Cambodia & Angkor Photo Tour - itinerary

Our Cambodia tour offers plentiful photographic opportunities, from ancient temples to vibrant contemporary life. Phnom Penh combines the grandeur of the Royal Palace complex with the colonial-era architecture of the old French Quarter. Along the rivers, floating villages and bustling markets provide glimpses into traditional riverside life.

​The temples of Angkor showcase the pinnacle of Khmer architecture, including Angkor Wat's soaring spires and Ta Prohm's ruins. At dawn, Sra Srang's reservoir provides mirror-like reflections, while the enigmatic faces of the Bayon emerge from the mist. Less-visted temples present atmospheric scenes of ruins slowly returning to the forest.

​Beyond Angkor, the remote temples of Preah Vihear and Koh Ker offer dramatic architectural subjects in uncrowded settings. Preah Vihear's clifftop location provides spectacular vistas across the Cambodian plains, while Koh Ker's pyramid temple and forest-embraced structures create compelling compositions against the sky.

​Throughout the country, vibrant markets, Buddhist monasteries, and the quiet rural life offer endless photographic possibilities. From pottery villages of Kampong Chhnang to traditional silk weavers near Phnom Penh, Cambodia's artistic heritage and warm, resilient people create a paradise for those seeking authentic cultural experiences.

Day 1:
Arrival in Phnom Penh
We will arrange for you to be picked up from the airport and taken to our boutique hotel near the royal palace. Nathan runs an optional pre-tour technical workshop from around 3-5pm for those new to travel photography or who feel they would benefit from a refresher course (please confirm your interest). There’s a meet ‘n’ greet with Nathan at the hotel starting at around 6pm, followed by drinks and dinner with the group.

Day 2:
Phnom Penh
Early this morning we kick off with a visit to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. Still the principal residence of the King of Cambodia, these highly decorative buildings and gardens date back to the 1860s and offer a wealth of photo (teaching) opportunities. The complex presents majestic scenes of traditional Khmer architecture, with its gilded spires and ornate rooflines best captured in early morning light. The Chan Chaya Pavilion and Throne Hall are particularly photogenic, their golden roofs gleaming against the sky.

After the palace, we explore the nearby artisan area around Street 178, combined with visits to Wat Sarawan and Wat Ounalom, two of the foremost pagodas in the city. Wat Sarawan features richly decorated interiors and active monk life, offering intimate cultural photographs. Nearby Wat Ounalom presents architectural details and chances to document daily religious practices. Sunset cruises on the Mekong River capture the convergence of three rivers, with fishing boats and riverside life silhouetted against the evening sky.

In the afternoon, we take a walking tour around the River Quarter. Wat Phnom is one of the capital city's main tourist sites and the starting point for our stroll through old colonial buildings, bustling street markets and interesting temples. We then make our way to the delightful riverside, where we will board a small cruise boat for sunset shots from the river.

Day 3:
Phnom Penh
This morning we explore a community living on Phnom Penh's railway tracks which exemplifies how fast the city is changing. Along the tracks, photographers can document local life as residents navigate their daily routines alongside the rails. We then combine photography and shopping opportunities with a visit to the landmark building that houses Central Market. The art deco market's distinctive dome and interior passages provide both architectural and street photography opportunities.

Afterwards we visit the infamous former interrogation centre S21 which now houses the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The sobering museum requires sensitive photography, with its preserved rooms telling powerful stories through simple objects and spaces.

In the afternoon, we visit Silk Island in the nearby Mekong River. Despite being only a short ferry ride, we find ourselves stepping back in time to see a charming rural Cambodian community set amongst orchards, paddy fields and pagodas. offers a peaceful contrast with its traditional silk weaving, rural life, and riverside scenes. The island's slower pace allows for intimate portraits of artisans and agricultural lifestyles, particularly effective in late afternoon light. Nathan once had a small house on the island and has built up many friends over the years.

If you hadn't guessed, the island gets in name from its primary form of income, silk weaving. Most of the households own a loom, and we get many opportunities to photograph the local people as they spin and weave their highly praised handmade silk products. We also make a point of calling in on a few other cottage industries and finally catching the sunset as the cows come home.

Day 4:
Phnom Penh — Oudong — Kompong Thom
Today we make an early departure from Phnom Penh to visit a large monastery at Oudong with plenty of time to enjoy the great photo opportunity of many monks and nuns taking their lunch preceded by much ritual and ceremony. Oudong Temple, perched atop a hill about 40km north of Phnom Penh, offers striking photographic opportunities centered around its modern Buddhist stupas and historic structures.

Three prominent stupas contain royal relics, with the central stupa housing Buddha relics. These structures offer compelling subjects in varying light conditions. The intricate carvings, gilded surfaces, and tiered umbrellas of the stupas provide rich detail for both wide-angle compositions and intimate architectural studies. The hilltop complex stands in sharp contrast to the surrounding plains, with its gleaming white and gold structures visible for miles around.

