The journey
Fourteen days off Cambodia's usual trail, tracking wildlife and rural life from Phnom Tamao's rescued bears to Mondulkiri's jungle and the birds of Tonle Sap.
Cambodia's Wild Frontier trades temple-hopping for the country's wild and rural edges. Meet rescued bears at a wildlife centre outside Phnom Penh, stay at a farmstay resort supporting a social enterprise project, and cross to a homestay on a Mekong island known for its dolphins. In the hills of Mondulkiri, trek with Bunong guides through a wildlife sanctuary and spend a morning with semi-wild elephants, before closing the loop through a pre-Angkorian temple complex, a forest wildlife rescue centre, and Southeast Asia's largest waterbird colony on Tonle Sap. Angkor's temples still make an appearance, but as one part of a much wider journey.
Highlights
- Meet rescued bears at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre with Free the Bears
- Stay at a farmstay resort supporting a social enterprise project in the Cambodian countryside
- Spot rare Irrawaddy dolphins on the Mekong, then cross to a homestay on Koh Trong Island
- Trek with Bunong guides through Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in the hills of Mondulkiri
- Spend a morning with semi-wild elephants at the Elephant Valley Project
- Explore Sambor Prei Kuk, a pre-Angkorian UNESCO World Heritage site scattered through the forest
- Go birding by boat at Prek Toal Core Reserve, Southeast Asia's largest waterbird colony, before a sunrise visit to Angkor Wat
Included
Accommodation
13 nights across Phnom Penh, a farmstay resort near Kampong Chhnang, a homestay on Koh Trong Island, Sen Monorom, Kampong Thom and Siem Reap
Activities
Phnom Penh evening tour & sunset river cruise · Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre with Free the Bears · Oudong Mountain & farmstay resort · Koh Trong Island homestay & Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins · Jungle trekking with the Bunong in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary · Elephant Valley Project · Sambor Prei Kuk · Kbal Spean, ACCB Wildlife Rescue Centre & Banteay Srei · Prek Toal Core Reserve birding on Tonle Sap · Angkor Wat at sunrise, APOPO & Satcha artisan village
Also included
Private guide & air-conditioned vehicle throughout, plus local boats and island transport where noted · Daily breakfast, plus 5 lunches and 3 dinners · Entrance fees
The route
Fourteen days across Cambodia
6 stops · Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
Phnom Penh
Kampong Chhnang
Kratie
Mondulkiri
Kampong Thom
Siem Reap
Stop 1 of 6
Journey's end
Fourteen days, six stops. Make it yours.
Tell us who is travelling and when. A local expert replies within 24 hours with a version of this route shaped around you.
Stop 1 of 6
Day by day
The route in detail
Day 1
Arrival Phnom Penh
Arrive into Phnom Penh, where a local guide will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel. Set out again in the late afternoon for an evening tour of the capital, beginning at Preah Ang Dong Ker, a riverside pagoda where locals gather to worship, then across to the Royal Palace and along the riverfront, past French-colonial era buildings on the way to Wat Phnom, a hilltop temple with fine views over the city and its surrounding rivers. Return to the riverside for a sunset cruise, then round off the evening with dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Day 2
Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre
Set out early for a full day at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre. Meet the local staff for background on the centre's work, then see more than a hundred Asian Sun Bears and Moon Bears rescued from the wildlife trade, alongside elephants, gibbons and thousands of other animals being cared for on site, in partnership with the charity Free the Bears. Join the caretakers for feeding time and learn about the individual personalities of the bears who now call the centre home, over a picnic lunch served in a bamboo hut. Overnight in Phnom Penh.
Day 3
Oudong Mountain to a Farmstay Resort
Leave the capital behind and head to Oudong Mountain, a short drive away, where villages and farmland soon replace the city skyline. Climb 509 steps to the top for sweeping views over the plains and a look at the ruins of Cambodia's former royal capital, then descend by a different path back to the base of the mountain. Continue to a farmstay resort set among paddy fields and rolling hills, built as the heart of a social enterprise project supporting sustainable agriculture and rural training in the surrounding countryside. Check in and spend the afternoon at leisure by the pool. Overnight at the farmstay.
Day 4
At Leisure at the Farmstay
A day to slow down: relax by the pool, cycle around the grounds, or join an optional tour of the wider social enterprise project with the resort. Overnight at the farmstay.
Day 5
Onward to Kratie and Koh Trong Island
Check out this morning for the drive to Kratie, around five hours away. On arrival, cross by boat to a homestay on Koh Trong Island, a short ride from Kratie town in the middle of the Mekong. Life on the island runs on rice farming and fruit growing, the pomelo especially, and can be explored by bicycle or horse cart. Spend the evening with a host family, learning what island life looks like day to day. Overnight on Koh Trong Island.
