Best of Cambodia

Arrive at your departure airport where included VIP lounge access will leave you feeling relaxed for your overnight to Phnom Penh.

Arrive into Cambodia's capital where you'll be met for a private transfer to your chosen hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore, so perhaps venture out to one the many restaurants that line the river for your taste of authentic Cambodian cuisine. The next day, a guided city tour will introduce you to the capital's sights. Visit the National Museum with its astonishing collection of pre-Angkorian and Angkorian artefacts. Then, spend time at the Royal Palace and its neighbouring Silver Pagoda, whose silver floor is made up of some 5,000 individual tiles. In the afternoon, visit the chilling Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the site of the notorious S-21 security prison, and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Both sites are a testament to the insanity of the Pol Pot era and while they can be challenging, heart-wrenching places to visit, they give an important insight into recent Cambodian history. Please note, dinner is included on day three only.

Stay: Pavilion Hotel (Superior) or Raffles Hotel Le Royal (Deluxe)

Set out today on the picturesque drive to Kampong Thom, stopping along the way to stretch your legs in Skuon and wander around the busy market. Look out for the local delicacy – sautéed spiders. Then, stop for lunch at a silk farm before a tour of the ruins of Sambor Pre Kuk, the pre-Angkorian capital of the Chenla civilization and one of the oldest temple cities in Southeast Asia. The city was built by King Ishanavarman I (616-635) and dedicated to Shiva in the 7th century. In more recent times, Sambor Pre Kuk became a Khmer Rouge stronghold during Cambodia's civil war and was the target of heavy American bombing. It's believed that there were up to 200 temple remains here before hostilities began; sadly only around 100 remain today but you'll have the chance to explore some of the most impressive.

Drive north to Siem Reap along a road used during Angkorian times as a trading and pilgrimage highway. A small number of the road's original, now-1000-year-old stone bridges are still in place. After lunch at a local restaurant, you'll arrive into Siem Reap to begin exploring the vast temple complex of Angkor Wat. Marvel at the grand interiors of the great temple, wandering its corridors, central chambers and upper terraces as your local historian guide helps you decipher the myriad stories behind the intricate, bas-relief carvings. Later on, weather permitting, you'll head to a vantage point to watch the sun set over the temple ruins. And, on return to the city, perhaps head out on an optional tour, with a nighttime Vespa tour introducing you to the after-dark delights of Pub Street with food and street-food snacks included.

Set off before dawn to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat, soaking up the unique atmosphere from the edge of the ancient library pools. Then, enjoy breakfast outside the temple before continuing to Angkor Thom and the enigmatic stone faces of Bayon. Return to your hotel before an afternoon visit to Preah Khan – a temple of tumbling stone structures bound together by tree roots – and jungle-clad Ta Prohm. Once home to 2,740 monks, Ta Prohm today looks much as it did in the early 1850s, when French explorer Henri Mouhot 'rediscovered' this crumbling site.

A day trip from Siem Reap brings you to the vast expanse of Tonlé Sap – the 'Great Lake'. In the morning, you'll drive to Chung Khneas village for a cruise to the lake's floating villages, communities that come complete with schools, restaurants and even a hospital. Call into the Gecko Environment Centre, an educational project funded by the United Nations Development Program, to raise awareness among the local community of Tonlé Sap's ecological importance and the threats it faces. You'll then continue through dense mangroves and out onto the lake itself to watch as local fishermen ply the waters in a dazzling array of colourful boats. In the afternoon, having returned to Siem Reap, there will be free time for shopping at the local markets or to spend a few relaxing hours by the hotel pool.

Take a private transfer to the airport for the short flight south to Sihanoukville. From there, another transfer will take you to the port where you'll embark on a speedboat ride to the breathtaking island of Koh Rong. Prepare to be enchanted as you spend three unforgettable nights in this sun-kissed island paradise, with a choice of beachfront accommodation offering everything from jungle trekking to snorkelling and diving.

Stay: Anaya Koh Rong (Superior) or Royal Sands (Deluxe)

Returning to the mainland, you'll head by road, then boat, to Koh Kong, watching as the countryside changes from flat, open plains to the jungle-clad Cardamom Mountains. And it's here, bobbing on a pontoon in the Tatai River, that you'll find your boutique hotel. Framed by unspoilt virgin rainforest, it's a delightfully secluded spot to relax for the final few days of your holiday. Enjoy sunset cruises, kayak through mangrove waterways and hike to hidden waterfalls as you look out for rare clouded leopards, Asian elephants, gibbons and Malaysian sun bears, or, simply relax at the lodge with a hydro-massage or on your private deck, taking in the views.

Lodge staff will accompany you on a boat journey back to Koh Kong, where your guide and driver will be waiting to transfer you to Phnom Penh for your overnight flight home, arriving in the UK on day 14.