Welcome to Cambodia! Upon your arrival at Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, you will be welcomed by a local English-speaking guide and transferred to your hotel for check-in. The journey is approximately 52 km and takes around 60 minutes.

If time permits, take a visit to a local enterprise, Satcha, where craftsmen and women find a safe and clean space to work as well as receive training to further hone their talent and grow themselves into artistic entrepreneurs. Walk through the serene, natural gardens and watch the artists carve stone and wood, weave baskets, paint, and more, while your guide explains specific traits about each field of work and how the enterprise supports Cambodian artists. Enjoy a cup of coffee and take the opportunity for a little retail therapy if you wish.

This evening, start your culinary journey in Siem Reap with a remork (tuk-tuk) pick-up from your hotel, driving you to explore Siem Reap's dining scene with a focus on restaurants dedicated to providing culinary arts training to disadvantaged Cambodian youth. The first restaurant follows a different business model, directing its profits to various organisations. You may order any drink from the menu (they make special cocktails and fruit mixes using local ingredients) and any one appetiser to share. Next, enjoy classic Khmer dishes at another social enterprise restaurant providing disadvantaged youths and underprivileged adults with professional training and employment in the hospitality industry.

After dinner, head to a tropical garden restaurant run by an organisation that operates a hospitality training school where all the restaurant workers learned (or are currently learning) their trade. Learn about how the programme runs and its achievements while enjoying a creative cocktail, a glass of wine, beer, or coffee. This stop marks the end of your tour, and your driver will bring you safely to your hotel or, at your choice, drop you off at Pub Street or in the city centre. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Beginning at 08:00, experience Ta Prohm temple at the best time of day. Made famous by the Angelina Jolie film Tomb Raider, the temple is best known for the trees and vines growing atop its walls. We enter from the east to avoid the crowds. Continue to Angkor Thom to visit the Terrace of the Elephants and the Royal Palace enclosure. Next, take a stroll around the lower galleries of carvings at the Bayon, which depict fascinating scenes of life from the late 11th century, before finding a quiet spot on the exterior to appreciate the 54 towers featuring faces of the Buddha looking out into the surrounding jungle.

Enjoy lunch served on the first floor of a traditional wooden house. The meal is prepared by Om Ki and her family using fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients, offering you a privileged look into the authentic local life of an Angkor village.

In the afternoon, visit the magnificent Angkor Wat, a 12th-century temple built by King Suryavarman II. This architectural marvel reflects Mount Meru, the abode of Hindu gods. Inside, intricate carvings and reliefs showcase Hindu myths, with over 2,000 Apsara dancers gracing the walls. Angkor Wat remains a powerful symbol of Cambodia, even gracing the national flag.

Meet your guide in the hotel lobby at 08:00. Hop on a local wooden boat for a private journey through a canal, all the way to Tonle Sap Lake, to see what life is like on Southeast Asia’s largest lake. Cruise past quiet waterways for a unique opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the way of life of the local people living in stilt houses. (Note: Due to fluctuating water levels on the lake and canals, the specific village visited will depend on the date and water levels at that time. As this is a local community experience, the boats used are older wooden boats).

After the lake tour, visit the Angkor Wildlife and Aquarium (AWA) for a closer look at the lake’s marine ecosystems. The AWA, in cooperation with NGOs and the Cambodian government, plays an active role in conservation by providing educational content about different species and operating an important breeding project. On arrival, enjoy a welcome drink and meet with one of the AWA’s marine biologists for a behind-the-scenes tour of the marine exhibit. During the visit, learn about the environmental threats faced by the Tonle Sap, including habitat destruction, illegal fishing, and disrupted migration patterns. This insightful visit includes a donation that supports vital conservation efforts for endangered species in Tonle Sap Lake.

Travel back to Siem Reap for lunch. In the afternoon, continue to the APOPO Visitor Center to learn about the critical work of APOPO's "HeroRATs" in clearing landmines from Cambodia's countryside. See a simulated minefield training, meet the hero rats, and participate in a Q&A with a mine action professional. Return to your hotel to freshen up.

In the evening, be enchanted by a different side of Cambodian culture. Have dinner and attend an evening at Phare, a circus-like show combining modern and traditional Khmer theatre. Learn about daily life and customs through the graceful movements of the performers and chat with them afterwards. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. At 08:15, you will be picked up from your hotel (unless you are staying at the FCC Angkor by Avani) and transferred to the cruise meeting point at the FCC. Check-in for your onward cruise takes place here between 08:30 and 09:00.