Trip valid: 01 Nov 2011 to 31 Oct 2013

Duration: 17 Days

Main Activity: Bicycling

Trip Type: Small Group Holidays

Suitability: Good fitness

Location: Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam

Best time to travel: October to April

Supported: By Minivan/Truck

Product Code: IDTIEB016

Guaranteed to depart: From 2 pax

TRIP INCLUSIVE:

• Experienced English speaking guide.
• Private transportation by air-conditioned vehicle.
• Boat trips where mentioned.
• Cycle rental and helmet for cycling days. (TREK 4300/4500 Mountain bike)
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary.
• Healthy snacks, fresh local fruits and soft drinks for cycling days.
• Bottled drinking water for sightseeing.
• All sightseeing entrance fees as per the itinerary.
• Accommodation in twin share room in hotel with daily breakfast.
• Simple First Aid Kit.
• International flight reconfirmation.

TRIP EXCLUSIVE:

• International flight to Cambodia and from Vietnam
• Visa to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
• Travel Insurance. We highly recommend purchasing travel before departure.
• Personal expenditure (telephone, laundry, shopping and so on…)
• Tips for guide, driver, porters. We recommend 5 USD/person/day for guide, 2 USD/person/day for driver and 2  USD/person/hotel when you check in/out.
• Beverage and alcoholic drinks.
• Any other services not clearly mentioned in the itinerary and trip inclusions.

Day 1: Siem Reap

Arrive at airport, meet with your guide and transfer to hotel. The rest day is at your leisure. In the evening, trip briefing before a welcome dinner at a traditional Khmer restaurant and cultural Apsara Dance show.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Tara Angkor- Superior room

www.taraangkorhotel.com 

Day 2:  Angkor Wat by bike

A warm up ride today on a ride to explore the Angkor temples, 10km from Siem Reap to Angkor Wat, 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

Cycled distance: 28-34 Km

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Tara Angkor- Superior room

www.taraangkorhotel.com 

Day 3: Banteay Srei – Kbal Spean

After breakfast, we ride on quiet countryside roads to the rose sandstone temple of Banteay Srei, explore the temple’s magnificent carvings and continue on the 31km Grand Circuit to the ruins of the jungle temple of Preah Khan. Bike to Neak Pean Temple, famous for its sacred pools, breaking for lunch before riding to Kbal Spean, the River of a Thousand Lingas, lying under the river bed, people believe it brings fertility and blessings to the Angkor area as the river flows to Siem Reap. Walk for just over 1km to visit the Lingas and on the way back, cycle to the Landmine Museum of Mr. Akira. Mr. Ra is dedicated to clearing the Cambodian countryside of landmines laid during the years of conflict and relies entirely on visitor’s donations to fund his work. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Cycled distance: Approx 52 Km

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Tara Angkor- Superior room

www.taraangkorhotel.com 

Day 4: Siem Reap-Kampong Thom-Sambor Prei Kuk

Our day begins with a 2 hour cycling trip to Kampong Kdei, which is renowned for its 12^th century Naga bridge. After a walking tour to the site, we pick up our cycles and pedal along beautiful countryside roads, passing through local villages and alongside rice paddies fields. We stop at the pre-Angkorian temples in Sambor Prei Kuk. This is an ancient city where monuments of Sambo Prei Kuk are found, it was identified as Isanapura, the capital of Chenla in 7th century.  Following lunch, we cycle to Kampong Thom, a picturesque town on the bank of Steung Sen river. Dinner and overnight in Kampong Thom.

Cycled distance: Approx 70 Km

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Steung Sen Royal Garden hotel

Day 5: Kampong Thom - Kampong Cham (68km)

Enjoy a full day’s ride on good tarmac road passing through Khmer villages, rubber plantations and paddy fields. We first cycle northwest to Prey Pros village.Visit Phnom Pros and Phnom Srey. Amazing views from the top of hill. Arrive in Kam Pong Cham later in the day.

Cycled distance: Approx 70 Km

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Mekong Hotel

Day 6: Kampong Cham-Kratie  (80km)

Today we enjoy a great ride cycling on a small dirt road along the Mekong. Along the way, we will see fisherman’s houses on the river banks, white cows towing wooden carts and other countryside scenes. Kratie is a friendly, 'sunset' town on the banks of the Mekong River with a bustling central market. After checking into the hotel, we ride 16km north of Kartie and visit Kampi pools, take a boat trip to watch the rare Mekong River Dolphins. Enjoy spectacular river scenery and the rural, friendly villages. Return to town and overnight.

Cycled distance: Approx 80 Km

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Re Lais Du Chlong Kratie

www.khiricambodia.com

Day 7: Kratie-Stung Treng (90km)

The ride today takes us through two ‘biodiversity hotspots’ along the Mekong River, where local organizations are working with communities to protect the strongholds of nature’s richness. We first take a short ride out of Kratie, then take a local ferry to the other side of the river, continue on very quiet trails running along the scenic Mekong River. We need to cross on local ferries until we reach Koh Khnhaer where our bus awaits and transfers to Stung Treng, a little town by the Sekong River, a tributary of the Mekong. For dinner, there is an option to try Stung Treng’s specialty Nhem, parcels of raw, spiced fish wrapped in banana leaves. Overnight in Stung Treng.

