Cambodia's recent embittered history contrasts starkly with the grandeur of the Angkorian past. Our journey takes us the length of this unforgettable country to show you all of Cambodia: past and present.
Starting at a very sleepy Thai border that skirts the foothills of the Cardamon mountains we ride deep into the Khmer heartland to explore rural Cambodia. Discover the fading colonial outpost of Battambang and journey by boat across the Tonle Sap (Great Lake), which is the beating heart of agricultural Cambodia.
The highlight is, of course, riding amongst a thousand years of history at Angkor and we take three days to explore the extraordinary temple complexes before taking another boat south.
Enjoy the French colonial charms of Phnom Penh, before riding back into the countryside where we discover a people as beautiful and extraordinary as their land.
Riding the quiet back roads south, we take time to stop and take in the great views that abound on the way to the old French Colonial retreat of Kep.
We have time to relax today, as we spend the morning on Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island), a wonderful tropical island just a short distance offshore. After a picnic lunch on the beach we head back to the mainland and continuing to Kampot. We also have a day to relax at the beach in Sihanoukville before a final day cycling in the Kirirom national park. We then fly back to Bangkok to end a truly memorable trip.
Trip Profile: We ride just under 600 km mostly on a mixture of tarmac roads in reasonable repair and red vehicle width dirt trails. Most of the rides are on flat terrain, except day 1 and 2 where the road does undulate but nothing too difficult, through some very pretty and interesting countryside.
Outside of Phnom Penh traffic is light and we often share the roads with ox carts and other cyclists. The trip is point-to-point and fully supported by air-con minibus (no of vehicles depend on size of group) and will shadow us for the entire journey.
This ride is mainly on quiet back roads and we try to avoid the highways where possible. Getting out of Phnom Penh will require caution and this section can be transferred for anyone who does not feel comfortable.
Your Itinerary (14 days, 13 nights start in Bangkok and finishing in Phnom Penh)
Day 1: Arrive/meet in Bangkok. Drive to border. Ride Ban Pakkard to Pailin.
Day 2: Ride from Pailin to Battambang.
Day 3: Cross the great Tonle Sap to Siam Reap.
Day 4: Ride the Grand Circuit, which includes visiting all the major temples.
Day 5: Ride to Bantay Srei and the River of a Thousand Lingas.
Day 6: Ride to the floating Village and then the boat to Phnom Penh.
Day 7: Ride to the Killing Fields and Toel Sleng.
Day 8: Leaving the capital we ride south to Takeo.
Day 9: Ride the back roads to the Fench colonial resort town of Kep.
Day 10: Morning free or trip to Rabbit Island. Afternoon ride to Kampot.
Day 11: Ride the home stretch to Sihanoukville.
Day 12: Free day to enjoy beach or explore Sihanoukville.
Day 13: Transfer to Kirirom National Park and ride to waterfall.
Day 14: Transfer to Phnom Penh. Tour concludes in Phnom Penh. Direct flights are available back to Bangkok.
* Facts & Figures:
- Total Distance-579 Kilometers.
- Number of Days-14 days / 13 nights.
- Number of Cycling Days-Six full-days and four half-days.
- Road Surface-This tour follows a mix of asphalt roads and vehicle-width dirt roads, which may be smooth, gritty, stony, rocky, rutted, loose or hard-packed.
- Support-Entire trip supported by air-con mini van to carry cyclist, luggage and bikes.
- Group Size-Minimum 4. Maximum 16.
- Staff-our cycling leader, plus English-speaking Cambodian guide, drivers and assistants. For groups of ten or more a Cambodian bike guide also joins.
* Accommodation-6 nights 3-star hotels, 6 nights tourist class hotels, 1 night guest houses. All hotels have en suite facilities and a/c, except 2 nights fan and shared facilities. Whenever possible we try to use hotels with charm and local character.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Tour Cost-USD $1800 - Single supplement: USD $285
Bike Hire-USD $150
Price includes:
- All meals from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 14 except lunch on day 12 and dinner on day 4 and 12
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
Cambodia
Bicycle Touring
Cultural Journey
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