CHARMING CAMBODIA CYCLE TOUR
$1,200
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13 days / 12 nights - 575km
Ref: CCCT-13D |
2008: Aug 31 - Sept 12; Oct 5 - 17; Nov 2 - 14
2009: Jan 11 - 23; June 14 - 26; Sept 6 - 18; Oct 4 - 16; Nov 1 - 13
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• Fun Cycling • Discover the REAL Cambodia • Magnificent Angkor Wat Temples •
• Delightful traditional villages • Smiling, curious Cambodians • Vibrant rice paddies •
• Rubbery Kompong Cham • Mighty Mekong River • Charming Phnom Penh •
• Sleepy Takeo • Colonial Kampot • Sihanoukville's Beaches • Unforgettable memories... •
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 A cycle tour of Cambodia is undoubtedly the best way to really connect with the country, its people, and experience the tempo of village life. This Charming Cambodia Cycle Tour is fully supported and fully guided. Your cycle tour of Cambodia begins with easy cycling around the spectacular Angkor Wat temples. After a few days you leave the tourist trail well and truly behind as you head east to the town of Kompong Cham, sitting on the banks of the mighty Mekong river, passing rubber plantations on route. You follow the Mekong through picturesque villages to charming Phnom Penh. After a couple of days discovering the capital city you pedal south to often forgotten Takeo, and then towards the coastal hills, stopping off in colonial Kampot before the final leg to the beautiful beaches of Sihanoukville. An unforgettable introduction to the real Cambodia!
For the tours on the above dates to run a minimum of 4 participants need to confirm. If the above dates do not suit your requirements or you would prefer a private tour please feel free to email us as we will be happy to discuss your Cambodia cycle tour plans.
Below please find the detailed itinerary...
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Day 1: Arrive Siem Reap, the home of Angkor Wat!
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| Upon arrival you will be met by your local guide and Tour Leader and transferred to your hotel. For the rest of the day you are free at leisure to relax and acclimatise. In the evening you will be taken to a local restaurant for a 'Welcome' dinner and your first taste of Khmer food. |
Day 2: Exploring the Magnificent Angkor Temples by Bike (40km)
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This morning you will meet both your specialist temple guide and cycle guide and be fitted with your bike. Once you are ready you will begin your cycle exploration of these incredible temples. Today you will focus on the Small Circuit which features temple greats such as: the pyramid of Takeo, the jungle-clad Ta Prohm, made famous by the Hollywood blockbuster ‘Tomb Raider’; Sras Srang, known as the King's bathing pond; and the impressive Royal City of Angkor Thom, where you will find the Bayon, a temple famed for its many gigantic carved faces smiling beguilingly down at you. You will also visit other important sites in this immense walled city. After lunch it is time to take on the majestic Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious building. After being initially inspired by its overall size you will explore in more detail, getting up close and personal to fully appreciate its architecture and intricately detailed bas-reliefs. After returning to the hotel you are free at leisure to experience Siem Reap’s nightlife which includes many fine restaurants and lively bars. |
Day 3: Cycling to Beautiful Banteay Srei Temple (80km)
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 This morning you head north towards Banteay Srei. This cycle ride is a real delight and your first introduction to the wonderful Cambodian countryside and its friendly villagers. On route we will stop off at a couple of villages to get a closer look at the wooden stilted homes and every day life. One thing you will notice for sure is large black pots in people’s gardens containing a thick light brown bubbling mixture - this area is famed for its sugar palm tree sweets, sure to give any cyclist a much needed energy boost! On arrival at Banteay Srei you will be struck by its delicate beauty. It is an elaborately decorated temple, embellished with floral motifs and scenes from the Ramayana, all carved from pink sandstone. It is said the carvings must have been done by women as the detail is too fine for the hands of a man. You will have lunch at a local restaurant, after which you cycle back towards Siem Reap, and depending on the time explore some other temples on the way. This evening you will enjoy dinner and a mesmerising Apsara dance performance. |
Day 4: Siem Reap ~ Free Day
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Today is a free day. You may choose to return and take another look at your favourite temples or check out some of Siem Reap’s other sights such as: the old pagodas of Wat Bo and Wat Keseram, the Angkor National Museum, the Cambodian Cultural Village, the Cambodia Land Mine Museum, or head out of town and discover the floating villages of the Tonle Sap lake. Perhaps you want to shop for souvenirs in the Aladdin’s cave of Phsar Chas, or after a couple of days cycling treat yourself and be pampered and massaged in one of the towns many excellent Spas. Or maybe just take it easy and chill out by the hotel’s pool… |
Day 5: Cycle Beng Mealea & Kompong Cham (70 - 100km)
