Cambodia - Siem Reap Photo, Culture, Food Week

6-13 January 2025

Join us for an unforgettable Cambodian experience based in Siem Reap combining photography, culture, history and food. Set against the stunning backdrop of the ancient Angkor temples, Siem Reap will be our base for the week, and we will be immersing oursevles in the rich heritage of Cambodia.

Daily experiences carefully planned and organised as always will ensure you get a good mix of photographic opportunities and experiences while also enjoying your holiday. From sunrise shoots at Angkor Wat to documenting the vibrant street life and fishing villages, we have designed this week to make the best of celebrating Cambodia's history and spirit while capturing it all through your lens.

What we’ll cover, visit and photograph

Angkor Wat and the Angkor Archaeological Park

Siem Reap is most famous for being home to Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a must-see for its intricate carvings, grand architecture, and cultural significance.

Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm (the "Tomb Raider Temple"), and hundreds of other ancient temples make Siem Reap a historical treasure trove and we will be visiting and capturing them across several days, guided by our local guide and driver to ensure we get a better experience with less of the crowds in as much as possible.

The sunrise over Angkor Wat is on many photographers’ wishlist and on this trip we will ensure you include this amongst many other photographic opportunities as well as give you technical and creative guidance should you need it.

‘Floating’ Villages and Tonle Sap Lake

During the week we will have a day trip to Tonle Sap Lake, Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake, and home to unique floating villages like Kompong Khleang. We will experience and capture the local fishing communities' way of life, which is equally interesting in the wet season as well as the dry season when we will be there. Walking through the village – not possible during the wet season when the entire area is submerged  under water, giving them the name of floating villages – will give us a unique opportunty to interract with the local families with children enjoying running around their stillted houses.

Depending on the weather and water levels, we will be taking a boat trip on Tonle Sap lake in time to see the sun setting over this vast expanse of water.

Culture, History, Food and Experiences

We will organise tickets to see a traditional Apsara Dance Performance. This is a raditional Khmer dance featuring the graceful Apsara dancers in their elaborate costumes - a wonderful way to experience Cambodian performing arts. We are also intending to organise a private photo shoot with an Apsara dancer just for our group, at a different time during the week.

For those interested, we will also arrange a visit to the Wat Tephothivong Memorial Site otherwise known as the Killing Fields Museum in Siem Reap  - a smaller and less well-known site, but a powerful stop for those wishing to learn more about Cambodia’s tragic history and pay respects to the victims of the genocide. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the resilience of the Cambodian people and the importance of remembrance.

Visits to local markets and artisan sites will afford us opportunities for street and documentary photography. The Old Market (Phsar Chas) is a sensory experience, filled with vibrant colors, the smell of street food, and lively bargaining. The Made in Cambodia Market is perfect for unique, ethically sourced souvenirs, including silk scarves, jewelry, and local art. Last but not least, the artisan workshops at Artisans Angkor afford us an opportunity to see traditional craftspeople at work. They produce everything from stone carvings and silk textiles to lacquerware and silver jewelry.

Last but not least, we are including all meals in the price of the trip and we will be organising them to ensure you get a chance to experience everything that the delicious Khmer Cuisine has to offer: from street food to restaurant dinners we will sample local dishes like amok (steamed fish curry), lok lak (stir-fried beef), and nom banh chok (Khmer noodles). For those with dietary requirements, alternatives will be offered as needed.

What you’ll get

  • ✺

    Group airport transfers on arrival and departure dates

  • ✺

    7 nights accommodation in 4* central Siem Reap hotel with swimming pool, in en-suite single occupancy room

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    All meals starting with dinner on Day 1 and ending with breakfast on Day 8. Special dietary requirements catered for subject to availability.

  • ✺

    On-demand, unlimited creative and technical photographic advice from 2 professional photographers including post-trip image review

  • ✺

    Angkor Pass / Ticket for the duration, all day trips as mentioned, local driver / guide for all day trips and temple visits.

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    Small group (min 4, max 6 participants)

£2200pp

including everything outlined in the ‘what you’ll get’ section.

Not included in the price:

  • international flights to/from Siem Reap

  • entry visas as applicable

  • any meals or drinks not specified

  • travel insurance (required)

Price

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

  • Absolutely not. Feel free to bring your favourite tool for capturing images or video as you wish, be it a smartphone or field camera! We will advise everyone depending on their preferences, from beginners to advanced photography enthusiasts, before the trip.

  • It is reasonable to assume that there will be some walking involved at every location, especially when exploring the vast Ankgor complex. But our explorations will be slow and allow sufficient time to take in our surroundings and capture them - so everything will be at a reasonable pace.

  • Not at all. We are very experienced in working with a mix of complete beginners as well as technically and creatively accomplished photographers, ensuring that everyone gets a lot out of the experience.

  • Just let us know what is required and we will arrange something to suit your needs for the meals that are included. Khmer / Cambodian cuisine is very diverse so you will still be able to enjoy some traditional cuisine if you're a pescatarian or a vegetarian for example.

  • No. The price includes accommodation in single occupancy as standard. We may be able to offer a small discount for partners traveling with a participant photographer and sharing a room - just ask.

  • We are visiting Siem Reap Cambodia at one of the best times of the year to experience it, as January is in the dry season, with warm weather throughout the day but not as hot as later in the year. Average temperatures of around 26 degrees celsius are to expected.