Cambodia: A Family Journey

Arrive into Phnom Penh, where your English-speaking guide will be waiting to welcome you and transfer you to your hotel, around 55 minutes away. The rest of the day is free to settle in. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Meet your guide this morning for a half-day tour of the capital. Begin at the Royal Palace, built in 1866 at the end of the French colonial era, and its Silver Pagoda, its floor lined with more than 5,000 silver tiles and home to an impressive collection of Buddha images. Continue to the National Museum, a traditional Khmer-style building set among lush tropical gardens with nearly 5,000 items on display dating back to the fourth century, before finishing at Wat Phnom, a hilltop temple marking the spot where the city was first founded. (Modest dress is required at temple sites: shoulders and knees covered.) Lunch is at a local restaurant, with some free time back at the hotel to follow. In the afternoon, choose your own path: learn about Cambodia's recent history at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a sobering but important stop for older children and adults; discover the Pepper Museum for a guided tasting of Kampot's famous peppers; or browse the stalls of the Russian Market, filled with souvenirs, handicrafts and local jewellery. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Depart Phnom Penh and travel through the Cambodian countryside toward Kampong Thom, stopping at Skun Market en route, well known locally for its fried spiders, a curious local snack for the adventurous. Continue to Sambor Prei Kuk, one of Cambodia's most important pre-Angkorian sites and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built during the Chenla period between the sixth and seventh centuries. Over 100 well-preserved temples are scattered through the forest here, linked by shaded tracks; a gentle walk through the jungle takes in several of the main sites, with your visit supporting a community-based tourism project. Lunch today is arranged by the local community, before continuing on to your hotel in Siem Reap. Overnight in Siem Reap.

A free morning to enjoy your hotel's facilities. In the afternoon, your local guide collects you by remork, Cambodia's classic tuk-tuk, for the family's first glimpse of Angkor Wat, followed by Angkor Thom and the many carved faces of Bayon temple. Dinner tonight is at a local restaurant. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Depart this morning for the plains surrounding Kulen Mountain, around an hour's drive, for a visit to the Kulen Elephant Forest. After an introductory briefing, head down to meet the resident elephants, feeding them a few treats before following along as they wander the forest snacking on leaves (this experience is shared with other visitors rather than private). Lunch is served family-style. Continue to the APOPO visitor centre, home to a fascinating and genuinely life-saving programme. Learn about the impact of landmines still buried across the Cambodian countryside, and meet the HeroRATs trained to sniff them out, in a simulated minefield built for training. A short video and Q&A session with a mine-action professional round out the visit. Return to your hotel with the rest of the day free. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Board a wooden boat this morning for a journey along the canals to Tonle Sap Lake, Southeast Asia's largest, for a first-hand look at life on the water among the lake's stilt house communities. Afterward, visit the Angkor Wildlife and Aquarium for a closer look at the lake's marine ecosystems, including a welcome drink and a behind-the-scenes tour with a marine biologist, learning about the environmental threats facing Tonle Sap, from habitat loss to illegal fishing. Lunch is at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Cambodia's first bean-to-bar chocolate factory to learn how cocoa, sourced ethically from Mondulkiri, becomes chocolate, with a treat to take away. Finish with a wander through the stalls around Psar Chas, the Old Market, with a stop for fresh local fruit, before your driver drops you back at your hotel or, if you'd prefer, in the heart of Siem Reap. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Enjoy some final time at leisure before transferring around an hour to the airport for your onward flight, bringing your family's journey through Cambodia to a close.