Cambodia | Saigon To Angkor Cycle
A great way to discover these two amazing countries is by bike. We start out from Saigon where we mount our bikes and head to out to the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels. We enjoy the hospitality of our host family in the Mekong Delta before crossing into Cambodia and visiting the amazing splendours this country has to offer including the incredible Angkor Wat temple complex. This is neither an endurance test nor a marathon survival race from one point to another, and we try to avoid the busy, major highways. We ride instead on the back roads and, supported by a back-up vehicle, experience the best that Vietnam and Cambodia have to offer in a most interesting way! There are some days where there is no cycling involved. On the cycling days, we tend to ride anywhere from 2 to 6 hours, however the support vehicle and bus are always on hand if you decide that you would like to rest instead of cycle.
| Duration: | 14 Days |
|---|---|
| Tour Code: | ITW598 |
| Trip Style: | Moderate - 3 star |
| Departure Dates: | 02 Jan 2011, 27 Feb 2011, 27 Mar 2011, 24 Apr 2011, 22 May 2011, 19 Jun 2011, 17 Jul 2011, 14 Aug 2011, 11 Sep 2011, 09 Oct 2011, 06 Nov 2011, 04 Dec 2011, 01 Jan 2012, 29 Jan 2012, 26 Feb 2012, 25 Mar 2012, 22 Apr 2012, 20 May 2012 |
| Price: | From $2,516 |
| Places you'll visit: |
|
| Highlights: |
|
Ideal for Solo Travellers
You will travel with a maximum of just 15 fellow travellers. This is small enough to avoid making a negative impact on the places you go and the people you meet, but large enough to have a good time with other travellers from around the globe.
If you are willing to share a room we will find a member of the same gender for you to share with. If we are unable to find someone, then you will get a single room without having to pay any supplement. And for those wanting their own room the single supplement won't break the bank.
Trip Details
GROUP SIZE: 15 max.
Day 1: Saigon
Arrive in Saigon where you are transferred to our centrally located hotel. A pre-trip briefing is held in the evening, to meet the other members of your group and discuss the trip itinerary. After the meeting we may adjourn to a nearby restaurant and enjoy a meal together (optional). The rest of the evening is free.
Day 2: Cu Chi Tunnels
This morning we drive to the outskirts of Saigon and the town of Hoc Mon where we hop on our bicycles for the first time to test our legs and get a feel for the bikes; riding approx 30km through rural countryside to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Cu Chi is also name of the district which hides an extensive underground network (approximately 200 kilometres) of tunnels dug initially by the Viet Minh and later expanded by the Viet Cong.
The tunnels contained hospitals, accommodation and schools, and were used extensively for refuge and storage and also utilised as a military base for the Viet Cong close to Saigon. The 1968 Tet Offensive was launched from Cu Chi with surprising effect. A section of the tunnels has been widened to allow tourists to get a feel for what the life underground must have been like. We arrive mid-afternoon back in Saigon.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Day 3: Saigon to Mekong Homestay
We drive south today away from the heat, hustle and bustle of Saigon and into a more peaceful part of Vietnam known as the Mekong Delta. We begin our cycling at the small riverside town of My Tho and ride approx 40km in total mostly following the Mekong River to Cai Lay. From Cai Lay we dismount the bikes and drive by bus to Cai Be where we board our boat for the scenic trip through Mekong River tributaries to our Mekong Delta homestay.
Enroute to our homestay we stop to see various local family-run industries where such products as popped rice, coconut candy & rice paper are made. We arrive on an island near Vinh Long, where we stay overnight in a small house situated on the waterways and surrounded by fruit gardens. The facilities here are basic, with everyone sleeping on camp style beds but the experience is unique in that it offers us a chance to live the way the local people do (for one night at least!). All bedding is provided including mosquito nets. For dinner tonight your host family will cook you up a feast to include the famous delta specialty - Elephant Ear Fish.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner
Day 4: Mekong Homestay to Chau Doc
We usually rise early with the host family (and their early rising farmyard animals) and after breakfast we catch a boat across the Mekong River to Vinh Long. There are a number of cycling routes we can choose today and your tour leader will select the most appropriate one taking into account weather and road conditions. Whatever route you take today it will involve cycling approx 50km along quiet rural roads which run parallel to the many rivers, canals and tributaries that make up the Mekong Delta. You will spend tonight at a hotel in Chau Doc - a quiet town situated on the Mekong River and close to the Cambodian border.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Day 5: Chau Doc to Kampot
This morning we cycle directly from the hotel (approx 20km) past Sam Mountain to the Vietnam (Tinh Bien) / Cambodia (Phnom Den) border. Once across the border we meet our Cambodian leader and continue cycling for another 50km along flat, recently paved & upgraded road to Takeo. At Takeo we will board our bus for the drive along National Highway 3 to Kampot - a quiet riverside with a rich French architectural heritage. A nice way to finish the day is watching sunset with your preferred beverage along the Kampot River.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Day 6: Kampot to Sihanoukville
Again we cycle directly from our hotel approx 50km - this time along National Highway 3. At approx 8km after we've crossed the Kampot Bridge you will have views on your right of the imposing escarpment of Bokor National Park - a former summer escape for French colonials and later a refuge for Khmer Rouge soldiers. However, for most of the cycle this morning we stay close to the coast passing fishing villages.
