Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Incredible Cambodia…the time to go is now….  

“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road & enjoy the journey” - Babs Hoffman

From the nomadic steppes of Kazakhstan to the frenetic streets of Hanoi, Asia is a continent so full of intrigue, adventure, solace & spirituality that it has fixated & confounded travellers for centuries. Lush landscapes, urban jungles, blissful beaches, brooding volcanoes, ancient temples, modernist architecture, creative cuisine - Asia seamlessly delivers the accessible, affordable exotic.

Then, there is a magic about Cambodia that casts a spell on many who visit this charming yet confounding kingdom. Come…..experience the idyllic serenity of Angkor Wats…..with us.

Asia is a spiritual space. As dawn breaks, pots of rice bubble over & the smoke of incense wafts from earth to heaven. Barefoot monks embark on their call to alms among the faithful; the muezzin's call reverberates from mosques urging devotees to prayer; and family altars are flush with fruit & flowers for the guardian spirits. The region’s great monuments were wrought from divine inspiration, from Angkor’s heaven incarnate to Bagan’s shimmering spires. The spiritual side of life is omnipresent & travellers can boost their karmic balance at meditation retreats or by hiking to a golden temple atop a sacred mountain.

The cities are stepping into the future with one foot dragging in the past. Bangkok is the gateway to many Asian adventures, where skytrains whisk shoppers from mall to mall & hawkers ply their wares on the steaming pavements below. Singapore is a gleaming testament to Asia at its most efficient. For old meets new, explore the backstreets of Phnom Penh, Hanoi's Old Quarter or downtown Yangon, which have a beguiling blend of traditional architecture, colonial-era gems and a contemporary twist. One thing all the cities have in common is a buzz.

Water has sculpted many Southeast Asian landscapes. The jungle-topped islands are fringed by coral reefs that calm the ocean into turquoise pools. The languorous Vietnamese coastline greets the South China Sea from tip to tail, while inland dramatic karst mountains soar skywards. The meandering Mekong River winds its way from the densely packed mountains of northern Laos to the pancake-flat rice bowl of the Mekong Delta. The traditional ‘highways’ of Borneo are coffee-coloured, jungle-clad rivers. And the volcanoes of Indonesia & the Philippines provide a glimpse into the earth’s volatile heart.

With a burning sun & cooling rains, the earth here delivers a colourful palette of fruits, spices once as prized as gold, and the Southeast Asia staple, rice. From Indian curries to Chinese dim sum, the regional cuisine tells a tale of migration & mixing. And there is no better way to meet the region's melting pot of people, with their infectious spirit & irrepressible love of life, than with a meal in a market or a drink at a street stall. Despite the rapid development, the street remains the stage for the real-life drama that unfolds each day.

Slow boats down the Mekong, motorbike adventures in the jungle and island-hopping in Indonesia were all early highlights, but new frontiers are opening up all the time with Myanmar embracing democracy & Timor-Leste not yet on the traveller radar. The people are irrepressible, the experiences unforgettable and the stories impossible to re-create, but sometime during your journey, Southeast Asia will enter your soul.

Whether settling down for a Michelin-starred meal in one of Singapore’s finest restaurants or pulling up a plastic stool on a Bangkok street, hungry travellers will never be bored by the diversity of Asia’s cuisines. This is a region where humble hawker stalls come with Michelin stars, where a meal at a roadside canteen or night market can be as memorable as a 5*, dim sum banquet.

Every aspect of life here has a spiritual dimension, from the food people eat to the religious geometry that dictates the layout of centuries-old Mosques & Temples.

And now, let us talk about the magic of Cambodia that casts a spell on many who visit this charming yet confounding kingdom.

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Breathtaking Antiquity | Empire of Temples | Cambodian Spirit

There is a magic about Cambodia that casts a spell on many who visit this charming yet confounding kingdom. Ascend to the realm of the gods at the mother of all temples, Angkor Wat, a spectacular fusion of symbolism, symmetry & spirituality. Descend into the hell of Tuol Sleng & come face to face with the Khmer Rouge & its killing machine.

