Oudong Mountain History And Pagoda Tour

I absolutely liked Oudong Mountain day trip. Sam's expert guidance made me really enjoy the trip . You need to climb more than 500 stairs at Oudong and I am 135kg with hip protese surgery, thanks to Sam who know a shortcut with less climbing, I have been able to reach the top. It is really worth the climb. Sam is very good in timing, we were on time and have been able to attend the lunch ceremony at the monastery. Quite a spectacle. Other places on the way , fish market, silver village, river,... made the trip unforgettable. He provided a luxury 4x4 with a professional driver, I always felt safe. Next week , I will be in PP for more amazing trips with Sam. You will be lucky if you can meet him in PP.

Sam is a great guide. We did lots of small stops on the way, which I appreciated. He took a lot of pictures that he shared with me afterwards, very convenient!

Had a fantastic day with Sam as a guide for this insightful adventure. Each moment with Sam and his driver was like opening a book and turning the page to find yourself in another world, another time, and a new moment. I really appreciated the education from observation, inquiry and a passionate relationship with the world Sam has the capacity to share with others. Thank you Sam for all the care you put into this tour. I highly recommend Mr. Sam as a brilliant person to meet.

Sam is the kindest, most generous guide we have had in our travels. He provided so much information and ensured we had all the drink and food we needed throughout the day. Highly recommend this tour to learn about about Cambodia, pagodas and monk life.

Sam from Kesar Khmer Tours was absolutely amazing—truly an outstanding guide. His nephew, Michael, was our driver, and we had such a lovely experience from start to finish. We were picked up in a very comfortable vehicle with excellent air conditioning, plus ice-cold water, which was such a nice touch in the Cambodian heat. Sam and Michael were also incredibly friendly, welcoming, and accommodating, always checking in and making sure we were comfortable and having a great time. Sam is very knowledgeable and clearly has a deep understanding of the history and culture of Cambodia—he’s been in the area for quite a while, and it really shows. He made me feel at ease right away, and I never felt rushed or overwhelmed. The day felt relaxed, personal, and enjoyable. Our highlights were the warm company, the beautiful lunch, and, of course, the delicious coconut we enjoyed while taking in an amazing view. It was genuinely a wonderful, authentic experience—one I won’t forget. If you’re looking for an authentic Cambodia experience, I would strongly urge you to book with Sam: Travel to Oudong—the former Royal Capital of Cambodia (17th–19th centuries), located at the base of historic Oudong Mountain. You’ll hike up to explore the royal necropolis, and along the way you can visit a fish market, silversmithing artisans, and a floating village on the Tonle Sap River. Thank you, Sam and Michael, for such a fantastic day!

We thoroughly enjoyed our tor with Sam to Oudong. He and his driver, Michael, picked us up from our hotel and made sure we had a well-paced and informative day and looked after us very well. Sam is an experienced guide who knows much about the history of Phnom Penh and Cambodia and we learned a great deal from him. He is good company and we would recommend him highly!

This is my favorite tour in Cambodia! Every year I get to travel to Phnom Penh and I book a tour with Khmer Tours. The guide Mr.Sam is one of a kind. I recommend this tour for adventure seekers, cultural enthusiasts and artisans. Sam knows the city and its people very well. People around Sam are polite and generous. The Oudong mountain tour is my favorite because it’s an experience that I couldn’t do on my own. With Khmer Tours I can safely transit to this historic site and listen to Mr. Sam talk of the local history. You won’t get this type of adventure just from backpacking. After ascending the mountain, the market awaits. The local treats and fresh foods are delicious. I always try new things that are in season. My latest group tour enjoyed a lunch picnic. Highlights: Hotel pick up and drop off Morning Coffee / tea Round trip ride English speaking g guide History lessons Local interactions and praise Friendly atmosphere Suitable for varying age groups Beautiful photography Cultural gem

Sam was very communicative once my booking went through. Advised me on what shoes I needed to pack for the hike up Oudong Mountain. The itinerary was just suggestions, so it can be tailored to your interests. We decided not to stop at the fish market but we did make a second stop at a different silversmith area to see all the hard work the local villagers put into their craft. There was no pressure to buy anything but honestly, once you see their craft work, it's hard to walk away empty handed! Arey Kasap Pagoda was beautiful. It was a hot day and our driver, Michael, offered us an umbrella for shade as we hiked up Oudong Mountain. It was very much appreciated. He was also always offering us cold bottles of water whenever we needed it. We were also given a welcoming gift of a Kroma scarf. Sam also took pictures of us through out the day and sent it to me before the tour was over. Fun day!

