Seven days across royal Phnom Penh and ancient Angkor - with two legendary Raffles hotels as your home, and a private Butler as your guide.
For centuries, the mere mention of Cambodia has conjured mystery and adventure. This is that country revealed through the lens of your Raffles Butler: from the modern royal metropolis of Phnom Penh to Angkor, birthplace of the mighty Khmer Empire. Along the way you meet the tastemakers, royals and keepers of secrets who bring these places to life. Beyond sightseeing - into the story.
A French colonial, Khmer and Art Deco landmark in the vibrant capital - its royal link reflected in a crest gifted by the royal family and recipes known only to its chefs.
Days 1 – 3
An authentic 1930s French Art Deco resort in the leafy Old French Quarter - the perfect address from which to begin your Angkorian adventure.
Days 4 – 7Arrive in style and meet your Raffles Butler. Settle into one of four Personality Suites named for the hotel's most illustrious former residents - Jacqueline Kennedy, André Malraux, Charles de Gaulle and Somerset Maugham - before the hotel's resident historian guides you through its storied legacy.
Begin with the official biographer of Cambodia's royal house at the Royal Palace, then explore the world's finest collection of Khmer sculpture with the National Museum's lead curator. In the afternoon, take tea with a Norodom princess - Raffles Ambassador and daughter of Cambodia's first royal prima ballerina.
A culinary journey by the Mekong with an award-winning chef and cookbook author, followed by a tour of the "Pearl of Asia" and its Art Deco treasures - Wat Phnom, Central Market, the old railway station. The chapter closes with a five-course dinner and wine pairings beneath the hand-painted ceiling of Restaurant Le Royal.
Travel from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap - by helicopter direct to the hotel, or by vintage limousine via the summer palace. Then ride a Vespa deep into the Angkor Archaeological Park, reaching temple ruins and overgrown corners that few ever see: Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm.
A pre-dawn start for sunrise over Angkor Wat, then the serene early hours at Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom with an expert guide. A picnic lunch overlooks the ancient bathing pools of Sra Srang. In the afternoon, contemporary Khmer art at TRIBE Gallery and a sunset cruise on Tonle Sap with a marine ecologist - before dinner at 1932.
The pink-stone perfection of Banteay Srei, the "Citadel of Women," then a working silk farm and a rural dance school under royal patronage. Meet the last elephants of Angkor for a private jungle picnic in the Kulen foothills. The day reaches its climax with a torch-lit dinner inside the temple complex, its menu drawn from the original 1936 setting.
On your final morning, a continental breakfast among the green rice fields - then a sunrise hot-air balloon lifts you above the bucolic countryside and its sugar-palm trees. A fitting farewell to this legendary tale of two cities.
Tea with a Princess
Sunrise at Angkor
A dinner among temples
Balloon farewellWe handle the introductions, the transfers and the impossible reservations - so all that's left for your travellers to do is step into the story.
Curated end to end by One Journey, in partnership with Raffles Hotels & Resorts. Part or all of the itinerary can be tailored to your travellers.
Request Pricing & DatesPlease note: this journey requires two months' notice. Pricing is available on request. Due to the seasonality, royal duties and availability of our hosts, elements of the itinerary may be subject to change.