Welcome to Phnom Penh. On arrival at the airport, you'll be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel. You'll have some free time to refresh yourselves before enjoying dinner at a local restaurant.

To understand the history of this beautiful country we have to confront some of the darker parts of its past. Your tour today begins at the Toul Sleng Prison Museum and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek-both, a grim reminder of Cambodia's bloody past under Pol Pot. The Buddhist memorial at Choeung Ek commemorates the 1.7 million victims of the 1975-79 Pol Pot regime. After lunch, we continue to the Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town, and the Silver Pagoda. Located within the grounds of the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda is named because of its floor, which is made up of 5000 silver tiles. The treasures found inside include a solid gold Buddha encrusted and weighing 90kg and a small 17th-century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha. Your tour concludes with a visit to Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh's namesake, where you can enjoy views over the tree-lined avenues of Phnom Penh during sunset.

Following breakfast your guided tour of Battambang province will begin. We will visit Kompong Chhnang and stop at another village famous for its fine clay pottery. You'll enjoy the classic Khmer landscapes of sugar palms dotted rice paddies with a range of low hills behind the village. During a visit to a local village, we'll be able to learn the traditional method to make the Cambodia noodle, before continuing to Battambang for your overnight stay.

After breakfast at the hotel, we begin the drive along the picturesque Sangker River to Wat Slaket Pagoda, the residence of the provincial Buddhist patriarch, before visiting the riverside temple of Wat Ek Phnom. A visit to a local market is up next where you'll be able to see how Prahoc, the Cambodian fish paste, is made. We'll also take a ride on the bamboo train to a local village, one of the more unique experiences in Cambodia, after which our journey will continue to Siem Reap.

Do not miss breakfast this morning as there's a full day ahead visiting the much-photographed temple of Angkor Wat. Our tour begins at the walled temple complex of Angkor Thom, as we pass through the grand South Gate, and visit the architectural highlights including Bayon Temple. We'll be able to admire the overgrown ruins of Ta Phrom and discover why it’s nicknamed the “Jungle Temple.” The largest temple in the world, Angkor Wat covers an area of 200 hectares and is surrounded by an impressive moat and an exterior wall.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we'll take a tuk tuk to visit the floating village of Chong Khneas, located just a few miles south of Siem Reap. You'll be able to experience a trip in a traditional wooden boat on the Tonle Sap Lake, the "Great Lake" of Cambodia, one of the largest in Asia. During the wet season the lake can swell up to 12,000 km² whilst during the dry season it shrinks to as small as 2,500 km². We'll stroll through the local old market of Psachas before enjoying lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon you'll have free time to be able to explore Siem Reap at your leisure.

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel it'll be time to say goodbye to this wonderful country as we transfer you to the airport for your short flight to Bangkok for the next leg of this South-East Asian adventure.