Great experience. Driver arrived on time and we even finished the tour ahead of schedule. These is best for those who are active as there is a lot of walking/climbing.

Sam was very knowledgeable about Cambodia's history. His personal story was very moving. He was happy to answer our questions. We visited several local markets which were very interesting and the Buddhist community, he explained their way of life.

Nice tour of Oudong mountain with its pagodas and stupas in half a day. Sam was a nice guide. The car for our journey was confortable. Recommended.

Despite I mixed up with the date for the oudong mountain tour, sam came and accompanied to the silk island nearby on his twin daughters birthday. I appreciate his efforts and his dedication to his family.

I had a fantastic time in Udong with stops on the way! Udong is a former capital of Cambodia 17-19 centuries, in a rural jungle area. Tour guide Sam Ang was very kind and flexible from the day before on WhatsApp, answering my questions. Sam Ang made great suggestions about food, stops, bathrooms, and guided me with plenty of social and historical information on our walks at the fish market, silversmith village, the Vipassana meditation center, and the Udong stupas and pagodas. What was most enjoyable for me was seeing how Sam Ang was respectfully interacting with the local people, which made me so warm in the heart and comfortable about walking into their everyday activities and practices. I particularly enjoyed the ritual to offer and place lotus flowers by the stupas which date back to 1600s and remain as an accidental symbol for the community’s survival through destruction and human rights challenges during the civil war and the following Pol Pot regime. The rest of the stupas were destroyed, however the area is getting a makeover, a restoration planned by the royal family in the coming years, given the booming tourism. For me, the act of placing flowers at the base of the hill felt like paying respect for those who built and cared for these Buddhist structures and sacrificed for the community. Udong is a great day trip from Phnom Penh. Only 40 some kilometers. The 500 steps (more or less) of Udong “mountain” are a nice, safe workout, not too challenging and doable for most people, with resting areas on the way. Udong is more like a hill than a mountain. For shoes, I had my beach sandals on - no problem. Sunscreen is recommended. Water is provided and you can also buy more. Lunch is provided. You need to cover shoulders and knees to go into temples. On the way back to Phnom Penh, I had to rush to my kickboxing training, while we were hit by a traffic jam. The way Sam Ang delt with it by changing lunch plans was impressive and professional. You are in good hands with this company! Thanks Sam Ang!

This tour was the highlight of my time in Phnom Penh. SAM our guide was brilliant!!! He was extremely knowledgeable, kind & customised the tour around our needs. THANK U 😊 to SAM & his incredible driver!!!!

Sam was an excellent tour guide. He has in-depth knowledge of the places which we visited and the cambodian history as a whole. He has very good communication skills in English and his driver is very focused on safe driving. I will definitely recommend Kesar Kesor Khmer Tours to my friends.

Fantastic tour. This is a must do when visiting Phnom Penh. Mr. Sam is professional and comedic. His tour is well designed for us to see different parts of the city. We were delighted to taste local foods and see amazing architecture at the Royal Palace. We recommend this tour for small groups. You will want to book in advance! Ask for Mr.Sam highly recommend!

Sam was an amazing tour guide! He had a wealth of knowledge, and tailored his tour around the questions we asked. Gave us wonderful insights to his beautiful country, adding personal stories of his family and history. We traveled with out 10 month old child, and he could not have catered any better for us.

