Honeymoons & celebration journeys
Tours · Cambodia & Vietnam
Angkor & Vietnam's southern islands in 12 days
Three nights at Angkor with a sunrise inside the park, a night in Phnom Penh, two nights on the quiet Cambodian coast at Kep, then across the border and over the water to five nights on Phu Quoc. Built for December to March, when the whole of this stretch is in its dry season.
At a glance
- Duration
- 12 days, 11 nights
- Party
- 2, or up to 8 friends
- Starts
- Siem Reap
- Ends
- Phu Quoc
- Pace
- Two early starts, then slow
- Price
- On request
Who this route is for
This is the route for a winter honeymoon or anniversary, when the central coast of Vietnam is wet and the far north is cool and misty. Cambodia's northeast monsoon, the drier one, runs from early November to mid-March according to Britannica; Phu Quoc's rainfall averages are at or below 60 mm a month from December to March. Put together, December to March gives you dry temples and a dry island on the same trip.
The shape is temples first, while you have the energy for 5:00 starts, and a week by the sea afterwards. The middle of the route is the unusual part: instead of flying from Cambodia back into Vietnam through Ho Chi Minh City, you drive down to the old French seaside town of Kep, spend two quiet nights there, cross the land border near Ha Tien and take the boat to Phu Quoc. It is slower than a connecting flight, and much more of a journey.
The weather window for each stop is on the beach calendar.
Day by day
Day 1
Arrive in Siem Reap
Flights land at the new Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport, opened in October 2023 about 50 km east of the town. Your driver meets you; the drive in is longer than from the old airport, so we keep the evening free.
If you land early enough, we buy your Angkor pass for the next day after 16:45, which also lets you into the park the same evening for the sunset — a rule set by the park's own ticket office.
Day 2
Angkor Wat at sunrise, Angkor Thom
Sunrise at Angkor Wat
The park opens at 5:00. You are at the pond in front of Angkor Wat before the sky lightens, with your guide and a flask of coffee. Breakfast after sunrise, then the temple itself while it is still cool.
Late morning, the faces of the Bayon in Angkor Thom. Back to the hotel by early afternoon; the midday heat in the park is the time to be in a pool.
Day 3
Ta Prohm, Preah Khan and a private dinner
The celebration dinner
A later start: Ta Prohm, where the trees grow through the galleries, and Preah Khan, larger and usually quieter. Afternoon at the hotel.
In the evening, a private dinner. Some hotels in Siem Reap set tables in their gardens; we do not promise anything inside the park, and we only promise what the hotel has confirmed in writing.
Day 4
To Phnom Penh
To Phnom Penh by a short domestic flight when the schedule suits, or by private car when it does not; we confirm which when we quote. Afternoon at the Royal Palace and the riverside, evening by the Mekong.
Day 5
Down to the coast at Kep
Fresh crab at the market at sunset
South by private car, 173 km via Kampot. Kep was laid out by the French as a seaside town in 1908; today it is small and slow, with old villas, a national park on the hill behind and a crab market on the shore.
Afternoon at the hotel. Kep is not where this route spends its beach days — Phu Quoc is; you come here for the light over the water and the crab at sunset.
Day 6
Rabbit Island, or the pepper farms
A private boat to Koh Thonsay, Rabbit Island, about half an hour offshore, for a swim and lunch. Or inland to the pepper farms of the Kampot and Kep area.
Day 7
Across the border and over the water to Phu Quoc
A short drive to the border near Ha Tien. Your Cambodian driver and guide hand you to a Vietnamese driver on the other side. From Ha Tien the boat to Phu Quoc takes roughly 1.5 hours by fast boat or 3 hours by car ferry; timetables are published by the operators and we book the departure that fits the day.
Border formalities depend on your passport and visa. We check both before confirming this day, and if the land crossing does not suit, we route you by air instead.
Day 8
Phu Quoc
Nothing planned. The island's official dry season is October to March, and in December, by the tourism authority's description, the water is just right for swimming and diving.
Day 9
A private boat to the southern islands
A day on the water with nobody else aboard
A boat for your party only, to the small islands in the south: swimming, snorkelling, lunch on board. The captain chooses the sheltered side if the wind picks up.
