Activities in Cambodia
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Private Tour: Angkor Wat and The Royal Temples Full-Day Tour from Siem Reap
by Viator
lt;pgt;Be mesmerized on this Angkor Wat private tour from Siem Reap. Tour of Cambodia's Royal Temples of Angkor,l begin at the south gate of Angkor Thom City…Not LP reviewed
from USD$77.33 - All activities
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Irrawaddy Dolpin Watching
The main activity that draws visitors to Kratie is the chance to spot the elusive Irrawaddy river dolphin. Before the civil war, locals say, Cambodia was home to as many as 1000 dolphins. However, during the Pol Pot regime, many were hunted for their oils and their numbers have plummeted. Locals and experts alike believe there may be as few as 75 Irrawaddy dolphins left in the Mekong between Kratie and the Lao border near Don Khone.
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bamboo train
The bamboo train is one of the world's all-time classic rail journeys. From O Dambong, on the east bank 3.7km south of Battambang's Old Stone Bridge, the train runs southeast to O Sra Lav, via half an hour of clicks and clacks along warped, misaligned rails and vertiginous bridges left by the French.
Each bamboo train - known in Khmer as a norry (nori) - consists of a 3m-long wood frame, covered lengthwise with slats made of ultra-light bamboo, that rests on two barbell-like bogies, the aft one connected by fan belts to a 6HP gasoline engine. Pile on 10 or 15 people or up to three tonnes of rice, crank it up and you can cruise along at about 15km/h.
The genius of the…
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Helicopters Cambodia
For those with plenty of pocket money, there are tourist flights around Angkor Wat (US$75) and the dhelicopter flightstemples around Angkor Thom (US$130) with Helicopters Cambodia. The company also offers charters to remote temples such as Koh Ker and Prasat Preah Vihear, with prices starting at around US$1800 per hour.
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Dr Feet
It would take a brave sole to argue with Dr Feet’s credentials. Exploring the vast temple complexes takes its toll on the toes and this is the place to restore the balance before another day of adventures.
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Seeing Hands Massage 4
You may well need a massage if you have been exploring the rollercoaster roads of upcountry Cambodia. This place deserves support, as it trains blind people in the art of massage.
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Betelnut Jeep Tours
Betelnut Jeep Tours based at the Lazy Gecko Café offers day trips here from Tuesday to Saturday, including entry, a guided tour and a chance to meet some of the residents.
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Scuba Nation Diving Center
The only PADI five-star dive centre in Cambodia. Highly professional, multilingual instructors with first-class equipment offer classes in English, Swedish, French and Dutch.
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Aqua
If you are melting in the heat and don’t have the benefit of a swimming pool at your hotel, head to Aqua, where there’s a large pool and a lively little bar-restaurant.
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Frangipani
Located down the narrow alley between Psar Chaa and Bar St, this delightful little retreat offers massage and a whole range of spa treatments.
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Champei Spa
Khmer, Swedish and other massages, plus beauty care and hairdresser.
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Nature Cambodia
Nature Cambodia offers quad biking (ATV trips) in the countryside around Phnom Penh. The quads are automatic, so easy to handle for beginners, and prices are pretty affordable at US$15 for one and a half hours or US$35 for a half day. Despite its proximity to the capital, this is rural Cambodia and very beautiful. Longer trips and jeep tours are also available. Follow signs to Choeung Ek and it is about 300m before the entrance. Call ahead as numbers are limited.
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Elephant Valley Project
For an original elephant experience, visit the Elephant Valley Project. Part of the Elephants Livelihood Initiative Environment, visitors can learn the art of the mahout for a day. The trip starts with a tour of the project before learning about the body language of elephants. Students are then given the chance to try a series of short rides to build their confidence. After lunch, wannabee mahouts get the chance to experience a longer ride to a nearby waterfall.
After a dip in the water, it's possible to help wash down the elephants.It costs around US$50 per person per day up to a maximum of four people, although this number may rise as more elephants are brought into…
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group tour
One of the most popular ways to visit Bokor is with a group tour, organised through one of the guesthouses in Kampot. Many concentrate on the old French hill station, so if you'd like to spend the day hiking through the rainforest make sure the itinerary is clear ahead of time.
In Kampot, Sok Lim Tours is a reliable outfit whose Bokor excursions (around US$10 plus park fee) include a sunset river cruise on the way back. The company also offers two-day jungle treks (around US$50 per person). Wild Orchid Adventure Tours, based at the Orchid Guesthouse, and Long Villa Tours (012 626698), based at Long Villa Guesthouse, are also good bets. Now that Sokimex has started…
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O Svay
This small village near the border with Laos is emerging as an alternative place to view the rare freshwater dolphins of the Mekong. As politics muddies the waters on the Lao side of the border, with the Cambodian and Lao authorities arguing over who has the right to profit from the dolphins, O Svay is stepping forward. A friendly village that also offers the chance for a homestay with a local family, it is possible to view the dolphins for just USaround US$1 here.
Boat rental is also available for about around US$5 per hour, although for now the boats have no covers so bring a hat or scarf. O Svay is now part of the Mekong Discovery Trail and it is possible to arrange a…
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Virachay National Park treks
Many visitors opt for a trek into Virachay National Park, but be aware that some of these treks barely scrape the park itself, and spend much of the time in the park buffer zone. There are now multiday treks into the park, and these are a great way to explore one of the wildest and most remote areas in Cambodia.
