Trips

Ho Chi Minh City

Xin chao! Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm today. You can arrive at any time during the day as there are no activities planned until this important meeting. Please check with hotel reception or look on the reception noticeboard for where and when the meeting will take place. If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please ensure you have all these details to provide to your leader. Because this trip doesn’t spend much time in Ho Chi Minh City, why not arrive a day or two early to see the sights? Ho Chi Minh City has a dynamic atmosphere and a French influence. Perhaps head to Pham Ngu Lao Street to see the local open-aired market, visit Vinh Nghiem Pagoda or one of the amusements parks. Notes: If you can't arrange a flight that will have you arrive at the hotel in time for the meeting, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). Riding distance: none

Mekong Delta

Take a three-hour bus ride to the Mekong Delta. Known as the ‘Rice Bowl of Vietnam’, the fertile delta is famous for its harvest of tropical fruit, flowers and rice, as well as the views over the canals. When you arrive in the region, get on your bike for the first full day of cycling. Ride along quiet backroads, past farms and villages and make a stop for lunch. You’ll also get to visit orchards and some local cottage industries. You'll cycle for around 40 kilometres in total today. Around sunset, make your way up one of the canals by boat and reach your homestay. Stay with a family for the night and enjoy a wonderful meal of local specialties. Notes: At your homestay, you’ll be sleeping on simple camp beds in a dorm-style arrangement. You’ll share a toilet and bathroom facilities with cold water only. Bedding and mosquito nets will be provided. Riding distance: approx. 40 kms

Chau Doc

Start the day early by boat then bus to riverside Sadec where you start today’s ride, shaking out your sea legs with a cycle (approx. 47 kms) through the bustling settlements along the river. Here you’ll see more of local life dependent on this vital and beautiful river, including lunch at a local community. Cycle on (approx. 27 kms) and then take a ferry and bus to Chau Doc which is right next to the Cambodian border. Head out in search of the city’s famous hot noodles and cold beer, then stay the night in your hotel. Riding distance: approx. 75 kms

Phnom Penh

Cycle to your last destination within Vietnam, the border town of Tinh Bien (about 30 kilometres) and stop for lunch. You’ll then go through visa formalities and cross into Phnom Den, Cambodia. Meet your new support team and hop on your bike again on your way to Phnom Penh (about 27 kilometres). You’ll be cycling along dusty and bumpy roads for a while, and then along a paved highway which leads to Cambodia’s capital. Once you arrive, you’ll have a free evening to enjoy your first delicious Cambodian meal for the trip. Phnom Penh is quickly becoming a hot destination among foodies, so load up on grilled seafood, fish curry and green mango salad. Riding distance: approx. 30 kms & 32 kms

Phnom Penh

Spend the day enjoying a leisurely ride around Mekong Island. Visit local artisans selling quality silks, and cycle past temples and pagodas. Stop for a refreshing drink at a roadside food stall. Riding distance: approx. 20 kms

Phnom Penh

Today you’ll confront Cambodia’s tragic past with visits to several historical sites. First stop is the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former school which served as a Khmer Rouge torture centre. You’ll take a guided tour of the museum where over 20,000 people were once incarcerated and tortured. Next you’ll visit the Choeung Ek Memorial, where a stupa made up of some 8,000 human skulls marks the site of the infamous Killing Fields. This was where the prisoners of Tuol Sleng were executed and nearly 9,000 corpses have been exhumed from the area. Finally, learn about a brighter period in Cambodian history with a visit to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. Riding distance: none

Siem Reap

Settle in for a long day of driving as we travel to Siem Reap. The bus ride will take about seven hours but will be full of stunning rural views of tiny towns, and it also gives you the chance to catch up on some shut-eye. Riding distance: none

Siem Reap

Explore Cambodia's legendary Angkor temple complex by bicycle. Quicker than walking yet able to get into places that the big vehicles just can't get into, riding at your own pace along secluded small roads and jungle paths gives you the feeling of a modern day explorer as you visit many small temples veiled from everyday view. Of course you won’t miss out on the icons, with visits to Angkor Wat, the ultimate Buddhist temple, as well as guided visits to the jungle-clad ‘Tomb Raider’ favourite Ta Prohm, and the sheer grandeur of Angkor Thom all included. Seeing this famed UNESCO World Heritage Site by bike is also environmentally friendly, with no pollution or strain on the environment, thus helping to preserve this stunning icon for future generations. Riding distance: approx. 30 kms

Siem Reap

Today you’ll cover around 70 kilometres by bicycle on your visit to Banteay Srei, the 10th century temple dedicated to the Hindu god, Shiva. The temple was rediscovered in 1914 and has some of the most intricate carvings in the world. It was restored shortly after discovery using traditional techniques and materials. Riding distance: approx. 70 kms

Sa Kaew

Leave from Siem Reap early in the morning and head for the border. Our crossing at Poipet/Aranyaprathet should take around 4 hours including the driving and processing time. From the border we transfer to the Tha Kabark Dam. We can have a quick swim and lunch before our next cycling leg - approx 55km to Sa Kaew where we will stay for the night. Riding distance: approx. 55 kms Note: On previous versions of this trip we visited the Queen Sirikit Bird & Wildlife Sanctuary. However, due to concerns raised by both our clients and staff around the welfare of wildlife, from 26 June 2017 we longer visit the Sanctuary.

Kabinburi

Wake up at sunrise and make your way to the local market. Here you’ll see the Buddhist monks from nearby temples who come to receive food from the villagers in exchange for blessings. Perhaps offer the monks some alms before continuing on your way. Spend the rest of the day cycling along mostly flat terrain towards the small district of Kabinburi. You’ll pass rubber tree and tapioca plantations as well as lush rice fields. Riding distance: approx. 70 kms

Bangkok

Make your way to Khun Dan Dam, Thailand’s largest dam, for your last full day of cycling. You’ll ride past small villages, paddy fields, farms and shops. Stop for lunch along the way, then enjoy a quick swim. After cycling for around 55 kilometres, pack up the bikes before transferring to Bangkok, your final destination. Riding distance: approx. 55 kms