We first booked Sam for a Phnom Penh all day city tour and had the absolute most amazing time with him that we decided to spend a second day with him going to Oudong Mountain. Sam is such a kind and genuine person. His knowledge of his culture and history is so vast. The moment we got home, we told our family members about him and we’re recommending him for any upcoming visits family and friends are planning. We really enjoyed spending 2 days with Sam and hope to see him again in the future! If you’re thinking about booking him, just do it! You won’t regret it.

We had the tour yesterday, Feb 1st 2025. What an amazing day! Sam took us to see the real, raw and unfiltered Cambodia. He knew the secret walking paths, historic significance, and cultural backgrounds of the places. I asked a lot of questions and took amazing pictures! The driver also was attentive and friendly. We got to see Cambodia from a different perspective and I loved every second of it!

Booked the tour on Viator. We had the trip yesterday, Feb 1st 2025. What an amazing day! Sam took us to see the real, raw and unfiltered Cambodia. He knew the secret walking paths, historic significance, and cultural backgrounds of the places. I asked a lot of questions and took amazing pictures! The driver also was attentive and friendly. We got to see Cambodia from a different perspective and I loved every second of it!

My day trip with Sam Ang to Oudong Mountain was the hidden gem of my 2 weeks in Cambodia. Oudong is the former royal capital of Cambodia, and the sites are spectacular. However, what made this day trip so amazing for me was the time at the Buddist monastery. Sam will give you an inside look at the daily lives of both monks and nuns. He knows the schedule at the monastery and positions you perfectly for some amazing scenes. You will see hundreds of followers. Also, while wandering among the monks' housing, you may be able to meet and interact with monks and nuns during their casual time. On my trip, a Buddist nun asked me to read the instructions on her new purchase. I read the instructions and my guide Sam tranlated for the nun. There were many special moments like this along the way. This place is not fake in any way. After I met Sam (the week prior) during my Phnom Pehn city tour, I was so impressed that I booked with him again. On this trip, Sam asked and brought his daughter. Her company added even more local spice to my trip. What a great experience. Sam is the best guide in the city. Ask him anything. He can help you. Sam knows many of the people, which keeps the tour relaxing but also engaging and fun. In addition to the people at the monastery, you will see an Islamic neighborhood, a silversmith shop, the temple, the monastery, ancient stupas, and many wonderful Cambodian people along the way.

Excellent trip by car to Oudong Mountain from Phnom Penh. All our thanks to our very professional guide, Sam, for his flexibility in adapting the trip to fit-in with our schedule. Highly recommended!

Fantastic Journey! This tour is for those seeking history lessons and a climb up the mountain. Thank you Mr. Sam for showing us the Oudong Mountain. This tour was so special. Your knowledge of the area is impressive. We enjoyed seeing the fish market, the silver smith families and the local markets around the mountain. We loved seeing the view of Cambodia from the top! Mr. Sam is such a professional guide. He speaks English so well and even wants to practice more! He is kind to adapt the tour to meet our interests. Sam tells many stories so well are keen to try new customs while on our trip in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Highly recommended for all age groups. Vegetarian options. Worth while ! Thanks again 🙏🏽❤️❤️ Blake E

I had a great experience visiting Oudong Mountain with Sam! He ensured the trip was enjoyable and making sure everyone was comfortable. Sam was friendly, attentive, and provided knowledgeable insights along the way. I recommend this tour for anyone visiting Oudong!

Amazing from start to finish! Beautiful sights and lovely tour from Sam. Sam is a 5 ⭐️ guide. Highly recommend, must do on trip to Phnom Penh.

Mr Sam is a man with an amazing story, amazing conversation skills,and very knowledgable! Definitely will engage him and highly highly highly recommend him!

What a great day, Sam was an amazing guide. The local knowledge he had and shared was fantastic. Definitely worth booking a tour with Sam.

