park (at Sunset Rock)
- Overnight: Kepmandou Hostel
Day 3: March 28
Kampot
- Travel from Kep to Kampot via hired tuk tuk
- 14 miles, about 1 hour
- Explore Kampot via rented motorbike
- Fishing village & salt farms on Fish Isle
- Explore street food scene (& discover Cambodian Chive Cakes!)
- Taco night & live music at hostel
- Overnight: Karma Traders Kampot
- Tuesday Taco Night w/ live music!
Day 4: March 29
Kampot/Bokor National Park
- Explore Bokor Hill Station
- See Great Hornbills on the drive up!
- Church Ruins
- Casino/Hotel Ruins
- Abandon Villas
- Black Palace – Prince Sihanouk’s vacation home
- Big Buddha Statue
- Waterfalls (during rainy season!)
- Explore Kampot
- Street breakfast (amazing morning soup & a drink that resembled a frappe but tasted like gasoline..)
- Walk along the Praek Tuek Chhu River
- Second hand bookstore
- Lunch at Ecran Noodles & Dumplings
- The Old Market
- Giant Durian Statue
- Watch “The Killing Fields” at local Ecran Theatre
- Overnight: Karma Traders Hostel
Day 5: March 30
Travel Day/Sihinoukville
- Travel from Kampot to Sihanoukville via bus
- 60 miles, about 3 hours
- Explore Serendipity Beach & downtown Sihanoukville
- Overnight: Unnamed Local Guesthouse
Day 6: March 31
Koh Rong Samloem
- Ferry to Clearwater Bay on Koh Rong Samloem
- 45 minute boat ride with Speed Ferry Cambodia
- NOTE: This is the only ferry that will drop you off directly at Clearwater Bay
- Swimming & hanging out on the beach all day
- Get terribly sun burnt (even with sunscreen!)
- Communal hostel dinner & drinking
- Night swimming & finding bioluminescent plankton
- Overnight: Driftwood Hostel
Day 7: April 1
Koh Rong Samloem
- Hike to M’Pay Bay (45 minutes)
- Hang out at Yellow Moon Hostel (beach chairs & hammocks)
- Lunch at local Queen Touch restaurant
- Snorkeling & fishing trip around Koh Koun (uninhabited island)
- Traditional Khmer Fish BBQ at Yellow Moon Hostel
- Night hike back to Clearwater Bay (45 minutes)
- Overnight: Driftwood Hostel
Day 8: April 2
Travel Day/Phnom Penh
- Travel Day from Koh Rong Samloem to Phnom Penh via Giant Ibis bus
- 1.5 hour boat ride from Koh Rong Samloem to Sihanoukville
- Giant Ibis bus ride from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh
- 145 miles, 5+ hours
- Tuk tuk ride to hostel
- Explore Phnom Penh night market
- Street side drinking & card games with our tuk tuk driver & his friends
- Overnight: Eighty8 Backpackers
Day 9: April 3
Phnom Penh
- Explore Phnom Penh via hired TukTuk Driver (Big Tony)
- Dark Tourism Day
- Tuol Sleng Prison
- The Killing Fields
- Explore Phnom Penh
- Russian Market shopping
- Get lost/wander the streets
- Dinner at night market
- Overnight: Eighty8 Backpackers
Day 10: April 4
- My 23rd Birthday!
- Explore Phnom Penh
- Central Market
- $2 Street Manicures & Pedicures
- Explore graffiti & street art in the Boeung Kak Lake Neighborhood
- Street 93
- Officially experienced our most packed motorbike ride – 3 adults on 1 moped! (worth it to avoid another pricing scam!)
- Kingdom Brewery Tour & Taproom
- Introduced to eating a green mango with beer (yum!)!
- Dinner at Warung Bali with new friends from the Netherlands
- Amazing fish & everything was cooked over a fire in the kitchen
- Overnight: Eighty8 Backpackers
- Central Market
Day 11: April 5
Travel Day
- Travel from Phnom Penh to Kratie via minivan
- ALL DAY TRAVEL
- 185 miles, 7+ hours
- Overnight: Balcony House
Day 12: April 6
Kratie/Kampi
- Take a ferry across the Mekong River to Koh Trong Island
- Rent bicycles & cycle around the island (9km)
- Visit various farms, guesthouses, and a floating village
- Rent motorbike & drive to Kampi
- Swimming & snacks Kam Py River Resort
- Irwaddy River Dolphin sightseeing & boat ride
- Overnight: Balcony House
Day 13: April 7
Kratie/Banlung
- Travel from Kratie to Banlung (Ratanakiri Province)
- 160 miles, 7+ hours
- Most packed/uncomfortable ride: 12 people in an 8 person minivan
- Explore Banlung
- Look for trekking guide
- Discover the most amazing “frappes” from a local stand – T.T. Coffee & Milk
- Visit National Park office & arrange trekking trip into Virachey National Park
- Overnight: Banlung Balcony Guesthouse
Day 14: April 8
Virachey National Park
- Prepare & depart for trek into Virachey National Park
- Our guide, Som Sophony, picks us up from Balcony Guesthouse
- Supply shopping at Banlung market
- 90 minute motorbike ride to Ta Veng village, 2 hour longboat ride up the River San to the village of Yorn
- Arrive to local village
- Meet host family
- Hang out with villagers & drink homemade rice wine (too much rice wine..)
