Trip valid: 01 Nov 2011 to 31 Oct 2013

Duration: 14 Days

Main Activity: Bicycling

Trip Type: Small Group Holidays

Suitability: All Levels 

Location: Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam

Best time to travel: Otober to April

Supported: By Minivan/Truck

Product Code: IDT-BSN014

Guaranteed to depart: From 2 pax

TRIP INCLUSIVE:

Experienced English speaking biking guide

Private transportation by air-conditioned vehicle.

Bicycle rental and helmet for cycling days. (TREK 4300/4500 Mountain bike)

Meals as mentioned in the itinerary.

Healthy snacks, fresh local fruits and soft drink for cycling days.

Bottled drinking water for sightseeing.

All sightseeing and entrance fees as stated in the itinerary.

Accommodation in twin share room in hotel with daily breakfast.

Simple First Aid Kit.

International flight reconfirmation.

TRIP EXCLUSIVE:

International flight to Thailand and from Vietnam

Cambodiaand Vietnam visa

Travel Insurance. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance before departure.

Personal expenditure (telephone, laundry, shopping and so on…)

Tips for guide, driver, porters. We recommend 4 USD/person/day for guide, 2 USD/person/day for driver and 2  USD/person/hotel when you check in/out.

Beverages and alcoholic drinks.

Any other services not clearly mentioned in the itinerary and inclusions.

DAY 1 - Bangkok – Laem Mae Phim Beach

Arrive at Bangkok airport, meet and greet by our cycling guide and transfer out of towns to Ban Phe, where we pick up our cycles and enjoy an easy ride to Laem Mea Phim Beach. The ride takes us through beautiful countryside of this coastal province.  

Cycled distance:     Approx 30Kms

Difficulty: Easy

Meal(s):  Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:    Lom Talay Beach Resort

www.lomtalaychalet.com

DAY 2 -  Laem Mae Phim – Chao Lao Beach

Today we start with a short transfer to the starting point of our ride, our route hugs the south east coast as we pass from beach to beach on small local roads with little traffic. An interesting ride that lets you see the local Thai way of life, as you pass through local fishing villages, sea food markets and of course there are plenty of temples to stop at, for welcome rests and refreshments. The mangrove swamps and fruit plantations add a diversity to the scenery on this picturesque of rides. We finish for the day at the quiet beach of Chaolao.

Cycled distance: Approx 70km

Difficulty: Moderate

Meal(s):  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:    ChanchalaoBeachResort

www.clbeach.com 

DAY 3: Chao Lao Beach (CROSS BORDER TO CAMBODIA) – PAILIN

After breakfast, we ride on a quiet road towards the Thai - Cambodian border crossing which is nestled in the foothills of the scenic Cardamom mountains. The region was once an important stronghold of the Khmer Rouge. After immigration formalities, we cross into Cambodia with a tougher ride on bumpy, dirt roads to the town of Pailin.

Cycled distance:     Approx 50Kms

Difficulty: Moderate

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Bamboo Hotel

DAY 4: Pailin- Battambang

After breakfast at our hotel, our shuttle takes us out of town. Parts of the ride today involve gentle hills.  We cycle under the backdrop of the Cadarmom mountain’s, past rice fields and local villages. Stop along the way to interact with friendly locals.  Lunch in a local restaurant. We arrive in Battambang in the afternoon. This charming town situated on the bank of Sangker River, is the second largest city in Cambodia with some well preserved architecture, constructed during the French colonial period. Overnight in Battambang.

Cycled distance: Approx 85km

Difficulty: Moderate

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Khemara Battambang Hotel.

www.khemarahotel.com

DAY 5: Battambang- Siem Reap

Wake up early for breakfast and transfer to the pier for our boat cruise on Tonle Sap Lake to Siem Reap. Tonle Sap is known as the Great Lake, which is the beating heart of Cambodia. We cruise past floating villages and sunken forests before arriving at Siem Reap approx 7 hours later. We disembark and cycle on countryside roads through Khmer villages to Siem Reap.

Cycled distance: Approx 18km

Difficulty: Moderate

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Somadevi Hotel - Superior Room

www.somadeviangkor.com 

DAY 6: Siem Reap - Angkor temple complex (25KM CYCLING)

A 10km ride takes us from Siem Reap to Angkor Wat where we stop to explore the temple complex and to enjoy a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, cycle an additional 17 to 24km on the Small Circuit between Angkor Wat and Phnom Bakeng, with stops at the Death Gate, Victory Gate, Terraces of Elephants and Leper King, and Srah Srang. Watch the sunset from Phnom Bakeng. Overnight in Siem Reap

Cycling distance: Approx 34 km

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Somadevi Hotel - Superior Room

www.somadeviangkor.com

DAY 7: Siem Reap- Rolous Temple- Beng Mealea

Following breakfast at our hotel, we enjoy a full day in the saddle exploring the countryside and temples. We ride on quiet country roads through villages and past Kh’ mer pagodas, lotus ponds and rice paddies. This is a peaceful day in the ambience of Cambodia’s countryside. After a 15 km ride we stop at the Rolous temple group including Bakong, Preakko and Lolei temples. Rolous used to be the former capital of the Angkor Regime in the 9^th century. Plenty of time to admire the incredible architecture of the ancient temple ruins before cycling back to town.

