Guide

The Social Cycles company founder, Brett, is the facilitator for this adventure. His job is to connect you to local NGOs and social enterprise based businesses across the country. We also have a local Cambodian driver of the support van, our good friend Hoem, to assist with cultural details. In Vietnam, in addition to Brett, we have a local Vietnamese guide/mechanic.

Meals

Breakfast is included 8 out of 11 mornings. Dinner is included 6 out of 11 evenings. We dine in social enterprise based restaurants where possible. We believe that food is such a beautiful way to explore and learn about a new country, so we want to provide you with the opportunity to feast in the markets, local restaurants and street stalls at your leisure.

Others

Full Bicycle hire, including helmets Full support vehicle for the ride with water and fruit Minimum three NGO presentations with local staff across Cambodia & Vietnam Multiple field trips to villages and communities Entry to The Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh & Mekong Delta floating market tours Airport transfers for arrival and departure Cooking class ...and much more

Transport

Bicycle with support van. We use Reid X-Trail mountain bikes with front suspension, 24-speed shimano gears and disc brakes. The best way to travel is by bicycle. No other form of travel will allow you to appreciate a new country like a bicycle will. We have a support van to follow at all times. Of the 12 days in Cambodia & Vietnam, five are on the bike in transit, and one is up and down a mountain for fun. The distance is up to 70-80km, but you can opt for the van at any time. The terrain is generally off road, compact gravel through remote villages and entirely flat. The pace is quite slow, very relaxed and casual. It's more important to stop for coffee and take photos of the incredible scenery than achieve a fast average pace. The trip is designed for recreational cyclists. Not athletes.

Accommodation

All 11 nights accommodation is in boutique style hotels. We think a hard day on the bike deserves a comfortable stay to rest your head. Where possible, we partner with a hotel that has a pool to relax by and a massage is never far away!

Not included:

Others

Other activities and services not included

Flights

International flights are not included

Insurance

Insurance is not included

Optional

Other activities and services not included The donation part is not mandatory, but it is an expectation. We want people to be open to the idea of supporting one or more of the NGOs we visit and learn about. If, after meeting some of the local teams and learning about their programs, the riders did not want to donate, then they are not required to.

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Day 1 Day 1: Phnom Penh
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Phnom Penh

We arrive and stay in the heart of the cosmopolitan lifestyle that has been thrust on Phnom Penh since the country has opened up to the outside world. For better or for worse, Phnom Penh is going through rapid change and tourism is opening new markets, opportunities, revenue streams and problems. If you land in Phnom Penh today, we’ll pick you up from the airport and take you straight to the hotel to give you a chance to relax and unwind. Your host will always be in the city to get any travel advice from should you want to go exploring. We’ll meet the rest of the group for dinner for a relaxing, fun journey with local Khmer cuisine.
Day 2 Day 2: Phnom Penh
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Phnom Penh

Welcome to CambodiaWe start the day with the wonderful people from Friends International and get an introduction to Cambodia like never before! This is your first chance to open your mind to the incredibly complicated, cultural challenges faced by everyday by the Khmer people. Friends International have a variety of ways in which they tackle these issues. From here we move onto the recent history and Tuol Sleng museum where prisoners were being kept for interrogation during the Khmer Rouge era. It can feel like a tough day in a beautiful country, so we unload at one of the best restaurants in the city and dare each other to eat a tarantula!
Day 3 Day 3: Phnom Penh To Kampot
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Phnom Penh To Kampot

Chisaur Temple: Our first cycle day (86km)Our first major cycling day takes us south of Phnom Penh to Chisaur Mountain Temple in rural Cambodia. It’s not really much of a mountain at 130m and the route is perfectly flat. We casually cycle through remote villages and waterways, via narrow dirt tracks. Chisaur Temple is where we’ll be for lunch as we have plenty of time to explore these ancient ruins which are 200 years older than Angkor Wat. From here, we’ll take the van down to the Cambodian coastal town of Kampot to enjoy the culinary delights on offer.
Day 4 Day 4: Kampot
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Kampot

The Bokor Mountain Cycle Challenge (optional 80km)Start the day with an (optional) mammoth Bokor Mountain cycle challenge! It’s 40km to get to the top. The first 10km is flat, then it just keeps on going up, and up, and up! If cycling uphill doesn’t rock your world, we can bring your bike in the van and you can cycle down! Whilst at the top, we can take some time to explore the French ghost town of Bokor Hill Station in Preah Monivong National Park. For dinner, we’ll head to the Rusty Keyhole for the best BBQ ribs in the world (that is not an oversell!)
Day 5 Day 5: Kampot
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Kampot

