Day 01
Phnom Penh Heritage and History Tour
- We will pick you up from the lobby of your hotel at 8:00 am to start the program.
- We will begin by visiting the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Tuol Sleng was a former high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a centre for interrogation, torture, and death. Today, it is a museum that reminds visitors of the terrible atrocities that took place in Cambodia. Around 17,000 people passed through the gates of this prison, and only seven lived to tell the tale.
- Next, head to the Killing Field. Prisoners from Tuol Sleng followed this same route to their fate. An old Chinese cemetery, Choeung Ek was turned into an extermination camp for political prisoners. The remains of 8,985 people were exhumed from mass graves and are kept in a memorial stupa here. Despite the horrors of the past, it is a peaceful place to visit and a tranquil spot to reflect on the tragic events that engulfed Cambodia and its people.
- Then, proceed to the National Museum of Cambodia, home to the world's finest collection of sculptures from the Angkor period. This exquisite building was completed between 1917 and 1920 and features a lush courtyard garden surrounded by collections from the pre-Angkor, Angkor, and post-Angkor periods. We will concentrate on the incredible sandstone sculptures from Angkor, as well as the intricate bronzes.
- Afterwards, go to the Royal Palace, home to the Cambodian royal family and a symbol of the nation. We begin amid the beautiful royal gardens, landscaped with tropical plants and studded with gleaming spires. We enter the Throne Hall, where royal receptions are held and the Cambodian king's coronation took place. We then pass the Napoleon III Pavilion, made from iron and gifted by the French emperor in the 19th century.
- We will continue further to the Silver Pagoda, named after the 5,000 silver tiles covering the floor, each weighing 1 kg. Inside are some of the country's most cherished treasures, including a life-size gold Buddha studded with 9,584 diamonds, the largest weighing 25 carats.
- Later, get dropped off at your hotel to conclude the tour.
