Phnom Penh to Siem Reap Overland and Overnight

Phnom Penh to Siem Reap Overland and Overnight

The Phnom Penh to Siem Reap passage has become very well travelled . . . by air!

As ever increasing numbers descend on Siem Reap to visit the Angkor World Heritage Site and Angkor Wat Temple flights, whiz back and forth depositing passengers at both destinations. What these airborne sightseers are blissfully unaware of as they sip their complimentary drink at high altitude is that below them they are missing the chance to see pre-Angkor temples and a far more authentic peep at the real Cambodia, modern Cambodia.

Just as well really because it leaves the real Cambodia alive, well and very much intact for off-the-beaten-track adventure tours packed with authentic encounters and memorable meetings and Phnom Penh to Siem Reap overland is no exception.

The overland route from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap by car takes you up the entire length of the Tonle Sap lake which is a phenomenon itself and is the lifeline and lifestyle of numerous small communities and villages, both floating and land-based. You will have the opportunity to meet some of these Khmer villagers, to visit a working silk farm and to sample a Khmer delicacy; deep fried spiders!

As your ultimate destination is Siem Reap you will doubtless be going to visit the awe-inspiring Angkor World Heritage Site with Angkor Wat Temple the centrepiece. Long gone are the days when you could explore the Angkor World Heritage Site in absence of crowds and justifiably so really given their magnificence.

But if you are looking for the Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider type adventure and the opportunity to experience ancient Khmer empires away from the crowds then this Phnom Penh to Siem Reap overland trip might be just the tonic! En route you travel back to 613 A.D. to visit the capital of the Chenla Empire at Sambor Prei Kuk. Careering forward to the 11th century you explore the far less frequented Wat Kohear Nokor before leaping forward another century to visit Wat Nokhor.

We live in an age in which speed and efficiency are worshiped and ironically this leaves us time starved. By nature we tend to consider the fastest most direct and efficient way to travel from A to B. But stop a moment! Slow down and make the means of getting there as interesting and as unforgettable as the destination itself.

Highlights: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap Overland

• Skuon – Deep fried spiders
• Visit a Silk Farm
• Kampong Cham – French Indochina Colonial Architecture, Wat Nokhor (12th Century), Wat Kohear Nokor (11th Century), Santuk Silk Farm
• Sambor Prei Kuk – Capital of the pre-Angkor era Chenla Empire
• Kompong Thom – Overnight
• Khmer villages
• Ancient Naga Bridge (Spean Pratpo)

The Route: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap Overland

Phnom Penh - Kampong Cham - Kompong Thom – Siem Reap

Sleeping Arrangements

Break the journey overnight from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap at the best available Kompong Thom hotel.

Accommodation options are somewhat limited here but we will recommend and arrange the pick of the bunch so that you are bright-eyed and bushy tailed ready for day 2 and the final leg of the journey to Siem Reap.

Request the 2 Day Phnom Penh to Siem Reap Overland Cambodia Tour