Touching down in Siem Reap, gateway to the fabled Angkor temples, a private Flash Pack transfer will be waiting to whisk you to your hip hotel in the heart of this surprisingly cosmopolitan city. There’ll be time to freshen up before meeting your group and setting off on your first adventure. Travelling by tuk tuk, you’ll head to a traditional wooden house in the Old Market district for a cocktail masterclass, mixing local spirits and rice wine with sugar cane, savanna herbs and wild roots to create some truly delicious concoctions. Finish your evening at a local restaurant for your first taste of Khmer cuisine. 

Set your alarm as you’ll be up before dawn today, to witness the sunrise over Angkor Wat. This vast 12th-century temple was the epicentre of Khmer civilisation and remains one of the most magnificent monuments on earth. To make this moment truly special, we’ll take you away from the crowds to a nearby hill for a more peaceful, elevated experience. After exploring the famous temple city, you’ll visit two more incredible sites: the root-strangled ruins of Ta Prohm and mysterious Angkor Thom, with its multi-faced Bayon. Finish your epic day at Cambodia’s Phare Circus. Set up by refugees of the Khmer Rouge era, the theatrical show tells stories of modern life through song, dance and acrobatics. 

Starting a little later today, you’ll join the monks at a Buddhist pagoda for a private blessing ceremony. Then, you’ll head out of town to Banteay Srei, a pink-hued stone temple considered the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art. Dedicated to Shiva, the carvings here are incredibly delicate and well preserved. This afternoon, you’ll get a taste of Cambodian daily life, stopping by a sugar palm stall where villagers will explain how they process the fruits and show you how to make rice noodles called ‘num banh chok’. You’ll visit the house of a friendly local family and try your hand at making palm leaf crafts and tasting bamboo sticky rice before heading back to Siem Reap for dinner.  

Say goodbye to Angkor as you head to Phnom Penh, the country’s vibrant capital at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. The journey takes around six hours so download a good playlist and enjoy the rural scenes. You’ll break the ride at the town of Skuon, famed for its deep-fried tarantulas (try one if you dare), checking in at your boutique hotel by late afternoon. Tonight, you’ll stretch your legs on a night tour of the city, visiting lively markets, roadsides teeming with street food, elegant cocktail venues and a legendary watering hole where you’ll join the locals for live music and late-night dancing. Expect an eclectic mix of popular Cambodian songs and foreign rock hits. 

You’ve seen it by night, now it’s time to explore the city by day. From the Independence Monument, commemorating liberation from France in 1953, it’s a short walk to the ornate Royal Palace with its glittering Silver Pagoda.  You’ll confront Cambodia’s tragic past at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and visit the infamous Killing Fields, meeting a survivor of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime – an incredible personal connection to the recent past. Spend the afternoon exploring by three-wheeler cyclo, taking in the art deco Central Market, the charming French colonial quarter and the hillside temple of Wat Phnom before finishing your tour with a cruise along the river, enjoying an ice-cold beer as the sun sinks below the city skyline. 

Today, you’re headed for Koh Kong, a remote province in southwest Cambodia with an unspoilt coastline and densely forested interior – one of Cambodia’s last great wildernesses. Carving its way through the jungle, the Tatai River was once a notorious smugglers route but has reinvented itself as an ecotourism destination, perfect for outdoor adventures. At Tatai Bridge, you’ll transfer to a local marchin boat and journey downriver to your secluded eco-resort: a cluster of thatched stilt bungalows and floating Khmer-style villas nestled on the banks of the river. Here, you can slow the pace and unwind in the tranquility of nature, perhaps making use of the free kayaks or cooling off in the nearby waterfall.  

Wake up to the sound of birdsong and gibbon calls, and savour fresh coffee by the river as the morning mist slowly rises over the Cardamom Mountains. Then, it’s time to lace up your hiking boots for an adventurous nature walk through the jungle (full disclosure: your feet may get wet), taking advantage of the morning coolness. Following a path lined with palms and mangrove trees, your local guide will teach you about the exotic flora and fauna. The resident dhole (Asiatic wolf), sun bear and clouded leopard are likely to remain elusive, but keep your eyes peeled for hornbills, monkeys and snakes hidden in the undergrowth. You’ll stop at a small waterfall and enjoy a picnic lunch before returning to your lodge to relax. 

After breakfast, you’ll return by boat to Tatai Bridge, where your driver will be waiting to transfer you to the city of Sihanoukville. The only deep-water port in the country, this is the jumping-off point for Cambodia’s southern islands: an under-the-radar tropical haven that remains blissfully undeveloped. You’ll be staying at a low-key resort on the island of Koh Rong Sanloem, with its powder-white sand, jungled interior and cool castaway vibe. After settling into your hillside cabin, the rest of the day is yours to swim, snorkel or kick back in a hammock with a fresh fruit smoothie. This is what tropical dreams are made of.

Drag yourself away from your hammock: a fun day of exploring awaits. Climbing aboard a longtail boat, you’ll head out onto the warm turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Home to an abundance of marine life, including barracuda and sea bass, you’ll try your hand at fishing using traditional methods – perhaps even landing your lunch. Your captain will then take you to a beautiful spot for snorkelling on the coral reef. Entering the shallow water, you’ll be mesmerised by the technicolour array of species in all shapes and sizes. From parrotfish and seahorses to large schools of yellow goatfish, it’s an underwater paradise. 

Leaving your idyllic island behind, you’ll travel back to Phnom Penh in time for a free afternoon. Feeling energetic? There are plenty more sights to explore. Alternatively, why not round off your trip with a treatment at your hotel’s boutique spa. You’ll begin your final night celebrations on a high, with sunset drinks at a rooftop bar. Soak up the incredible city views before making your way to dinner in a colonial building that once served as the headquarters of a French army commander. Once again marvelling at the checkered history of this incredibly resilient country, you’ll raise a toast with your fellow Flashpackers to the journey of discovery you’ve shared.   

Your Cambodian journey has come to an end. After breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to your group and make your own way to the airport. If you’re not ready to return home just yet, why not continue your Southeast Asian journey by going Off grid in Thailand & Laos, island-hopping in the Philippines or discovering Secret Vietnam? Our trip experts are waiting for your call.