Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Sonalong Boutique Hotel or similar

Your guide will meet you at Siem Reap International Airport and drive you to your hotel in a private vehicle. Relax and enjoy your inaugural evening in this historically and culturally rich city.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Sonalong Boutique Hotel or similar

Following breakfast, a car will take you to explore the magnificent Angkor temples, a world-renowned archaeological site, and observe the birds in their natural habitats.

Our initial birding location, the Angkor temples, offers a unique opportunity to blend birdwatching with a visit to a world-renowned historical and cultural site.

Angkor is one of the world's most important archaeological sites, spanning more than 400 square kilometers and encompassing forested regions. Within the Angkor Archaeological Park lie the magnificent ruins of multiple Khmer Empire capitals, dating back to the 9th-15th centuries. Among the highlights are the iconic Angkor Wat, the exquisitely detailed Bayon Temple, and the breathtaking scene at Ta Prohm, where massive trees sprout from the temple ruins.

Angkor Thom, meaning "Great City," was the Khmer Empire's last and longest-lasting capital. King Jayavarman VII built it in the late 12th century; covering 9 square kilometers, it was the centerpiece of his ambitious building projects. Inscriptions within the city poetically describe Jayavarman as the groom and the city itself as his bride.

Bayon Temple, the magnificent state temple of King Jayavarman VII, stands at the heart of Angkor Thom.

Unlike other temples, Ta Prohm remains largely as discovered, overtaken by jungle and trees sprouting from its ruins. The temple's photogenic and enigmatic aura contributes to its immense popularity in Angkor.

Not only is the architecture ancient and worth exploring, but the area is also superb for birdwatching. You might see White-throated Rock-thrushes, Black-capped Kingfishers, Black Bazas, Alexandrine and Red-breasted Parakeets, Hainan Blue Flycatchers, and Taiga Flycatchers.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Sonalong Boutique Hotel or similar

Today's journey to Prek Toal, on Tonle Sap Lake, will be by car and boat; it's home to Southeast Asia's largest waterbird colonies. This unique tour takes you to the sanctuary's heart, where you can explore flooded forests and visit the one-of-a-kind floating village.

Seven globally important waterbird species—Spot-billed Pelican, Milky Stork, Painted Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Greater Adjutant, Black-headed Ibis, and Oriental Darter—find refuge in Prek Toal Sanctuary, a site of international significance. A significant number of Grey-headed Fish Eagles also live there. With over 150 bird species recorded, it's a prime location for birdwatching.

This region features a seasonally flooded freshwater swamp forest boasting exceptional plant diversity. Dense shrubs and short trees dominate the landscape, creating vital nesting grounds for large waterbirds. In terms of the sheer number and variety of endangered waterbirds it shelters during the dry season, Prek Toal is unmatched in Southeast Asia. Expect to see many Whiskered Terns, Cormorants, Storks, Pelicans, Herons, Egrets, and Terns from January through May.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Sonalong Boutique Hotel or similar

Hidden in the dense jungle northeast of Siem Reap are a collection of remote temples, important both historically and as a birdwatching site. From 928 to 944 AD, the Koh Ker complex served as the Khmer Empire's capital under King Jayavarman IV. It is about 300 km from Siem Reap, approximately a two-hour drive.

Koh Ker's famous seven-tiered temple is a striking 35-meter-tall pyramid. The bird sanctuary, nestled in dry deciduous and semi-evergreen forests, provides exceptional viewing opportunities for rare avian species including woodpeckers, Black-headed, White-bellied, Great Slaty and Rufous-winged Buzzards, Indochinese Bushlark, Brown Prinia, White-rumped Pygmy Falcon, Collared Falconet, and more.

Following our visit to Koh Ker and lunch, we'll return to Siem Reap, making a stop at the stunning Beng Mealea temple ruins. Although originally a Hindu temple from the Angkor Wat period, Beng Mealea's carvings include some Buddhist designs. Largely unrestored, the sandstone temple is a ruin, with trees and thick brush sprouting among its towers and courtyards, and many stones lying in heaps. Between December and March, migratory birds from the Himalayas, including the Hainan Blue Flycatcher and White-throated Rock Thrush, make the semi-evergreen forest an excellent location for birdwatching.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Sonalong Boutique Hotel or similar

Siem Reap's rising tourism has caused significant overcrowding in both the town and at the temple sites in recent years. But don’t worry! Let us take you beyond the bustle, immersing you in the heart of Cambodian life amongst the people whose heritage shaped these awe-inspiring temples.

A day of cultural immersion awaits: learn the art of palm sugar making from local artisans, prepare the delicious Kralan (sticky rice, red beans, coconut, and sugar baked in bamboo), sample Cambodia’s famous Nom Banh Chok noodles, and delve into the craft of mat and basket weaving.

Essential to daily life, traditional basket weaving produces fish traps, rice containers, backpacks for ethnic groups, and market carrying mats. However, this age-old craft has been in decline due to the rise of plastic alternatives, which threaten both cultural heritage and the environment. Supporting these crafts preserves tradition and promotes sustainable practices for generations to come.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Sonalong Boutique Hotel or similar

The mornings in Cambodia beautifully illustrate a lifestyle that is deeply rooted in tradition while embracing both nature and modern influences. Outside of Phnom Penh and other large cities with their Western-style shopping malls, Cambodian culture in many areas reflects what the West was like 30-40 years ago. This offers visitors a uniquely enriching experience, if they embrace the country and its people. Step away from the tourist crowds and engage in local life by participating in daily activities such as planting rice, creating mats and baskets, processing rice, making palm sugar, and preparing Katom (a local dish of sticky rice, black-eyed peas, sugar, and coconut milk).

In the afternoon, see the impressive fruit bats and visit the traditional stone carving workshops before returning to your hotel for a relaxing evening.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast

Start your day birdwatching at Phom Kroam, where you might see open-country birds like the Asian Golden Weaver, Red Avadavat, Black-headed Munia, and Plaintive Cuckoo.

This area's habitats range from paddy fields and lotus ponds to open water and floodplain scrub, extending to the immense Tonle Sap Lake. This diverse habitat is home to many wading birds, such as Oriental Pratincoles, Marsh Sandpipers, Pintail Snipes, Long-toed Stints, Jacanas, Swamphens, Bitterns, Egrets, Herons, and a wide variety of waterfowl. Near the lake, you might also see storks, rocket-tailed treepies, and the occasional spot-billed pelican; adjutant storks may also fly overhead. You can usually spot 40 or more bird species in just 3-4 hours of birdwatching here.

Your Cambodian tour concludes joyfully after a morning birdwatching session, followed by airport transfer for your departure flight.