We then continue to the town of Kompong Thom, taking lunch at a roadside restaurant. Before checking in to our comfortable boutique hotel, we head up Suntuk mountain to visit quirky monasteries and ancient carvings in cliff faces, and take some sunset shots in the iconic Cambodian countryside. Rising from the surrounding plains, it provides elevated vistas of the Cambodian countryside. The 809 steps to the summit lead past colourful Buddhist shrines and offer increasingly panoramic views.

The summit is particularly photogenic at sunset, when golden light bathes the landscape and long shadows stretch across the plains below. The surrounding rural landscape offers abundant photographic subjects, including traditional stilted houses and vast rice paddies stretching to the horizon. During the dry season, the parched earth and golden fields create dramatic patterns in the landscape, particularly at sunset when cattle make their way home.

Day 5:
Kompong Thom — Sambor Prei Kuk — Preah Vihear
We make an early morning departure to Sambor Prei Kuk, our first Ancient Temple experience in the forest. These temples pre-date those at Angkor, so they are a great introduction to the vast Khmer Empire. The UNESCO World Heritage site features over 100 brick temples scattered through atmospheric forest. The light filtering through the trees onto the ancient structures creates compelling compositions.

The temple complex is divided into three main groups - Prasat Sambor, Prasat Yeay Poan, and Prasat Tor - each offering distinct architectural elements. We can capture intricate carvings, ornate lintels, and unique octagonal towers. The relative lack of crowds allows for unobstructed shots and the opportunity to document local life.

The middle of the day entails a 3-hour drive broken up by lunch, after which we enjoy a late afternoon/sunset visit to UNESCO world heritage site of Preah Vihear. The temple, dramatically situated atop a 525-metre cliff in the Dangrek Mountains, offers spectacular photographic opportunities. The complex stretches nearly a kilometre along a north-south axis, with five gopuras leading to the sacred core. Late afternoon sun creates dramatic shadows across the ornate carvings.

Most striking is the extraordinary setting, with sheer cliffs providing a natural platform overlooking the vast Cambodian plains. We can capture sweeping vistas from the northern end, where the temple seems to merge with the sky, particularly in late afternoon when the sun bathes the stonework in golden light.

Each of the five sanctuary areas presents distinct architectural elements, from elaborate carved lintels to well-preserved pediments. The site's unique linear design, unlike the concentric layout of Angkor temples, offers compelling perspectives along the ceremonial walkway. Stone galleries and courtyards provide atmospheric framing opportunities.

The surrounding forest and cliff edges add another dimension to possible photographic compositions. Local life continues around the temple, with occasional ceremonies providing added  cultural interest. The dry season offers the clearest long-distance views across the plains and great sunsets.

Day 6:
Preah Vihear — Koh Ker — Siem Reap
This morning we drive to the temples of Koh Ker, which are still off the main tourist routes but have a few hidden gems. Koh Ker, briefly the capital of the Khmer Empire in the 10th century, offers dramatic architectural subjects. The centerpiece is Prasat Thom, a commanding seven-tiered pyramid rising 36 meters high, reminiscent of Mayan temples. Early morning light creates striking shadows across its steep stairways.

The archaeological park contains over 40 major structures scattered through partially cleared jungle, with many temples still embraced by forest. Unlike the more horizontal designs of Angkor, Koh Ker's temples feature a distinctive vertical emphasis, with some prasats soaring to unusual heights. 

The most notable photographic opportunities include the invasive strangler figs dramatically entwining Prasat Pram, their massive roots both crushing and preserving the ancient stones. The site's relative remoteness means fewer visitors, allowing for unhurried composition and the chance to capture temples in splendid isolation.

The surrounding forest adds another dimension, with dappled light playing through the canopy and ancient stones weathered by centuries of tropical seasons. During dry season, the muted colours of the forest floor contrast dramatically with the weathered stonework, while early morning and late afternoon light creates long shadows through the trees.

After lunch, we visit Kompong Phluk, a fishing village built on 8-metre stilts that helps the locals deal with equally high rises in lake height during the rainy season. The floating village presents a glimpse of life on the Tonle Sap Lake. We can document daily life as villagers navigate between homes, fish with traditional methods, and tend to floating gardens. The evening light is particularly effective for capturing these activities.

The nearby flooded forest offers ethereal scenes as boats weave between partially submerged treetops. During dry season, the exposed stilts create a forest of wooden poles, with fishing in the remaining deeper waters. The open water at sunset offers an incredible Cambodian sunset with fishing boats crossing your frame heading home before dark.We make a point of being on the Tonle Sap (Cambodia's largest lake) for sunset.

Day 7:
Siem Reap
Before the sun rises, we head to Sra Sang (an ancient Khmer name for a bathing pool) to view the beginning of the day. A friend of Nathan’s volunteers to make a great silhouette as she collects water for her mother's orchid garden from the pool with the sun rising behind. The vast reflecting pool provides classic sunrise shots, with the ancient landing stage silhouetted against the dawn sky and stone nagas creating strong foreground elements. Early morning mist often adds atmosphere to these compositions.

