PHNOM PENH FREE AND EASY

When you arrive in Phnom Penh, you will notice that the city has retained its original
Khmer and colonial features, with French villas and a big tree-lined sidewalk. Upon
arrival in Phnom Penh, our local tour guide will meet you at the airport and transport
you to your accommodation. This evening, we will visit the colourful Khmer-style
royal palace complex built in 1866 by King Norodom's Predecessors. Nearby lies the
Silver Pagoda (the Emerald Buddha Temple), which has a plethora of Buddha
Statues adorned with gold, diamond, gemstones, and silver. We visit the
Independence Monument and the National Museum, which is housed in a wonderful
Khmer architectural structure and has about 5000 art antiques made of bronze,
wood, gold, silver, copper, sandstone, and other materials. Overnight in Phnom
Penh at a hotel.

This morning, we went to the Tuol Sleng jail, which is now a Genocide Museum and
was the most secret element of the Khmer Rouge administration. We will leave the
vestiges of Cambodia's awful history behind and visit the Russian market, where we
will enjoy the busy everyday activities of the residents. This afternoon, we'll go to the
seldom-visited Silk Island. From the port, aboard a boat for the approximately 1.5-
hour voyage down the mighty Mekong River, taking in the picturesque surroundings.
Houses on stilts are erected here, with workshops below for resident artists who
make a living by weaving silk into gorgeous items. We'll have time to go about the
village and talk with the residents. Meet the families that uphold centuries-old
traditions of hand-loomed silk coloured in vibrant colours. Return to Phnom Penh by
boat across the Mekong and watch the sunset in front of the Royal Palace at the
Four Rivers. Overnight in Phnom Penh at a hotel. (B)

You will be transferred to the airport this morning for your trip back home or to your
next destination. (B)