Life in Phnom Penh plays out on the city streets. We'll leave you with a day to explore independently and settle into your holiday. Get in the thick of it straight away walking through the French Quarter, past the Royal Palace, along the riverside and into markets laden with fresh produce and spices. Or slow the pace down, enjoy the hotel buffet breakfast and relax by the pool to shake the jetlag, before setting out into the city for dinner.

Next up is Battambang, Cambodia’s second largest city. It’s a relaxed place with elegant French colonial buildings and good restaurants. But what we love most about it is the surrounding countryside, pancake-flat plains and paddies that produce most of Cambodia’s rice. It’s great for exploring by bike, cycling through orange groves past village cottage industries. Later, as dusk falls, you might want to take in a spectacular nature show. Phnom Sampeau is one of the few hills in the region, and the perfect spot to see hundreds of thousands of bats emerge from caves, creating shadowy patterns across the sky.

Now it’s time to leave the tourist trail and immerse yourselves in the rhythm of rural Cambodia. Tonight, you’ll be staying in a traditional homestay in the small village of Banteay Chhmar. Facilities are basic and there’s no air-conditioning, but it’s only one night and a very authentic experience. The villagers will be your hosts and they’ll take you on a tractor tour of the surrounding settlements, rice paddies and reservoirs. As night falls, you’ll all sit down together for a torch-lit barbecue. Before you leave, take a peek at Banteay Chhmar temple. It’s one of our favourites, its crumbling ruins being slowly reclaimed by nature.

Welcome to Siem Reap, gateway to the magnificent temples of Angkor. Channel your inner Lara Croft at Ta Prohm, the vine-covered Tomb Raider temple. Meanwhile, Angkor Wat looks like something out of The Jungle Book – it's not hard to imagine King Louis swinging from the rafters. We’ll also keep the kids entertained with a scavenger hunt through the ruins of Angkor Thom. Beyond the temples, Siem Reap is a great hub for hands-on activities, and we're including a patisserie class for junior chefs. You’ll also get to zipline over the jungle canopy in a high-octane adventure, take an early evening street food tour and visit the elephants in the forests of Kulen mountain.