Day 6
Mekong Dolphins to Mondulkiri
After breakfast with your host family, check out and drive north along the Mekong to the village of Kampi, one of the best places in the country to see rare Irrawaddy dolphins. Board a local boat and follow the dolphins at a respectful distance as the engine cuts out and the water quiets around you. Continue off the main tourist trail to Sen Monorom, a hill town in Mondulkiri province reached along a progressively quieter road. Check in and spend the evening at leisure. Overnight in Sen Monorom.
Day 7
Jungle Trekking with the Bunong
Meet your guide early this morning for a trek through Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary. Walk through dense forest with local Bunong guides, keeping an eye out for critically endangered species such as black-shanked doucs and crested gibbons, while learning about the community-led conservation work underway in the sanctuary. Stop for a traditional bamboo lunch at a sacred waterfall before returning to Sen Monorom by late afternoon. The trek covers steep forest trails in a tropical climate, so a reasonable level of fitness and suitable outdoor clothing are recommended. Overnight in Sen Monorom.
Day 8
Elephant Valley Project
Transfer this morning to the Elephant Valley Project, a 1,500-hectare reserve where rescued elephants are given the space to roam and relearn semi-wild behaviour. Hike around seven kilometres out to meet one group of elephants in their forest habitat, spending the morning simply observing them at a distance in their natural surroundings. Return to Sen Monorom by midday, with the afternoon free at leisure. Overnight in Sen Monorom.
Day 9
Onward to Kampong Thom
Check out and say goodbye to the hills of Mondulkiri for the drive to Kampong Thom province, around seven hours with a few stops along the way. Arrive in the evening with time to rest after the journey. Overnight in Kampong Thom.
Day 10
Sambor Prei Kuk to Siem Reap
Explore Sambor Prei Kuk, one of Cambodia's most important pre-Angkorian sites, built during the Chenla period between the sixth and seventh centuries and recently inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More than a hundred well-preserved temples sit scattered through the forest here, largely free of the crowds found at Angkor. Stop in a nearby village that still practises traditional bamboo and rattan craft making, part of a community-based tourism project, and share a simple meal prepared by the community. Continue on to Siem Reap, with the rest of the afternoon free at leisure. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 11
Kbal Spean and ACCB Wildlife Rescue Centre
Meet your guide early for a morning exploring Siem Reap's wilder side. Visit Kbal Spean, a riverbed carved with hundreds of ancient Angkorian-era lingas hidden in the mountains, set within a remnant patch of dry deciduous forest that shelters many endangered bird species, including black-headed woodpeckers. Continue to ACCB, a wildlife rescue centre caring for illegally hunted birds and animals until they can be returned to the wild, giving a close look at native species rarely seen elsewhere. On the way back, stop at Banteay Srei, a temple known for its intricate pink sandstone carvings, with more birdwatching along the way. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 12
Prek Toal Core Reserve and Tonle Sap
An early transfer to Mechrey Pier starts the day, with breakfast served on board the boat as you cross to Prek Toal, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the largest waterbird colony in Southeast Asia. Transfer to smaller community boats to explore the reserve, birding along the way and climbing a treetop platform for wider views over the colonies. After lunch, visit a water hyacinth handicraft workshop and, time permitting, paddle a boat around the floating village before returning to Siem Reap. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 13
Angkor Wat at Sunrise and a Closing Evening
Rise early to reach Angkor Archaeological Park before dawn, finding a good vantage point to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat before a guided tour of the twelfth-century temple, tracing its history and the Hindu mythology carved into its walls. Return to the hotel for breakfast, then spend the afternoon at APOPO's visitor centre, learning about the organisation's landmine detection work and its trained rats, known as HeroRATs, through a simulated minefield and a Q&A session. Afterward, visit Satcha, a local enterprise giving Cambodian craftsmen and women a safe space to work and train as artistic entrepreneurs. Close out the evening with dinner through a local culinary social enterprise supporting the education of at-risk youth. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 14
Departure
Depending on your flight time, spend a final morning browsing Siem Reap's markets at your own pace, before transferring to the airport for your onward flight, bringing your journey through Cambodia's wild frontier to a close.
Moments
Along the way
Keep exploring
More journeys in Cambodia
6 days Cycling Phnom Penh to Kampot
Six days cycling from Phnom Penh's boulevards to Cambodia's south coast, through countryside temples, seaside towns and a mountain descent.
12 days Saigon to Angkor Wat: A Cycling Challenge
Cycle roughly 700 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City through the Mekong Delta, cross the border into Cambodia on foot, and continue by bike through Kep, Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh to the temples of Angkor, twelve days built for genuinely active travellers.
12 days Hanoi to Angkor: A Family Adventure
Make pottery in a Hanoi village, cruise Halong Bay's limestone karsts, bike and fish alongside Hoi An locals, then solve an Angkor Thom scavenger hunt and meet rescued elephants in Cambodia, twelve days built for families with young children.
Make this journey yours
Tell us your dates, your pace and what you love. We'll shape the rest.