Culinary Tour Phnom Penh (4Days/3Nights)

Culinary Tour Phnom Penh (4Days/3Nights)

Day 1. Arrival –Phnom Penh 

Upon arrival in Phnom Penh International Airport, you will welcome by our driver and then transfer you to hotel for check in.

Overnight in Phnom Penh

Day 2.  Phnom Penh

Breakfast at hotel

This morning we explore the stunning Royal Palace complex, home to the Cambodian royal family and a symbol of the nation. We begin amid the beautiful royal gardens, landscaped with tropical plants and studded with gleaming spires. We enter the Throne Hall where the royal receptions are held and the Cambodian king’s coronation took place. We then pass the Napoleon III Pavilion made from iron, a gift from the French emperor in the 19^th century.

We continue to the Silver Pagoda, named after the 5000 silver tiles covering the floor, each weighing 1kg. Inside are some of the country’s most cherished treasures, including a life-size gold Buddha studded with 9584 diamonds, the largest weighing 25 carats. There is also a delicate emerald Buddha made of baccarat crystal, which gives the temple its Khmer name of Wat Preah Keo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha).

We leave the Royal Palace and continue to the nearby National Museum, home to the world’s finest collection of sculpture from the Angkor period. The exquisite building was completed between 1917 and 1920 and features a lush courtyard garden surrounded by collections from the pre-Angkor, Angkor and post-Angkor periods. We concentrate on the incredible sandstone sculpture from Angkor, as well as the intricate bronzes.

We come face to face with the horrific crimes of the Khmer Rouge. Tuol Sleng was a former high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a centre for interrogation, torture and death.  Today it is a museum of torture and serves to remind visitors of the terrible atrocities that came to pass in Cambodia. 17,000 people passed through the gates of this prison and only seven lived to tell the tale.

The Khmer Rouge were meticulous in their record keeping, photographing all the prisoners and many of these haunting black and white images are on display in the cells. Enemies of the revolution were killed here, as well as many Khmer Rouge loyalists, denounced by an ever more paranoid political party. It became a production line for killing, as those that worked within its walls were unwaveringly loyal to Pol Pot. The party did not make mistakes, so those sent here had to be guilty. The role of the prison was not to prove innocence but to confirm guilt. Tuol Sleng is a profoundly moving experience and not everyone will want to visit. However, it is key to understanding the hell into which Cambodia descended and how far it has come in the years since.

We then travel out of town to the Killing Fields of Choeng Ek. Prisoners from Tuol Sleng followed this same route to their fate. An old Chinese cemetery, Choeng Ek was turned into an extermination camp for political prisoners. The remains of 8985 people were exhumed from mass graves and are kept in a memorial stupa here. Despite the horrors of the past, it is a peaceful place to go and a tranquil spot to reflect on the tragic events that engulfed Cambodia and its people.

Day 03. PhnomPenh  – Cooking Class

Breakfast at hotel

09:00 am The group will gather at frizz restaurant in central Phnom Penh. By tuk-tuk we go to the local Kandal Market where our instructor will tell and show you Cambodian fruits, vegetables and spices.

10:00 am Time to take a tuk-tuk ride to the Cambodia Cooking Class, which is located on a cool open-air rooftop terrace, very near to frizz restaurant.

10:15 am Theory Class. Here the instructor will present a cookery demonstration of the dishes that you are going to prepare! Each student will receive a booklet with the recipes of the course.

10.30 am Time to put your hands on the cooking utensils. The open-air roofed cooking school provides for a cool breeze, while you are cooking. Each student has his own cooking station and wok. Assisted by our instructor you will learn and experience the culinary technique of Cambodian cuisine. For lunch, two not too difficult dishes are waiting to be prepared by you!

12:00 pm Lunch. Now you can taste and enjoy your own culinary creation.

Day 04. Phnom Penh -Departure

Breakfast at hotel

Free leisure until driver pick up and then you will transfer to airport for your next destination flight.

END OF SERVICES!!!