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Today you bid farewell to Siem Reap and cycle the 70km to the temple remains of Beng Mealea, a truly atmospheric experience. Only recently re-discovered the temple has been consumed by the voracious appetite of nature and is largely overrun by vegetation, the trees that have forced their way through the stone towers and galleries make it a shady and cool place to relax. As you explore you feel like a true adventurer! After lunch you say farewell to your temple guide and take the support vehicle for the 260kms to the provincial capital town of Kompong Cham. However, if your legs are still full of life you can cycle the final 30km or so through rubber plantations into the town. Kompong Cham's heyday was back in the 1920s and 30s when it was a cosmopolitan river port supporting the French administered rubber plantations that covered much of the province. Today Kompong Cham retains a number of French influenced buildings and trader shop fronts - while often badly dilapidated they retain an austere grace so totally lacking from the more modern concoctions that invariably flank them. Given its small size its easy to explore by foot, which you are free to do after you have checked-in to your hotel. |
Day 6: Cycle Kompong Cham ~ Phnom Penh (65 - 105km)
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A delightful, shady 65km ride today as you follow the course of the Mekong River along a mostly unpaved, and at times bumpy road toward the country’s capital Phnom Penh. Foreigners are extremely rare through these parts so expect a few surprised faces as you cycle through the many traditional villages where you will witness people busy with their everyday lives: cooking, cleaning, playing, leading the cows to the river, cycling school kids, pagodas & monks, and the sun-drying of bright red chilies, pepper, rice, and fish by the side of the road, and of course the river life on the mighty Mekong which keeps coming and going from view. There are plenty of cool, shady, scenic spots for rest breaks where the curious locals are sure to want to say ‘Hello’, and our picnic lunch stop is a treat, relax under the shade of a huge mango tree and enjoy views stretching out across the Mekong River. 40km from Phnom Penh we come to the main busy Highway 6 heading to the capital, from here you can choose to travel in the support vehicle or continue cycling to the city. Once you have checked-in and freshened up you will be taken to a delightful local restaurant for dinner. |
Day 7: Phnom Penh City Cyclo Tour
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On your first morning in charming Phnom Penh you will be met by your city guide who will inform you that today it is someone else’s turn to do the pedalling as you are treated to a fun cyclo tour, a traditional mode of transport. Your first stop will be the terracotta red National Museum which offers a charming setting for a comprehensive collection of Khmer artefacts. After this you will visit the nearby Royal Palace, on the banks of the mighty Mekong river. Inside the Palace walls you will be treated to the Throne Hall, the Chan Chaya Pavilion, and the King’s residential quarters. You will then move onto the neighbouring Silver Pagoda, so named as it is claimed its floor is made up of over 4,000 silver tiles! Your cyclo driver will then take you to a local restaurant for lunch. Afterwards it is back in the cyclos as you are pedalled through the streets of Phnom Penh to the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as S21), ironically a former school, located in a quiet Phnom Penh suburb, this was the infamous Khmer Rouge prison / torture centre. You will then be taken to the Russian Market an excellent place for picking up souvenirs. There are stalls selling some very good Khmer antique reproductions, other stalls piled ceiling high with wonderful colourful silks, incredibly cheap clothing stalls, and of course those stalls selling pirated CDs, DVDs, and computer software. Afterwards you will be taken back to the hotel where you are free at leisure for the rest of the evening, perhaps wanting to experience the eclectic string of bars and restaurants along the city's riverside. |
Day 8: Phnom Penh ~ Cycle & Cruise Koh Dach (40km)
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Today you will be met by your cycle guide and ride the short distance to the riverside where you will board a boat and be taken across to the far bank of the Mekong River. You are now less than a kilometre from Phnom Penh yet you are cycling along dirt roads and through small villages! After cycling north along the bank of the Mekong for about 20km you will take a rest and meet back up with your boat. The boat will take you to the small island of Koh Dach, or Silk Weaving Island. The islands residents are renown for their traditional Khmer silk weaving skills. As you cycle around the island you will notice many of the wooden stilted homes have at least one loom underneath with family members weaving away. Koh Dach is an example of traditional Cambodian village life and is a charming ‘oasis’ away from the hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh. Much of the silk you see being weaved here will end up on the stalls of the Russian Market which you visited yesterday. Having cycled fully around the island you will reboard the boat and take a relaxing cruise back to Phnom Penh. Back in the city you will cycle the short distance back to your hotel where you are then free at leisure for the rest of the evening. |
Day 9: Cycle Phnom Penh ~ Takeo (85km)