Just as Angkor is more than its wat, so too is Cambodia more than its Temples. The chaotic yet charismatic capital of Phnom Penh is a hub of political intrigue, economic vitality & intellectual debate. All too often overlooked by hit & run tourists ticking off Angkor on a regional tour, the revitalised city of Siem Reip is finally earning plaudits in its own right thanks to a gorgeous riverside location, a cultural renaissance, and a dining & drinking scene to rival the best in the region. And don’t forget the rest of the country: relax in the sleepy seaside town of Kampot & trek the nearby Bokor National Park; take an elephant ride in the jungles of Mondulkiri ; ogle the Mekong dolphins at Kratie or simply choose a beach near Sihanoukville.

Contemporary Cambodia is the successor state to the mighty Khmer empire, which, during the Angkor period, ruled much of what is now Laos, Thailand & Vietnam. The remains of this empire can be seen at the fabled temples of Angkor, monuments unrivalled in scale & grandeur in Southeast Asia. The traveller’s first glimpse of Angkor Wat, the ultimate expression of Khmer genius, is simply staggering & is matched by only a few select spots on earth, such as Machu Pichu or Petra.

Siem Reap & Phnom Penh may be the heavyweights, but to some extent they are a bubble, a world away from the Cambodia of the countryside. This is the place to experience the rhythm of rural life and timeless landscapes of dazzling rice paddies & swaying sugar palms. Spend some time in the srok (provinces), as Cambodians call them, enjoying a dar leng (walkabout) to discover the true flavour of the country.

The south coast is fringed by tropical islands, with barely a beach hut in sight. The next Ko Samui or Gili Trawangan awaits discovery & for now, visitors can play Robinson Crusoe. Inland from the coast lie the Cardamom Mountains, part of a vast tropical wilderness that provides a home to elusive wildlife & is the gateway to emerging ecotourism adventures. The mighty Mekong River cuts through the country & is home to some of the region’s last remaining freshwater dolphins; cyclists or dirt bikers can follow the river’s length as it meanders through traditional communities. The northeast is a world unto itself, its wild & mountainous landscapes a home for Cambodia’s ethnic minorities & an abundance of natural attractions, including thundering waterfalls & pristine crater lakes.

There are 2 faces to Cambodia: one shiny & happy, the other dark & complex. For every illegal eviction of city dwellers or land grab by a General, there will be a new NGO school offering better education, or a new clean-water initiative to improve the lives of the average villager. The Khmers have been to hell & back, struggling through years of bloodshed, poverty & political instability. Thanks to an unbreakable spirit & infectious optimism, they have prevailed with their smiles intact; no visitor comes away from Cambodia without a measure of admiration & affection for the inhabitants of this enigmatic Kingdom.

Cambodia beaches as beautiful as Thailand but without the tourist tide; wilds as remote as Laos but even less explored; cuisine as subtle as Vietnam but yet to be discovered; & Temples that leave Burma & Indonesia in the shade. This is the heart of Southeast Asia, with everything the region has to offer packed into one bite-sized country. If you were only planning to spend a week in Cambodia, it is time to think again.

The years of fear & loathing are finally over & Angkor is once more the symbol of the nation, drawing pilgrims from across the globe. Peace has come to this beautiful yet blighted land after 3 decades of war, and the Cambodian people have opened their arms to the world. Such is the yin & yang of Cambodia, a country that inspires & confounds. Like an onion, the more layers you unravel, the more it makes you want to cry, but these are spontaneous tears, sometimes of sorrow, sometimes of joy.

Take the plunge now and yep…. the conundrum that is Cambodia, is waiting. Despite having the 8^th wonder of the world in its backyard, Cambodia’s greatest treasure is its people. A unique experience is just the beginning……. a warm welcome, historical secrets & an artistic paradise awaits you and The Journeys is ready to take you on well, a journey (or journeys) of discovery.

Come…be inspired & discover the World with us

We are in the process of updating our Offerings of experiential journeys to Cambodia. Please contact us in the interim if you want to explore more options & we will be happy to offer suggestions based on your personal preferences…