This morning, you'll take a short drive into the countryside outside Siem Reap, where you'll visit a local village to learn about traditional food, and growing methods, and try your hand at making a three-course meal in a Cambodian cooking class. Although not as well-known as Thai or Vietnamese food, Khmer cuisine is arguably equally as good, combining fresh seasonal produce with spices to create unique and flavorful dishes.
After meeting your chef, you'll take a walk through the village to meet a local family and see the different vegetables growing and being cultivated. Learn about farming techniques and pick some produce, before making your way back to the cooking school, where you'll get stuck and learn about the history of Khmer cuisine, surrounded by rice paddies and palm trees. Once you have enjoyed the fruits of your labor, return to the city, where the afternoon is free to relax or explore further.
Depart for the Tonlé Sap. You will enjoy a boat ride on the Tonle Sap Lake. This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in Southeast Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. You will see a fishermen's "floating village" with floating schools, floating police station, etc. It is same as a big village floating on the lake, and the "village" move from place-to-place following water levels and current. You will go to local pagoda, where you should change to clothes you can get wet in as here you will experience the ceremony “SrouchTeok”, which roughly translates into “Water blessing”. A monk will chant in ancient Pali as he splashes water over you, washing away your sins and bad luck so you can start fresh and by being a good person can increase your good luck.
Transfer to Quad Bike office, then our guide will give you a safety driving, instruction how to drive the quad bike, and will make a short training for the beginner to adobe with quad bike before departure. Strikingly beautiful view of the rice fields and villages under the clear blue sky turns gold and yellow at dawn and at dust. The unforgettable and unbeatable view of sunset in the countryside behind the villages is a must.
In the evening, enjoy a mesmerizing performance of Phare, the Cambodian Circus, by professional artists from Phare Ponleu Selpak. Originally a project set up in refugee camps to encourage young people to express themselves using art, the Phare Circus has slowly become a worldwide name and is a great success story for responsible tourism. The hour-long show blends together theater, dance, music, juggling, and contortionism.
Overnight in Siem Reap.