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This morning you pedal away from the early morning hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh to Cheoung Ek, more commonly known as the 'Killing Fields'. This is where Toul Sleng prisoners were forcibly marched and then executed; it is now a memorial site located in a beautiful tranquil setting. After some contemplation you continue pedalling south. After a short combination of almost traffic free dirt roads and some lightly trafficked tarmac roads you will arrive at Tonle Bati, a riverside location where we will have time to explore the small, yet picturesque Angkorian temples of Ta Prohm and Yeay Peau. This is a very pleasant spot for enjoying your picnic lunch. After lunch you continue South towards Takeo. Upon arrival you will check-in to your guesthouse and then you will have time to explore this very small provincial capital made up of many local government department buildings. However, around the market area there are some old colonial villas in differing states, and the waterfront promenade makes for a pleasant late afternoon sunset stroll. |
Day 10: Cycle Takeo ~ Kampot (85km)
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After breakfast this morning you have the opportunity to visit a local orphanage managed by ‘Khmer Help Khmer’. Here you will learn more about the great educational work they are doing in the surrounding poor villages, and how Asia Adventures is working together with them through its 'Pedal2Empower' project. As you leave Takeo you continue south spinning along Highway 3 leaving the flat plains of rice fields as we reach for the coastal mountains – fortunately the road passes between the hills and not over them! Today you cycle through some pleasant limestone karst scenery. picturesque villages including some ethnic Cham settlements, and endless rice fields. Kampot, yet another provincial capital, has an undeniable charm and is the favourite town of many Cambodian expats who visit at weekends for a taste of provincial Cambodia. It’s a sleepy, quaint place with a relaxed ambience and friendly locals, the streets are quiet and there is a lot of French colonial and Chinese influenced architecture still surviving, and it all that wasn’t enough there is a wonderful riverfront where you will experience possibly the most beautiful sunset in Cambodia as the sun slips down behind the nearby mountains. |
Day 11: Kampot ~ Sihanoukville (105km)
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After 7 days of cycling in Cambodia you’ll be in top condition for the last and longest day as you face the 105km to the seaside resort town of Sihanoukville. For the first half of the ride you are sandwiched between the mountains of Bokor National Park and the sea, providing great views, particularly as we pass picturesque fishing villages. You will have a picnic lunch relaxing beside a large lake where you can take a refreshing dip. But remember the sting in the tail… 25km before Sihanoukville there are a few challenging climbs. Just keep thinking of the beautiful beaches and before you know it you’ll be freewheeling down the other side with a well deserved refreshing swim only minutes away… On arrival in Sihanoukville you will check-in to your hotel and have time to freshen up before being treated to a wondeful dinner on the beach with the sound of breaking waves and the setting sun as your back drop. |
Day 12: Sihanoukville ~ Free Day
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Today is yours to enjoy, savour your achievement, and reflect on the fascinating sights, sounds, and smells you experienced, as well as the many friendly Khmers who encouraged you on your way. Perhaps you just want to sit back and relax on the beach enjoying the fresh, and cheap seafood that is on offer, or if you still have excess energy explore all of Sihanoukville's seven beaches by bike, or perhaps charter a boat and take a day trip to the beautiful surrounding islands. |
Day 13: Sihanoukville ~ Phnom Penh
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| Yes, all good things come to an end - departure day. Today you travel back to Phnom Penh in the support vehicle (4-5 hours), from where you are free to continue your onward journey, taking with you a host of unforgettable memories… |
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| *The cost for the above tour is $1,200 (US dollars) per person based on 2 people sharing accommodation (single room supplement $250).
Good quality cycle hire is available for an additional charge of $150. |
| For more information on this 13 Day Charming Cambodia Cycle Tour, or if the suggested itinerary or scheduled dates do not fully meet your needs please email us as we will be happy to discuss your requirements. |
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- All sightseeing tour and transfer services as detailed in the above itinerary
- Western English speaking Tour Leader
- English speaking local guide
- English speaking local cycle guide / mechanic
- All accommodation based on two sharing a room
- All entrance fees for attractions included in the above itinerary
- Air conditioned support vehicle
- Daily drinking water, cool face towels & snacks whilst cycling
- All meals as detailed in the above itinerary
(B = Breakfast - L = Lunch - D = Dinner)
- Services not detailed in the above itinerary
- International flights to / from Cambodia
- Cambodian Visa fees (currently $20 per person)
- International airport departure tax (currently $25 per person)
- Bicycles, however these can be hired for $150
- Expenditure of a personal nature
- Drinks with included meals
- Payment / money transfer charges
- Travel insurance
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