- Dinner with Sophony & host family
- Overnight: Homestay in Yorn Village
Day 15: April 9
Virachey National Park
- Breakfast at Yorn homestay
- Begin trek into Virachey National Park
- SO hot, SO many mosquitoes
- 6 hour hike to the center of Virachey National Park
- With a bonus stop along a section of the Ho Chi Minh Trail
- Camping at Yeak Kar Waterfall
- Swimming in the river pools
- Camping dinner of fried pork & rice
- Night fishing & machete crab hunting
- Campfires & storytelling with our guides
- Overnight: Hammock Camping in Virachey National Park
Day 16: April 10
Virachey National Park
- Cook & eat breakfast along the creek
- Hike 6 hours out of national park
- Travel back to Ratanakiri
- 2 hour longboat ride to Ta Veng
- 90 minute motorbike ride to Banlung
- Explore Banlung
- T.T. Coffee & Milk (frappes!)
- Kan Seng Lake
- Hang out & indulge in homemade pizza at Balcony!
- Overnight: Banlung Balcony Guesthouse
Day 17: April 11
Banlung
- Hangout in Banlung
- Swimming at Boeng Yeak Lom (Volcano Lake)
- Frappes at T.T. Milk & Coffee
- Overnight: Banlung Balcony Guesthouse
Day 18: April 12
Travel Day/Siem Reap
- Travel from Banlung to Siem Reap via minivan
- ALL DAY TRAVEL
- 282 miles, 10+ hours
- 13 people in extended cargo van
- Explore Siem Reap
- Angkor Art Center + Night Market
- Siem Reap Old City
- Book Angkor Wat Tour with KKO
- Overnight: Central Hostel
Day 19: April 13
Siem Reap/Angkor Wat
- Mountain biking tour of Angkor Wat with KKO
- Khmer for Khmer Organization
- Sunrise Off Road Bicycle Tour
- Tour Guide: Luk
- Explore Angkor Wat Park Complex
- Sunrise at Angkor Wat
- Angkor Village
- Angkor Thom Victory Gate (South Entrance)
- Prasat Chrug (Guard Tower & Moat)
- Angkor Thom West Gate
- Bayon
- Preah Khan
- Thommanon Temple
- Chau Say Tevoda
- Khmer New Year Celebrations – Party & Water Fight
- Old City
- Pub Street
- Stephanie sustains eye injury…
- Overnight: Central Hostel
Day 20: April 14
Siem Reap /Angkor Wat
- Find Khmer Hospital
- Stephanie’s Eye injury from water fight
- Ocular Trauma to left eye
- Stephanie’s Eye injury from water fight
- Rent mountain bikes to explore Angkor Wat Complex
- Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider Temple)
- Preah Neak Poan
- Banteay Srei
- Bayon
- Victory Gate
- Khmer New Year Celebrations – Party & Water Fight
- Overnight: Central Hostel
Day 21: April 15
Siem Reap /Angkor Wat
- Explore Siem Reap
- Old Market
- Pub Street
- Secure transportation to Thailand
- Return to Angkor Wat Complex
- Rent mountain bikes again to explore
- Terrace of Elephants
- Random Ruins
- Main day for Khmer New Year Party
- Games
- Live music & dancing
- Giant water fight
- World record competition
- Khmer New Year Celebrations – Water Fight in Old Town Siem Reap
- Overnight: Central Hostel
Day 22: April 16
Travel Day
- Travel Day: Siem Reap to Koh Tao
- Cross Poipet Border into Thailand
- ALL DAY TRAVEL: 615 Total Miles, 25 Total Hours
- Siem Reap – Bangkok via Giant Ibis Bus – 270 miles, 11 hours
- Bangkok – Chumphon via Lomprayah Bus – 290 miles, 8 hours
- Chumphon – Koh Tao via Lomprayah Ferry – 52 miles, 4 horus