At Veal Renh, the intersection where National Highway 3 meets National Highway 4, we board our bus for the drive to Sihanoukville. Sihanoukville is Cambodia's leading beach resort - named in honour of the former King of Cambodia (and father of the current king) - and also the country's only deep water port. Our hotel is located a short walk to Occheauteal Beach - considered to be the best beach in Sihanoukville with numerous beachside bars & restaurants open all hours of the day and night. This is a good place to enjoy a bit of a ‘seachange' before heading north.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Day 7: Sihanoukville
For those can drag themselves away from Occheauteal Beach your tour leader will today take you on a ride approx 25km around the Sihanoukville peninsula with the chance to stop (and maybe swim) at Sokha Beach, Independence Beach and / or Victory Beach. From Victory Hill you can cycle into town and maybe visit the local market before heading back for another well earned swim at your hotel swimming pool.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Day 8: Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh
This morning we leave the beach behind and drive approx 3.5 hours along National Highway 4 to Phnom Penh. This afternoon we cycle approx 15km south of Phnom Penh to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Here you will gain an insight into the horrors and atrocities that occurred during the Pol Pot era. This would not be considered a pleasant excursion but one that is an integral part of any visit to Cambodia. If you would prefer not to visit this site please inform your tour leader and he will advise you of alternate sightseeing options. From Choeung Ek you will cycle back to your hotel in Phnom Penh and tonight maybe enjoy a sunset drink at the Foreign Correspondent's Club.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Day 9: Phnom Penh
Today is a rest day from cycling but we still include a city tour by bus to introduce you to the sights of Phnom Penh, a city that lies near the confluence of the Mekong and the Tonle Sap Rivers. The private quarters of the Royal Palace are home to King Sihamoni and his family and are therefore closed to the public; however, we are able to visit the Silver Pagoda which is located inside the palace complex and is considered the most sacred temple in the country - and was previously spared from destruction by the Khmer Rouge. Wat Phnom is the temple which gave rise to the foundation of the city in the 15th century and we'll also visit the Tuol Sleng Prison Museum before finishing our tour at the Russian Market.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Day 10: Phom Penh to Kampong Cham
This morning we drive north approx 1.5 hours along National Highway 6 to the town of Skuon, famous for it's local delicacy - fried spiders! After sampling some of this delicious cuisine (or not) we jump in the saddle once again for the cycle approx 45km along National Highway 7 to Kampong Cham. Just before Kampong Cham is Phnom Pros (Man Hill) & Phnom Srei (Woman Hill) where we can stop for a cool drink before the final leg into Kampong Cham - a relatively quiet provincial town located on the Mekong River and, not unlike Kampot, blessed with the remnants of buildings from a former French era.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Day 11: Kampong Cham to Siem Reap
This morning we're back on our bikes once again riding approx 50km north on the quiet National Road 71 to the small town of Baray, where we once again meet National Highway 6 and drive to Siem Reap. The relatively quiet (although rapidly developing) town of Siem Reap is our base for 3 nights and is the best place from which to visit the world-famous temples of the ancient city of Angkor - home to the powerful Khmer Empire that held sway from 802 AD to 1350 AD.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Day 12: Siem Reap
We spend a full day cycling around & visiting the amazing temples of Angkor on a guided tour. Angkor Thom, the 'Great Royal City', is famous for its series of colossal human faces carved in stone. The impressive Bayon temple is the centrepiece of all this. Angkor Wat is the largest and most complete structure. It is the only one of Angkor's temples with its entrance facing to the west (the others face east), the reason being that it was constructed as a funerary temple for King Suryavarman II and a westerly countenance was seen to represent a sunset. Ta Prohm temple is an incredible sight, with large trees embedding themselves in the stone foundations of the structure giving the impression of man's creation being reclaimed by the powerful forces of nature.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Day 13: Siem Reap
Today we spend more time exploring Angkor ruins in this memorable archaeological area. It is an early morning start as we cycle out to Banteay Srei (approx 30km each way), famous for its detailed and intricate stone carvings. It is not a big temple, but has been sometimes referred to as ‘the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art'. Back at the main temple complex, Preah Khan contains a maze of vaulted corridors and is another complex that has been largely reclaimed by the jungle. Tonight we celebrate the end of an amazing cycling journey with dinner in a local restaurant and perhaps a few quiet drinks along ‘Pub Street'.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Day 14: Siem Reap
Our tour ends after breakfast. Today you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Inclusions
- 12 nights comfortable hotel
- 1 night homestay
- 13 Breakfasts, 1 Dinner
- Tour leader
- local guides
- arrival transfer
- transport
- private back-up vehicle
- sightseeing and entrance fees
- bike helmet
- mountain bike and spare parts
What's Not Included
- tips
Terms & Conditions
Click here for our Terms & Conditions
For more information, availability and pricing and options, please contact our expert travel specialists at Inspired Travel Worldwide on (02) 9449 8598 or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.
:: Click to enlarge
