Culinary Cambodia
What do you know about Cambodian cooking? Not a lot, we’ll wager — but you’re about to find out.
Cambodian cuisine is best-known for its coconutty fish amok, stir-fried beef loc lac, and tongue-tingling Kampot pepper — but it’s so much more than that. This itinerary is designed to get you beneath the surface of Khmer culture via its food, including a diverse range of experiences from street-food tours and cooking classes to BBQs and cocktail-making.
Pricing
Key facts
Transport in detail
All transfers will be by private car.
What's great
This itinerary is packed full of guided experiences that’ll get you beneath the surface of the local culture
There’s a great balance of classic sites and more unusual destinations, giving you a rounded perspective on Cambodian life
You’ll get to see Cambodia in all its geographical diversity, including palm-fringed rice paddies, crumbling temple ruins, pretty towns and villages, and tropical coast
As all your transfers are overland, you’ll see lots more of the country than you would by flying
Things to consider
This itinerary includes several long car journeys which, though scenic, might not be suitable if you don’t like spending time on the road
If you have mobility issues, let us know and we’ll adapt the trip to suit you
Cambodian cuisine is heavily reliant on meat and fish products, so this one’s not suitable for vegetarians or vegans
This is an action-packed itinerary, so if you prefer to explore at a more leisurely pace, let us know and we’ll adapt it
The experience
We designed this itinerary around the theme of food, but it’s just one of the ways to experience Cambodia. Want to travel your way? Tell us what you love, and we’ll put together a trip to suit you.
Day 1-4
Siem Reap
Siem Reap is all about the temples: magnificent, vine-strangled ruins dating back to the height of the Khmer Empire, when Angkor was the largest civilization on Earth. Kick off your visit with a posh meal with wine pairings at the Embassy Restaurant, enjoy champagne and canapés on a gondola ride on the moat of Angkor Thom, eat Swiss-Khmer fusion at a garden restaurant in the suburbs, and spend an evening learning about rice wine production and cocktail-making in the heart of the city. One of our highlights of Siem Reap is a morning cooking class, which will have you browsing the markets for ingredients before whipping up your own Khmer delicacies in a village outside the city.
Highlights
Wander the awe-inspiring temples of Angkor, including the crown jewel: Angkor Wat
Shop for ingredients at a local market, then learn to cook some authentic Khmer dishes with a local chef
Sample rice wines at a brewery, then head to a traditional house and learn how to make some Khmer cocktails
Day 5-6
Battambang
After a last wander around the morning markets of Siem Reap, it’s onwards to Battambang: a sleepy, colonial town that’s now a haven for contemporary arts. One of the joys of a stay here is how close you are to rural life, which you’ll experience on foot and by bike: passing through paddy fields and orchards, visiting a winery, seeing the production of sticky rice and fish paste, and watching from a hillside restaurant as millions of bats swarm across the sky at sunset. Battambang is also home to a world-class college that trains underprivileged kids in the arts, and a visit to one of their mind-boggling acrobatics shows is sure to be a highlight of your trip.
Highlights
Witness the exodus of millions of bats as they emerge from their cave hideaways at dusk
Cycle through the rice fields to visit cottage industries in the countryside
Enjoy the spectacular acrobatics of Phare, The Cambodian Circus
The finer detail
What's included
- Breakfast every day
- Four lunches; one at a local home within the Angkor archaeological park; one at a restaurant in Siem Reap, one as part of the cooking class in Siem Reap, one as part of the cooking class in Kep
- Four dinners: one at Embassy restaurant in Siem Reap; one as part of the food tour in Siem Reap; one at Jaan Bai restaurant in Battambang; one at Sovanna restaurant in Phnom Penh
- Three full-day experiences: tour of the temples of Angkor; tour of the Siem Reap countryside and communities; Phnom Penh city tour
- Five half-day experiences: cooking class in Siem Reap; food production tour in Siem Reap; countryside tour in Battambang; cycling tour in Battambang; countryside tour in Kep
- Four evening experiences: food tour in Siem Reap; rice wine workshop & cocktail making in Siem Reap; Phare, The Cambodian Circus performance in Battambang, Mekong cruise in Phnom Penh
- All accommodation
- All entrance fees to sites included in guided experiences
- All internal transport
Logistics and journey times
Day 1:
Car transfer from Siem Reap airport to hotel (20 minutes)
Day 5:
Car transfer from Siem Reap to Battambang (3 hours)
Day 7:
Car transfer from Battambang to Phnom Penh (5 hours)
Day 9:
Car transfer from Phnom Penh to Kep (3 hours)
Day 12:
Car transfer from Kep to Phnom Penh airport (3 hours)
What's not included
- International flights
- Any necessary visas
- Any lunches or dinners unless stated
- Entrance fees to any sites not included in guided experiences
- Tipping and personal expenses