Dorsu, ethical fashion and slow coffeeWe’ll visit the ‘factory’ of this sustainable, ethical and inspirational clothing company and learn about Cambodia’s largest export- textile, and the impact and challenges it has on the local people. In the afternoon, just sit and relax by the pool, take a wander through the market or just take some time for yourself.We’ll take a cruise down the river at sunset and watch the fire flies come to life (if we’re lucky!)
Day 6 Day 6: Cycling Into Vietnam
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Cycling Into Vietnam

Salt lakes, pepper farms, live crab markets and white beachesToday we cross over the border into Vietnam, but not before we discover the wonderful province of Kep. Located just before the border, this town is famous for it’s fresh seafood, particularly crab. We’ll spend a couple of hours exploring the famous pepper plantations and salt lakes on the way.Navigating through the back roads, we’ll make our way around the National Park and to the border crossing into Ha Tien Vietnam.From Ha Tien, we’ll jump in the van and head to Rach Gia for a feast of local seafood and Banh Xeo.
Day 7 Day 7: Can Tho
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Can Tho

Cycling the Mekong Delta (82km)Can Tho is where the Mekong Delta really comes into it’s own! To get there we cut through the back roads of rice paddys and farm land, arriving in the city by late afternoon. With a population of over a million and a thriving tourist trade, Can Tho has a vibrancy about it like none other. Relax and explore this amazing city. For dinner, we’ll pull up a patch of grass at the night market and treat yourself to a degustation of delightful street food!
Day 8 Day 8: Can Tho
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Can Tho

Sunrises, floating markets, noodle factories and cocoa farmsWe’ll catch the floating markets for sunrise and have your breakfast brought to you on the water! The vibrancy and atmosphere at the break of dawn is incredible! This is no tourist performance, this is real life for the local people where they trade, sell and buy every day. Following that, we’ll visit the noodle factory where you’ll have a chance to make your own noodles and the cocoa farms just before lunch.In the afternoon, we’ll catch our first NGO in Vietnam and learn more about the agricultural pass on program through Heifer, (pending confirmation and availability).
Day 9 Day 9: Can Tho To Ben Tre
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Can Tho To Ben Tre

More Mekong cycling and a coconut candy farm (98km)We’ll take a day to casually explore the oasis that is the Mekong Delta. From the coconut candy factories of Ben Tre to the canals and floating markets of My Tho, this is a place to relax and unwind. We’ll avoid the hordes of tourists in My Tho by using Ben Tre as a base to explore the region. It’s still a full day cycling from Can Tho and we’ll enjoy getting amongst the maze that is the Mekong Delta. We should get into Ben Tre for 5pm, just in time to rest, relax and explore the local market for dinner.coconut-candy
Day 10 Day 10: Ben Tre To Ho Chi Minh
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Ben Tre To Ho Chi Minh

Cycling into Saigon (89km)We’ll start early to beat the heat and what we can of the traffic. Cycling into Saigon for the last cycle day of the tour is an incredible experience. Ho Chi Minh is what the world would look like if cars weren’t invented. With whole lanes and roads dedicated to two wheels, it is the city of the future as the population grows.The last 12 km will be where we rest up and transit into the city centre itself via the support van. Our boutique hotel is in the heart of the city, just a short stroll from the Street Food Market for dinner and a live band.
Day 11 Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City

Habitat for HumanityWe’ll visit our third and final NGO of the trip in Habitat for Humanity. With a global presence (including Australia), Habitat believe in appropriate housing for all. As such, they use donors and volunteers to build houses for those less fortunate. Habitat have a ‘hand up, not hand out’ policy, which we will learn more about. Use the day to explore at your leisure. There are a feast of local markets, grand shopping centres, museums and attractions in Ho Chi Minh. For the evening we’ll meet up for dinner, swap stories and photos.
Day 12 Day 12: Ho Chi Minh
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh

Departure Day!Congratulations! You’ve cycled across a couple of countries, covered over 500km in the saddle and more than scratched the surface as to what these fantastic countries are about. We’ll enjoy a final breakfast together before we get you off to the airport and on your way home.

12 days tour

Cycle Cambodia To Vietnam - 12 Days

This tour includes:

Not included:

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Itinerary of your trip Cycle Cambodia To Vietnam - 12 Days

Day 1: Phnom Penh

Day 2: Phnom Penh

Day 3: Phnom Penh To Kampot

Day 4: Kampot

Day 5: Kampot

Day 6: Cycling Into Vietnam

Day 7: Can Tho

Day 8: Can Tho

Day 9: Can Tho To Ben Tre

Day 10: Ben Tre To Ho Chi Minh

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh

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