Cycle Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand

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

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 45 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. 45kms/28 miles, flat with approx. 70m/230ft of elevation gain.

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. 48 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. 75kms/47 miles, flat with approx. 120m/395ft of elevation gain.

Cycle to your last destination within Vietnam, the border town of Tinh Bien (about 32 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 33 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:
Ride 1 - Tinh Bien ride – approx. 32kms/20 miles, mostly flat with approx. 115m/380ft of elevation gain.
Ride 2 – Cambodian border ride – approx. 33kms/20 miles, flat with approx. 30m/100ft of elevation gain.

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. 27kms/17 miles, flat with approx. 35m/115ft of elevation gain.

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

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

The name Angkor always captures the imagination, conjuring up images of soaring temples set in deep jungle hidden from the world for generations, and there is simply no better way to experience the allure of Cambodia's legendary Angkor temple complex than by bicycle. Faster than walking yet able to go places that the big tour buses just can't go, cycling at your own pace along quiet, secluded small roads and jungle trails gives you the feeling that you are the first person to discover Angkor as you visit many small temples hidden from everyday view.

That’s not to say you miss out on the icons, with visits to Angkor Wat, the greatest Buddhist temple in the world, as well as guided visits to the iconic jungle-covered ‘Tomb Raider’ favourite Ta Prohm, and the sheer majesty of Angkor Thom all included.

Seeing this magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site in such an environmentally friendly way, with no pollution or strain on the environment also helps to preserve this magnificent icon for future generations.

Riding distance: approx. 29kms/18 miles, flat with approx. 65m/215ft of elevation gain.

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. 70kms/43 miles, gentle uphill with approx. 220m/720ft of elevation gain.

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 40km to Sa Kaew where we will stay for the night.

Riding distance: approx. 40kms/25 miles, mostly flat with approx. 155 m/510ft of elevation gain.

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. 70kms/43 miles, undulating with approx. 300m/985ft of elevation gain.

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 50 kilometres, pack up the bikes before transferring to Bangkok, your final destination.

Riding distance: approx. 50kms/31 miles, undulating with small uphill, approx. 400m/1315ft of elevation gain.

There are no activities planned for today and you’re able to depart the accommodation at any time. However, as we don’t spend much time in Bangkok, why not stay a few days extra to make the most of your time here? We’ll be happy to assist with booking accommodation. Perhaps take a riverboat to Chinatown and explore the crowded streets, wander down the tourist mecca of Khao San Road or pay a visit to Wat Pho, home to the country's largest reclining Buddha. Explore the magnificent Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, or travel by long tail boat down the Chao Phraya River to explore Bangkok’s famous khlongs (canals). Consider doing one of our day tours of Bangkok, see urbanadventures.com for more information.

Want more cycling in Thailand - check out our Cycle Southern Thailand (TTXB) trip at http://www.intrepidtravel.com/thailand/cycle-southern-thailand-100031

Riding distance: none