Cambodia Angkor & Provinces Tour
- full itinerary

Day 1:
Arrival in Phnom Penh
We will arrange for you to be picked up from the airport and taken to our hotel near the royal palace. Nathan runs the optional pre-tour technical and aesthetic workshop from around 2-5pm for those new to travel photography or who feel they would benefit from a refresher course (please confirm your interest). There will be a pre-tour meet ‘n’ greet with Nathan at the hotel starting at around 6pm.

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. 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.

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. We then combine photography and shopping opportunities with a visit to the landmark building that houses Central Market. Afterwards we visit the infamous former interrogation centre S21 which now houses the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

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. 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 — Udong — Kompong Thom
Today we make an early departure from Phnom Penh to visit a large monastery at Udong with plenty of time to enjoy the great photo opportunity of many monks and nuns taking their lunch preceded by much ritual and ceremony. 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.

Day 5:
Kompong Thom — Sambor Pre Kuk — Preah Vihear
We make an early morning departure to Sambor Pre 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 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. This temple commands a hilltop view across the border to Thailand.

Day 6:
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. After lunch, we visit Kompong Phluck, a fishing village built on 8-metre stilts that helps the locals deal with equally high rises in lake height during the rainy season. 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.

After sunrise we head to Ta Phrom, aiming to get there early enough to avoid the crowds. The next site is one of the less busy temples where we hope to meet another friend of Nathan’s: the most charismatic nun in Angkor. In the afternoon, we go to Srei Vibol, a remote temple with few visitors but some monk friends. 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. 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. 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.

These are stunning enough but are mere appetisers for the jewel within that is Bayon. 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. On the way, we view the interesting lifestyles of people who live on the lake in floating houses and earn their livings by fishing. In the afternoon, if time allows Nathan runs a Lightroom class followed by sunset at the city’s famous bamboo train.

Day 10:
Battambang
This morning we explore downtown Battambang which is a perfect place for short strolls. 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. 

We then visit a local cottage industry that makes spring rolls, and another monastery for a less formal student monks' lunch. 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.

Day 11:
Battambang — Kampong Chhnang
We spend most of the morning driving southeast to Kampong Chnnang, a town on the banks of the Tonle Sap River. In the afternoon, we visit families making clay pots amongst the sugar palm-studded paddy fields. 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. This is probably the country’s largest and is rumoured to have over 2000 floating houses. 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!