Day 10
Free
Spa, pool, or a half day with the driver to the north of the island.
Day 11
Sunset dinner
A last dinner on the sand or on the villa terrace, depending on what the resort permits; we confirm which in writing before you travel.
Day 12
Depart
Driver to Phu Quoc airport for your flight home via Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi or a regional hub.
Price
| Party | Boutique hotels and a beach resort room | Suites and a private pool villa |
|---|---|---|
| Private, 2 travellers | On request | On request |
| Private, 4 travellers | On request | On request |
| Private, 6 – 8 friends | On request | On request |
One third-party cost is fixed and published: the Angkor pass. At the time of writing the park's official ticket office lists USD 37 for one day, USD 62 for three days used within a week, and USD 72 for seven days used within a month. We include a three-day pass in the quote; check before you travel, as the park sets the price.
What the price includes
- 11 nights in the hotels you approve by name
- Private car and driver in Cambodia and in Vietnam
- Private guide at Angkor and in Phnom Penh
- Three-day Angkor pass
- Domestic flight or private car Siem Reap – Phnom Penh
- Boat Ha Tien – Phu Quoc and private island boat on Phu Quoc
- One celebration dinner, confirmed in writing
- Meals as listed day by day
What it does not include
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Cambodia and Vietnam visa fees
- Drinks and meals not listed
- Tips for guides, drivers and boat crew
- Spa and optional extras
Sources: Angkor Enterprise — official Angkor Pass tickets · checked .
Pictures from the route
Who this route is not for
- Travellers between June and October. Cambodia's southwest monsoon brings heavy rain from mid-May to early October, and Phu Quoc is in its stormy months from July to September.
- Anyone who does not want a land border. Day 7 involves passport control on foot and a change of vehicle; we can fly you instead, but the route loses its middle.
- Couples who want a full beach day on every coastal day. Kep is about the town, the crab market and Rabbit Island; the long beach days on this route are on Phu Quoc.
- Travellers who cannot manage two early starts and several kilometres of uneven stone at the temples.
- Groups above eight. The boats and the border day stop working smoothly.
Variations
Skip Phnom Penh and fly from Siem Reap to Phu Quoc via Ho Chi Minh City: one day shorter, no border, no Kep. Add a night at Kep for a slower middle. Replace Phu Quoc with Koh Rong on the Cambodian side for couples who want simpler islands; Koh Rong shares the Cambodian coast's monsoon pattern and the boat crossing depends on the sea.
See how to book for the steps, or the Siem Reap and Phu Quoc pages for more on each end.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Is sunrise at Angkor Wat crowded?
Yes, at the main pond it usually is. Your guide takes you to the side of the pond, and on the second morning we can go to a smaller temple instead. The park opens at 5:00.
Do we need visas for both countries?
Usually, depending on your passport. Both countries run official e-visa portals. We check your nationality when we quote and tell you which you need, but the application is yours to make.
What if the boat to Phu Quoc is cancelled?
If the sea is too rough for the crossing, the boats do not run. We hold a night in Ha Tien as a fallback and move the island days back by one.
Can we start in Vietnam and end at Angkor?
You can, but we do not recommend it for a celebration trip. Ending with 5:00 starts and hot temple days is harder than ending on a beach.
Related
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The town for Angkor: sunrise and sunset rules, how many nights, tickets, the new airport and the dry season.
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Destinations · Southern Vietnam
Phu Quoc
The island at the end of most of our routes: the west coast sunsets, the southern islands by private boat, and its dry season.
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Plan · Weather
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Twelve months against six coasts of Vietnam and Cambodia, with the rainfall figure and source behind every mark.
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Tours · Pricing
Pricing
How a quote is built, what moves the total, and how to compare two quotes line by line.
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Tours · How to book
How to book
The booking sequence from the first form to the trip documents, and what we need at each step.
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Start planning
Tell us the occasion, the month and who is coming
A month, the number of travellers and the occasion are enough to start. You get a draft route and an itemised quote, not a brochure.