Early morning excursion today to participate in the daily processions of saffron-clad monks through the streets of Luang Prabang to collect alms. Later we visit the Royal Palace, featuring rooms decorated in traditional Lao style and housing historic relics of the ancient Lao Kingdom including the historic “prabang” figure, a pure golden Buddha image after which the town is named. After, visit the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre to learn more about the different minorities in Laos. Free time this afternoon to explore town or climb Phousi Hill for a panoramic view of the town.

Morning free in Luang Prabang. Then, fly to Siem Reap. The ruined capital of the powerful Khmer kingdom, Angkor flourished from the 10th to the 15th centuries and comprises some 400 sandstone, brick and laterite temples, walls, tombs and other structures surrounded by jungle.

Begin this morning with a tour of Angkor Thom, royal city of the 12th c. god-king Jayavarman VII, including Bayon with its 54 intricately symmetric towers topped by giant stone faces, the Terrace of the Leper King, and Phimeanakas where the god king made a nightly rendezvous with the sex goddess! This afternoon, continue on to Ta Prohm, one of the area’s most beautiful temples. Then, conclude with Angkor Wat, whose temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. This 12th century masterpiece is considered the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture.

Explore exquisite Banteay Srei (10th century), regarded as the jewel of classical Khmer art. Then, visit Banteay Samre, one of the most complete complexes at Angkor due to the extensive restoration performed. After, drive back to Siem Reap and enjoy the rest of the day free.

Morning drive to remote Beng Mealea temple through the Khmer countryside. Explore this long abandoned 11th century temple, strangled by the jungle and left to the elements. This afternoon, drive 45-minutes through the countryside to the dock on Tonle Sap Lake for check-in to your luxury small ship Mekong abode. Settle into your floating retreat, with its window wall conferring an endlessly captivating panorama.

Set off by skiff into the 22,000-hectare Prek Toal Core Bird Reserve, one of the largest freshwater bodies in Asia and the last refuge in Southeast Asia for large waterbirds like the spot-billed pelicans, milky stork, black-headed ibis and the elusive masked finfoot. After lunch, visit the floating village of Moat Khla, accessible only by water, and attend a Buddhist blessing ceremony in this isolated community.

Explore remote villages around Tonle Sap Lake, designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1997. In Chhnok Tru, we “slide” into an ice factory and learn from locals what it’s like to live in a town where schools, churches, pagodas, and even the karaoke bar and police station all float. Continue learning about Khmer riverside life in Kampong Chhnang, the ‘Port of Pottery’ so called because archaeological findings here date to the 6th century.

This morning, visit Koh Chen, a silversmith village known for its fine craftsmanship. Keep an eye out for their famous silver bowls, regularly chosen by Cambodia’s king as gifts for visiting dignitaries. In the afternoon, set off for the Mekong’s ‘silk islands’ where renowned weavers allow us to wander freely, admiring their intricate craftsmanship. Biking is optional for those who wish to explore deeper into the island.

Enjoy a tour of Cambodia’s capital by motorized tuk-tuk today with stops at the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum of Cambodia, home to the world’s largest collection of Khmer art. For those who wish, visit the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide to learn about the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, or choose to shop at the Russian Market. Disembark in Phnom Penh and return home.