Our family of 3 (2 adults, one 7 year old) had a great day trip to Oudong Mountain with Sam! We are long terms residents of Phnom Penh, but this was our first trip to Oudong. We enjoyed a peaceful tuk tuk ride to the mountain, stopping a couple of times on the way to see a fish market, silversmith, and look quickly at floating village. At Oudong, we enjoyed walking around for a long time and Sam provided lots of interesting history and cultural context to what we were seeing. He then took us through the food market and to a picnic lunch. Trip was 7 hours pick up to drop off. Highly recommend!

I've travelled before with Sam and it was amazing the last time round, so we engaged him again. It was a comfortable ride with Sam in the car so the journey was quite enjoyable. Once at Oudong, he shared facts and stories about the history which was useful to add context on our excursion. The mountain was nice with excellent view and so since we could afford some time and had not been here, it was nice to make the trip. The site is very cultural and you can see the remains that are very well maintained. He helped us with some photos as usual too! We had a good trip and loko forward to the next time!

Sam was a great, helpful guide who went well beyond just taking us to Oudong Mountain. We stopped at many spots along the way sampling local food and seeing Cambodian life. Sam also graciously allowed us to join in the Buddhist traditions with him at Oudong. Sam is also very knowledgeable about Cambodian history, politics, and current events making for great conversation. Highly recommended!

This really is an exceptional tour with plenty of surprises and fun to be had. From the beginning I was warmly welcomed by my host and operator Sam Ang, and we are then transported by Tuk Tuk to various destinations along our way to the jewel, Oudong Mountain. The open mode of transport allowed us to enjoy the cooling winds as we ventured down the national motorway, as well as giving us a full 360 panoramic view of the landscape. Along the way we passed various mosques, before making our first stop, a fishing port/market populated by the friendly Muslim locals in the area. We then journeyed toward a silversmith, where we witnessed the making of silverware by a family of skilled artisans. It was wonderful watching the intensity and dedication they applied to their work, drawing up designs and painstakingly hammering into the metal to create some truly amazing designs. From there we ventured to our main destination, Oudong Mountain. As we approached, the grandeur of the site became more and more apparent, when upon arrival I was greeted by an extraordinary towering wonder, far surpassing the picturesque tourist photos we are most familiar with. With more than 500 steps we began our ascent up the front entrance, and along the way, we were greeted by a wonderful surprise, Monkeys! And plenty of them. They were extraordinarily friendly and welcoming coming right up to you to feed, but be aware, they can be very mischievous, and may try to steal food or other items from you! Arriving at the summit the site is truly inspiring, the tower soars above it's visitors and is magnificent to behold. Moreover the view onto the Cambodian landscape is an open unhindered panorama visible up to the horizon. It really is breathtaking. This must be one of the best viewing spots in Phnom Penh! Inside visitors can make they obeyances to Buddha, praying and placing flowers whilst bathing in it's serenity and tranquility. We also visited a temple with more than 5000 Buddha statues. It really is a site to behold, and were given blessings and prayers by a local priest to rid us of our karma. A very spiritual moment. There are many massive stupas that also adorn the site. Upon our descent, we came upon an amazing local live market, perhaps one of the best I've seen so far in Cambodia. The number of exotic foods was amazing, and during our visit i feasted on such delicacies as ants, berries, grilled honey infused with chilli and various other unusual but tasty delights. The locals are especially welcoming. Our trip eventually took us back to Phnom Penh where Sam hosted me to an enjoyable local Cambodian lunch. Overall a fantastic tour, and one not to be missed. Oudong Mountain may not figure on many tourists' itinerary but after doing this tour, it should be an absolute must for everyone! A final big thanks to Sam, for creating such a great tour. He has put an extraordinary amount of effort into it, with the planning, the research into the religion, the history, the culture. Thanks again Sam for all your efforts.

Sam was a great, helpful guide who went well beyond just taking us to Oudong Mountain. We stopped at many spots along the way sampling local food and seeing Cambodian life. Sam also graciously allowed us to join in the Buddhist traditions with him at Oudong. Sam is also very knowledgeable about Cambodian history, politics, and current events making for great conversation. Highly recommended!

I've booked a tour for Outdong Mountain and everything was great. Sam Ang was an amazing guide who had a lot of information about the history of Cambodia. I felt really good in his company and I will definitely book this tour again.