Cycling distance: Approx 54km

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Somadevi Hotel - Superior Room

www.somadeviangkor.com

DAY 8: Siem Reap- Phnom Penh (18KM CYCLING)

Transfer to Phnom Penh with a stop at Naga Bridge in Kampong Kdei. Lunch at a local restaurant in Kampong Thom, visit Spider Market in Skoun. Upon arrival in Phnom Penh check in to the hotel before cycling to visit the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and National Museum. Overnight at a hotel in Phnom Penh.

Cycled distance: Approx 18 km

Rating: Moderate

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Ohana Hotel - Deluxe Room

www.ohanahotelpp.com 

DAY 9: Phnom Penh- Takeo

After breakfast at our hotel. We transfer 30 minutes out of town. We start cycling on the quiet roads of the ex Killing Fields and on dirt paths alongside the canal. Throughout the day the road is a mixture of sealed and dirt roads through picturesque Khmer countryside We stop at Tonle Bat to visit the 12th century Ta Phrom and Yeay Pov temples. Continue pedaling to visit the hilltop Phnom Chisor temple built in 11th Century. Incredible scenery of surrounding areas are visible from the top. We break for lunch  before continuing on through the countryside and villages. Dinner and overnight in Takeo.

Cycled distance: Approx 67 km

Difficulty: Moderate

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Sotheavy Guesthouse

DAY 10: Takeo- Chau Doc

Early breakfast. Check documentation for entry to Vietnam. Cycle 53km to Tinh Bien border crossing point. After immigration we bid farewell to our Cambodian driver.

Arrive at Chau Doc in the afternoon, our guide and driver will meet you and transfer you to the hotel. Chau Doc, nestling at the foot of Sam Mountain on the Cambodian border, has a real frontier town feel to it. This busy little riverine town has large Cham, Khmer and ethnic Chinese communities and the distinctive architectural styles of each community can be seen in their places of worship around the town. The rest of the day is your leisure. Overnight in Chau Doc.

Cycled distance: Approx 75 km

Difficulty: Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Chau Pho Hotel- Superior Room

www.chauphohotel.com 

Day 11: Chau Doc- Cao Lanh

Wake up early to explore the fishing village. Chau Doc is home to the Cham and Khmer cultures, with floating farmhouses and an Islamic Chancel Cham minority settlement. After breakfast, our guide will take us out for a fantastic boat cruise to a Cham Village, where around 4000 Muslim people live. In this Cham village people are Islamic and speak a dialect of Malay which is kind of unusual for Vietnam. These people live in houses on the land but because of the flood waters in the rainy season, they have to build them on stilts 3 metres high. We continue on to a fishing village, where the local residents make a living from farming fish in cages under their houses. These catfish are far too expensive for the locals to eat and so are all exported, mostly to the USA. Even though the houses float they are still on the electricity grid. Enjoy a short hike up to Sam Mountain to take a view over the Cambodian border.

We depart Chau Doc on a ferry back across the Hau River and then cycle along dirt roads and paths from island to island between the main branches of the Mekong Delta. There are several small boat crossings to make which will give us a feel for the watery world of the Mekong. Much of the trail is on paths only wide enough for 2-wheeled vehicles. We will pass through various farmland and orchards, pass numerous fish ponds and encounter many small rural villages. The people in this area are extremely friendly with children calling out to you as you go. For a short stretch we will join the main highway 1 before returning to narrow trails for the ride into Cao Lanh. An excellent day! Dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant. Overnight in Cao Lanh.

Cycled distance: Approx 85km

Difficulty: Moderate

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Song Tra Hotel - Superior Room

Day 12: Cao Lanh- My Tho

Another challenging day so an early start needed. Again we cycle along a mix of country trails and paths, and minor tarmac surfaced roads through farms and villages. Some paths are actually concrete surfaced but only a meter wide so the riding is easy and very scenic. We have several ferry crossings again today, we cross numerous small bridges over canals, and have plenty of interaction with the local people. As the route we take is often narrow the main support vehicle is not always able to follow us, however motorcycles will be used to carry the refreshments, essential spares and first aid kit. After Cai Be we cycle along the river on a wider stone road into My Tho, the first significant sized town of the Mekong Delta you come to after leaving Saigon. Dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant. Overnight at Chuong Duong Hotel.

Cycled distance: Approx 100km

Difficulty: Moderate

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Chuong Duong hotel

Day 13: My Tho- Saigon

We start our final day's cycling departing My Tho on dusty hard packed mud roads but soon join a minor tarmac surfaced road cycling through lush green rice paddies stretching away in each direction. At Tan Vu we hit the dirt again for around 18km with one large river crossing by small ferry boat. 10km before our finish point we rejoin tarmac for the run in to Can Giuoc, our final stop. After a celebratory drink (perhaps sampling the local bia tuoi 'fresh' beer), a local lunch, and a well deserved pat on the back, we board the vehicles for the extremely busy 20km run into the third and final capital city of the Challenge - Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City as it is officially known. We check into our city centre hotel after which the remainder of the afternoon is free to revel in your achievement and explore this vibrant metropolis, Vietnam's largest city. We will meet up in the evening to enjoy our farewell/celebratory dinner at a local restaurant

Cycling distance: Approx 80Km

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Golden Rose hotel- Deluxe

www.goldenrosehotel.com.vn 

Day 14: Departure

At your leisure until transfer to airport for your onward flight.

Meal: Breakfast