After sunrise we head to Ta Phrom, aiming to get there early enough to avoid the crowds. This iconic temple displays an iconic marriage of architecture and nature, where massive tree roots embrace crumbling temple walls. Early morning light creates dramatic interplay between shadows and highlights.

In the afternoon, we go to the lesser-known Srei Vibol, a remote temple with few visitors but some monk friends. It offers opportunities for atmospheric shots without crowds, its tumbled stones and forest setting providing a sense of discovery. On the last visit of the day, with the sun setting over local sugar palm-studded fields, we see a boy riding his buffalo home.

Day 8:
Siem Reap
We begin the day with an unforgettable sunrise over Angkor Wat, which demands attention from every angle. We follow this stunning introduction with several hours of exploring the largest religious building on the planet, often with the help of a few monks known to Nathan. The classic reflection shots at dawn are just the beginning; the extensive bas-reliefs and soaring towers offer endless compositional possibilities.

Later in the day, we visit the excellent Angkor Thom – the ancient city capital of Angkor. Its three square kilometres of walls still contain many treasures such as decorative gates and parade areas. Its massive gates and bridge statues provide dramatic framing opportunities.

These are stunning enough but are mere appetisers for the jewel within that is Bayon. The enigmatic faces of the temple, at Angkor Thom's heart, emerge gradually from shadow as the sun rises. The interplay of light across these massive stone visages creates constantly changing expressions, while the upper terraces offer compelling views across the surrounding jungle canopy. Originally constructed as an official state temple around the early 13th Century, this temple shows over a hundred serenely smiling Buddha faces that will keep any photographer happy for hours. We end the day with some sunset shots around the South Gate.

Day 9:
Siem Reap — Battambang
We travel by boat across the Tonle Sap to Battambang, a colonial-era town on the west side of the lake. The river journey offers compelling photographs of river life, with floating villages, fishing activities, and bird life along the narrow channels. During the dry season, the journey reveals intimate scenes of riverside communities adapting to changing water levels.

We expect to arrive at our hotel late in the afternoon, after which we head out to see Battambang's famous bamboo train (nori), which presents unique photographic subjects as these improvised platforms speed through the countryside. We can capture the unusual transport and the rural landscape, with stops at small villages depicting local life.

Day 10:
Battambang
This morning we explore downtown Battambang which is a perfect place for short strolls. At dawn, monks in saffron robes collect alms through the French colonial streets, creating striking colour contrasts against the architecture. We are blessed with colonial buildings and an impressive central market, and we arrange prime positions to capture the processions of monks doing their 'alms'. With no less than five local temples just along the riverside, we aren't short of photo opportunities.

Local cottage industries provide intimate documentary opportunities, particularly in homes where families prepare spring rolls for local markets, with generations working together in traditional settings. Photographing monks' lunches at local wats offers chances to capture important daily rituals, community interactions, and the timeless traditions of monastic life.

In the evening we visit a colourful performance by the Phare Circus which provides training to youths from local families in areas including music, contemporary and traditional dancing, visual arts, theatre and circus. The performance combines dramatic action with artistic expression, while the intimate venue allows close-up shots of acrobats and performers, with dramatic lighting creating atmosphere. If time allows, pre-show preparation and backstage moments offer additional documentary possibilities, while the energy of the performance provides opportunities for both action shots and emotional portraits.

Day 11:
Battambang — Kampong Chhnang
We spend most of the morning driving southeast to Kampong Chhnang, a town on the banks of the Tonle Sap River. The town offers distinctive glimpses into traditional Cambodian crafts and river life, and its famous pottery village provides opportunities to document artisans hand-crafting clay pots using age-old techniques. Late afternoon light creates atmospheric scenes as sunlight streams through workshop doorways, illuminating potters at work. 

In the afternoon, we visit families making clay pots amongst the sugar palm-studded paddy fields. The surrounding countryside offers an array of additional photographic subjects, including sugar palm trees, colourful paddy fields and fishing ponds. Finding people working in those environments as the sun sets can create many of the most rewarding photo opportunities of the day. These vistas also make great pictures, whether in the dry season with farmers climbing the trees to collect their sugar sap, or during the rainy season with local families planting lush green paddy fields.

Day 12:
Kampong Chhnang — Phnom Penh
Early in the morning, we travel a little up the river to visit a special floating village, probably the country’s largest, which presents us with constantly shifting scenes of life on the water. The port area below bustles with activity as vessels unload their goods. Hundreds of floating homes, many occupied by ethnic Vietnamese families, create a photogenic waterscape. Our regular small boat handlers are also local residents and they take us for an up-close and personal experience of this unique way of life. 

We leave Kampong Chhnang at 9.30am in order to be back in Phnom Penh by noon. We have plenty of time in the afternoon for photo reviews and post-production advice.

Day 13:
Phnom Penh Departure
Our driver will collect you to take you to the airport.

We hope you will have had an enjoyable and memorable experience, and look forward to seeing you again on another photographic adventure!