CAMBODIA PHOTO TOUR

EXCLUSIVE 12-DAY JOURNEY

Discover Cambodia Through Your Lens: Timeless Sanctuaries, Welcoming People, and Living Heritage

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Expert photography guidance and personalized feedback from Laurent Dambies.
• Private transportation in air-conditioned vehicle throughout the journey.
• 7-day Angkor pass.
• Comfortable 3-star accommodations in Siem Reap and Battambang; air-conditioned guest house in Banteay Chhmar.
• Refreshments, bottled water, soft drinks, and premium coffee ☕.
• Daily breakfast, selected lunches, and special welcome and departure dinners.

NOT INCLUDED

-Visa for Cambodia

• Travel and health insurance coverage.

AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
UNAVAILABLE DURING: APRIL, MAY, SEPTEMBER
OPTIMAL PHOTOGRAPHY PERIOD: AUGUST

HARMONIZING ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE AND CULTURAL PORTRAITURE

While the magnificent temples of Angkor captivate most photographers seeking perfect lighting and uncrowded compositions, Cambodia offers an equally compelling landscape of human stories waiting to be documented. Rural communities with traditional wooden structures amid emerald rice paddies provide authentic glimpses into Cambodian daily life. The bustling marketplaces present endless visual opportunities—from colorful produce displays to spontaneous interactions between merchants and customers.

Young Buddhist monks dressed in saffron robes create fleeting visual poetry as they move through their daily routines. You may capture them during language studies, monastery maintenance, or evening meditation rituals. These spontaneous moments reveal the essence of Cambodia’s spiritual traditions.

After guiding photography expeditions in Cambodia for a decade, I’ve developed a thoughtful approach to balancing these photographic environments. While temple photography offers architectural magnificence, it comes with physical challenges—sessions often involve extended periods composing images in temperatures exceeding 30°C with humidity reaching 60%, challenging even experienced photographers.

PERSONALIZED SMALL-GROUP EXPERIENCE

This photographic journey maintains an intimate atmosphere, welcoming individual travelers, photographers with non-photographer companions, or small groups of 3-4 photography enthusiasts. The advantage of our limited group size becomes evident when photographing in confined spaces such as indoor marketplaces or discreetly documenting monastic life.

CUSTOMIZABLE PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE

Throughout this expedition, activities adapt to your photographic expertise and interests (architectural, portrait, or cultural photography). Based on your fitness preferences, we can incorporate hiking excursions or utilize e-bikes to cover greater distances comfortably.

UNIQUE PHOTOGRAPHIC OPPORTUNITIES

• Capture the legendary Angkor Wat bathed in dawn light.
• Capture the enigmatic stone faces adorning Bayon temple’s towers.
• Navigate the atmospheric corridors and hidden corners of Preah Khan temple.
• Create authentic portraits of villagers in countryside communities and vibrant marketplaces.
• Photograph the jungle-reclaimed ruins of Beng Mealea temple.
• Document the daily rituals of Buddhist monks in their sacred spaces.
• Explore rural landscapes just beyond Siem Reap’s boundaries.
• Follow remote trails via electric mountain bikes to discover hidden temples away from tourist paths (optional).
• Photograph the distinctive way of life in Tonle Sap’s floating communities (seasonal availability).

12-DAY CAMBODIA PHOTOGRAPHIC ITINERARY | SAMPLE SCHEDULE

DAY 1: ARRIVING IN SIEM REAP
Upon landing at Siem Reap International Airport, I’ll personally welcome you before transferring to your centrally located hotel. During our welcome dinner, we’ll discuss our upcoming photographic journey and review your equipment to ensure readiness for the coming days.

DAY 2: SIEM REAP - FIRST LIGHT 📷
We begin before dawn at Ta Prohm, the atmospheric temple famous for its tree-embraced ruins and cinematic history. You’ll capture this mystical location in early morning light before visitor crowds arrive. We’ll then discover several secluded, lesser-known temple sites nearby. After a midday rest at your hotel, we’ll return to photograph Angkor Wat during the magical golden hour light.

DAY 3: SIEM REAP CULTURAL IMMERSION
The day starts with an early visit to a peaceful monastery where we’ll respectfully document young monks during their morning practices. A nearby local market offers vibrant scenes perfect for practicing street photography techniques. Later, we’ll explore Preah Khan temple—a photographer’s treasure with its dramatic corridors, secluded chambers, and ornate architectural details. The remarkable interplay of light with lichen-covered sandstone creates extraordinary photographic possibilities.

DAY 4: VENTURING TO PREAH VIHEAR
Today’s journey takes us deeper into Cambodia’s heartland, traveling approximately 90 minutes to the remarkable Beng Mealea and Koh Ker temple complexes. These less-frequented archaeological sites offer pristine, minimally restored environments ideal for creative photography.

DAY 5: PREAH VIHEAR TO BANTEAY CHHMAR
At daybreak, we’ll explore the dramatic Preah Vihear Temple, perched majestically 500+ meters high on a cliff edge offering breathtaking panoramic vistas across Cambodia and Thailand. The elevated position often creates mesmerizing mist and fog effects during cooler morning hours as the ancient structure emerges through clouds.

We’ll travel westward to Banteay Chhmar, an expansive 12th-century complex built during King Jayavarman VII’s reign. Unlike Angkor’s busier sites, this massive temple welcomes merely 5-10 international visitors daily, offering unparalleled serenity. The site operates under community-based tourism management, providing an authentic cultural connection.

As darkness falls, we’ll enjoy a special dinner arranged within the temple grounds. Weather permitting, we’ll set up for astrophotography, capturing ancient architecture beneath star-filled skies.

DAY 6: BANTEAY CHHMAR TO BATTAMBANG
Following a comprehensive morning exploration of Banteay Chhmar’s main sanctuary, we’ll bid farewell to our local hosts and journey to Battambang, arriving in time to photograph the vivid countryside during sunset.

DAY 7: BATTAMBANG EXPLORATION
Morning brings opportunities to photograph Battambang’s enchanting historic center and animated local markets, experiencing the city’s relaxed atmosphere. After lunch, we’ll document colonial architecture, dynamic neighborhoods, and a traditional Cambodian pagoda before visiting Phnom Sampov to capture the remarkable evening bat exodus.

DAY 8: BATTAMBANG TO SIEM REAP
We’ll spend the morning photographing Battambang’s most visually striking landmarks and hidden corners before returning to Siem Reap. This evening features the dynamic Phare Cambodian Circus, blending acrobatics, dramatic storytelling, and cultural performance—presenting exciting challenges for action photography.

DAY 9: SIEM REAP
Our morning begins at an authentic local food and fish market away from tourist areas, followed by a photographic boat journey through Tonle Sap’s stilted villages. Afternoon brings us to the remarkable Bayon Temple to capture its distinctive architecture during optimal golden hour lighting.

DAY 10: SIEM REAP PHOTO REVIEW
Morning hours are dedicated to reviewing your strongest images and collaborative editing using Lightroom techniques. Later, we’ll venture into nearby rural communities to document monastic life, village activities, and sunset over emerald rice fields.

DAY 11: FINAL PHOTOGRAPHIC DAY 📷
For our final full day together, we return to Angkor Wat to bid farewell while capturing this magnificent monument during sunrise golden hour. Energetic participants may explore temples near the Royal Palace or focus on finalizing image selections and editing. We’ll conclude our photographic journey with a special farewell celebration dinner.

DAY 12: DEPARTURE
Whether completing your Cambodian experience or extending your travels, we’ll arrange comfortable transportation to Siem Reap International Airport.