The cost depends on the route, but figure on around US$15 to around US$25 a day for a good guide and more for transport, food and lodging along the way. Budget travellers really need to link up with a group to make it affordable. The best places to arrange trekking are Terres Rouges and Yaklom Hill Lodge. Recommended guesthouses can also help out with budget…
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kickboxing
Traditional Khmer kickboxing - similar to Thailand's Muay Thai, which Khmers insist is in fact Cambodian - is especially popular in Krong Koh Kong, and many of the country's top boxers, including the national champion, Eh Phouthong, hail from here.
Matches are sometimes held in Krong Koh Kong on Saturday nights, especially in the dry season. The hugely enthusiastic crowds include quite a few women and the provincial governor who, it is said, never misses a match. Locals are joined by Thai punters from across the border.
For details on times, ask someone to translate what's being said when you see an old pickup driving around town with its loudspeakers blaring.
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Trekking
The truly intrepid can hire guides for the trek from Thma Bang north to Kravanh which takes at least a week, or from Chamnar (linked to Thma Bang by road) over the mountains to Kravanh, a five-day affair. These treks are possible only in the dry season. An easier option is the three-day hike from Chumnoab, east of Thma Bang, eastwards to Roleak Kang Cheung, linked to Kompong Speu by road.
Between the two is Knong Krapeur (1000m), set amid high-elevation grassland and pines. Inhabited five centuries ago, the area is known for its giant ceramic funeral jars, still filled with human bones.
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Chambok Community-based Ecotourism
Kirirom is one of the few national parks to have a nearby community tourism programme. Set just beyond the park boundaries, Chambok Community-based Ecotourism programme is based in Chambok village, where attractions include a 40m-high waterfall, traditional ox-cart rides (Cambodia's original 4WDs) and nature walks. It is also possible to sample traditional Cambodian country fare at the small restaurant or arrange a local homestay with a bit of notice.
Originally established by local NGO Mlup Baitong, a percentage of the proceeds is pumped back into the local community.
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bamboo trains
Pursat's own bamboo trains - much less tourist-oriented than their Battambang cousins - stop at the train crossing 800m south of NH5 along the road to Kravanh. A three- or four-hour private excursion costs around US$10, or you can hop on with the locals; departures are most frequent in the morning.
For the best scenery, head towards Phnom Penh. One option is to get off at the village of Chheu Tom and catch a moto to Chhuk Laeng Cascades (Chroek Laeng Waterfall; one hour), situated 73km southeast of Pursat and 41km south of Krakor (on NH5 near Kompong Luong).
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jungle walks
Fascinating jungle walks led by rangers - most, but not all, speak English - are easy to arrange (hiking unaccompanied is not allowed) at the park headquarters. A two- to three-hour walk from the Keng Kong Recreation Site (9.5km south of the park's HQ) to the Andoung Tuek Cascades costs around US$6 per person. Pond swimming is possible during the wet season.
A five- or six-hour hike into the park's mountainous interior costs around US$2 per hour per participant. It's best (but not obligatory) to call ahead. The income generated goes to help protect the park.
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Trekking
Trekking has really started to take off around Ratanakiri, but it is important to make clear arrangements with your guide to ensure you get what is expected out of a trip. There are lots of popular routes that take in minority villages and scenic spots around the province, including Kreung villages near the road to Ta Veng, and Jarai villages up in Andong Meas district, but with deforestation continuing apace you need to be sure of conditions along the way.
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Elephant Treks
The villages of Phulung, 7km northeast of Sen Monorom, and Putang, 9km southwest of town, are the most popular places to arrange an elephant trek. Most of the recommended guesthouses around town, as well as the tourist office, can arrange day treks for around USaround US$30 or so, including lunch and transport to and from the village. It can get pretty uncomfortable up on top of an elephant after a couple of hours; carry a pillow to ease the strain.
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Diving & Snorkelling
The reefs around Sihanoukville are rich in corals, sponges and all sorts of sea life, from eels to anemones and stingrays to dolphins. Some of the best diving is around Koh Tang and Koh Prins, which require an overnight trip, though there's also decent diving closer in near Koh Tas (Koh Kaong Kang) and Koh Rung Samloem (two hours one-way).
Excellent snorkelling locales include coral-rich Koh Khteah, about 2km off Otres Beach.
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Ox-cart tours
Young people in dark khaki uniforms, members of the Apsara Authority's Community Heritage Patrol (www.autoriteapsara.org), keep an eye on the site, which is refreshingly clean and orderly. Ox-cart tours of the temples, lasting an hour-and-a-half, cost around US$12; proceeds go into a community development fund. For information on preservation and sustainable development plans for Koh Ker, visit www.heritagewatch.org.
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aerobics
In New York or London they may be achieving inner harmony with tai chi, but here in Battambang they're burning off the rice carbs doing classic Western aerobics, held each evening from about 17:30 to 19:00 on the East Bank north of the Old Stone Bridge. Led by a local hunk with a portable sound system, just five minutes of working out should be enough to teach you how to count in Khmer - at least up to four.
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