Sam was an amazing tour guide. I am very glad to have booked the Oudong Mountain tour and spending time with Sam to learn about the fascinating histories, sightseeing with breathtaking view of temples and landscape, and even getting to interact with the locals. I was given a souvenir Krama when I first met him and he has been very engaging and accommodating throughout my tour with him. Thank you Sam for a wonderful tour during my time in Phnom Penh. I highly recommend him for your tour guide if you ever get the chance to visit Phnom Penh.

This is a great tour to experience the Cambodian countryside. You have breathtaking views and get to see how locals live outside of Phnom Penh. The tour guide is very knowledgeable and shared a lot of interesting insights during the tour. I highly recommend it.

He was the friendliest and best guide I met in Cambodia. I would like to praise him for always working passionately. If you are looking for a guide, he might be the right one for you. Guaranteed.

A tour in Cambodia is good filled with hiking and visiting a temple. Climbing up Oudong mountain to the top was amazing. The scenery is lush green. The atmosphere is peaceful. Sam Ang is a great guide. His English is accurate. He can answer many questions. He is knowledgeable about the local sites. I will recommend his other food tours and the art mural tour. Have a bite to eat at the local markets. Trying their specialty foods is a better way to learn about local Khmer lifestyles. They can cater to vegetarian diets. Just ask Sam for his guidance.

Sam was able to customise the travel package to ensure that I could travel the way I wanted. I went with Sam previously and it was yet another excellent tour. The little touch to purchase some local food for a picnic was very nice too.

I made that tour as a solo traveler. In spite of my last minute reservation (less than 24h) Sam made everything possible to accommodate and please my expectations. The choice of visit and route is excellent and avoids the big crowd. Sam is an experienced guide who knows a lot about the history of his country. Full of attention and special care, Sam is not only an excellent guide but also an amazing companion. I experienced the Oudong tour and understand that Sam is also offering alternative visits that I will certainly try on my next trip to Pnom Penh. Thank you Sam for a magnificent day we had.

I cannot recommend this tour highly enough. Sam Eng Ang is the most knowledgable guide I have met in Southeast Asia so far. You can tell that he spend many hours to really dig deeply into the topics he wants to share during the tour. I learned so much about the history of Cambodia and he's also very willing to tell you stories which are not directly linked to the tour you booked. On top of that, you can also talk to him about some philosophic topics if you're into that😉 The tour itself is very well planned, I was picked up on time and he made sure I was well provided with drinks and different local food during the day. We spend a lot of time at Oudong (meaning there was no rushing) to allow you to really understand the importance of this place for the history of this country. If you plan to do a tour in or around Phnom Penh, I recommend to book with Sam directly. You won't find a better guide and if you book a private Tour with your hotel, you'll most probably end up with him anyway😁

Today, I went on a day tour with Sam. He brought me to local shops and guided me up Udong Mountain. We could see so far from the top. Later, we go have lunch at locals place is amazing time. Contact Sam for a great tour in Phnom Penh.

Look here! I was recommended to join this tour with Mr. Sam Ang in Phnom Penh. Sam is an excellent tour guide. He guided me for a one day tour that included local breakfast, hiking up to Udong Mountian, and watching Khmer dance. If you enjoy art, history and culture then the Udong day tour is a great tour to join. Mr. Sam Ang will take care of you and make your trip in Cambodia super awesome.

Sam was very helpful and knowledgeable, explaining the history of the sites visited. The itinerary was well organised with everything taken care of, including breaks and lunch. Thank you Sam for a well organised and educational day in Phnom Penh.

Sam is very nice person and a very good guide. He explains about the places well and also his knowledge about monuments and history is excellent. His communication is tremendous. Thank you SAM for making our tour a success.

We had a great time. Sam is very friendly and a great guide. He pointed out interesting areas on the drive and discussed important parts of Cambodian history. He made the walk through the mountain fun. He also guided us through the busy weekend market, which was also a great experience.