Cycled distance: Approx 90km

Difficulty: Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Golden River hotel

Website: www.goldenriverhotel.com

 Day 08: Stung Treng-Laos border-Don Khone

After breakfast, today we cycle to the Laos border. We visit Ou Svay community. Enjoy lunch with a local family to experience rural Cambodia at its most authentic. After lunch we cycle to the border for immigration processing, and say goodbye to our Cambodian driver who has supported us along the way. We meet our Laos guide and continue our cycle trip to Khon Pha Peng waterfall about 7Km from the border. This waterfall drops 3 million liters a second, a massive force. Continue North to the town of Nakasang and take a boat over to the Island of Don Khone. In the afternoon cycle down to Liphi Waterfall and onto Han Khone where you can take a boat ride to see the Rare Irrawaddy Dolphins. Return to Don Khone where you will spend the night in bungalows overlooking the Mekong.

Cycled distance: Approx 80km

Difficulty: Moderate/Challenging

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Seng Alun Bungalows

Day 09: Don Khone – Don Khong (60km)

After Breakfast in Don Khone cycle north with views of the 4000 Islands, cycle across the Railway Bridge to Don Det and then Island Hop through the Islands to Don Som, cycling on narrow dirt tracks past villagers going about their daily life. Cross the river to Don Khong. Don Khong is the largest of the Islands and you will have time to cycle around part of the Island and to enjoy its tranquil lifestyle.

Cycled distance: Approx 60km

Difficulty: Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Pon Arena Hotel

www.ponarenahotel.com

Day 10: Don Khong - Xe Pian National Biodiversity & Conservation Centre - Champasak

After breakfast cross over the Mekong River to the mainland and transfer to Ban Kiat Ngong the heart of the Xe Pain Protected area. Take a short walk 3km (per way) to visit Phu Asa temple and enjoy the views over the wetlands. Return to Ban Kiat Ngong and transfer to Ban Muang. Cross the Mekong by ferry and have lunch in Champasak, in the afternoon cross over to Don Daeng Island and a 15km cycle round this pristine island before returning to Champasak.

Cycled distance: Approx 15 km

Difficulty: Easy

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Inthira Hotel

www.inthira-hotel.com 

Day 11: Champasak - Wat Phou – Pakse- Paksong

Ride along the river through beautiful scenery and small villages. We stop at Wat Phu, the Khmer temple complex. Wat Phu marks the start of the Khmer Civilisation. After the visit, we cycle 10km and cross the river back to Champasak before riding back to Pakse. Our cycling finishes in Pakse, hop on the bus and transfer to Paksong, which is called the coffee capital of Laos. The town sits 1,300m up on the Bolaven plateau.

Cycled distance: Approx 55km

Difficulty: Moderate

Meals: breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Tad Fane Resort

www.tadfane.com

Day 12: Paksong- Attapeu

Today’s ride is a highlight of our journey as we will take the loop ride from Paksong - Attapeu, which used to be a part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail during the Vietnam War. It provided another North South connection when the two other roads were bombed out. This ride on winding roads occasionally just dirt roads, passes through Laos’ hill tribe villages, coffee and tea plantations. We ride with dramatic mountain backdrop scenery stopping at Tat Katamtok, a giant waterfall, hidden between small bridges. Lunch en route and once we get to Sekong we board the bus to transfer to Attapeu, where we spend the night.

Cycled distance: Approx 70km

Difficulty: Moderate

Meals: breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Guest House

Note: This loop ride is subject to change due to the condition of weather. It’s wet and slippery in rainy season ( June- September)

Day 13: Attapeu- Kon Tum

Today is our last day to farewell in Laos and head toward the border into Vietnam. We leave after breakfast, and continue riding on paved road passing through jungle and coffee plantations. Once we get to Phou Cua International border, we bid farewell to our Laos team and meet with the Vietnamese team on the other side of Bo Y border. Transfer all the way to Kon Tum

Cycled distance: Approx 50km

Difficulty: Moderate

Meals: breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Indochine Hotel

www.indochinehotel.vn

Day 14: Kon Tum- Kham Duc (Phuoc Son)

Today is a long day ride on the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail. The winding road is makes for an incredible ride passing through jungles and the Truong Son mountain range. Enjoy a full-day riding on undulating hills and through some of the most spectacular scenery in Vietnam. We route takes us through mountain valleys and thick forests adjacent to national parkland and covers sections of the famed Ho Chi Trail. Hill tribe villages dot the landscape and we will make stop at the village of the Ba Na and Sedang ethnic minority groups along the way. Dinner and overnight in the small town of Phuoc Son, set in a mountain valley near a cascading river.

Cycled distance: Approx 90km

Difficulty” Moderate/Challenging

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Guest House

Day 15: Kham Duc- Hoian

After breakfast at our hotel, we continue our cycling along rolling hill roads heading to Hoi An. The first section is a little challenging as we tackle some of the hills but there is lush scenery to ease the pain. Lunch along the way, then on to Ai Nghia and a short transfer to Hoian, a delightful old trading town and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overnight in Hoian.

Cycled distance: Approx 90km

Difficulty” Moderate/Challenging

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Vinh Hung Resort- Superior

www.vinhhungresort.vn

Day 16: Hoian at leisure

Today is yours to celebrate your cycling achievements in beautiful Hoi An. This small friendly town with a beautiful beach nearby is an ideal place for some well earned relaxation. Wander through the old town, shop or have a tailor mack you a new outfit or two. A great place to end your Vietnam tour, Overnight in Hoi An.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Vinh Hung Resort- Superior

www.vinhhungresort.vn

Day 17: Departure

At your leisure until your transfer to the Danang airport for your departure flight.