Accommodation

All 15 nights accommodation is in boutique style hotels. There is one night in a local homestay in Ben Tre, Vietnam 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!

Meals

Breakfast is included 12 out of 15 mornings. Dinner is included 8 out of 15 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.

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 team that will take care of you all the way to Ho Chi Minh.

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 Angkor Wat, The Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh & Mekong Delta floating market tours Cooking class ...and much more

Transport

Bicycle with support van. Airport transfers for arrival and departure 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 16 days in Cambodia & Vietnam, 10 are on the bike, 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.

Not included:

Others

Other activities and services are not included

Optional

Other activities and services are 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.

Flights

Flights not included

Insurance

Insurance not included

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Siem Reap
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Siem Reap

Arrival day and welcome dinner

We arrive and stay in the heart of the cosmopolitan lifestyle that has been thrust on Siem Reap since the country opened up to the outside world. Tourism is opening new markets, opportunities, revenue streams and challenges for the local area. After we pick you up from the airport and take you to your hotel, take some time to relax or explore the city before we meet for a welcome dinner. Dinner is at one of Siem Reaps best restaurants, Marum. It’s part of the Friends International social enterprise projects, providing vocational training for marginalized youth.
Day 2 Day 2: Siem Reap (45Km Cycle Around Angkor Temples)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Siem Reap (45Km Cycle Around Angkor Temples)

Sunrise cycling around the temples of Angkor

Sunrise is from 4.30am as we hit the bikes for the first time, but it is so worth it. Sunrise over Angkor Wat is a bucket list achievement for a good reason. From here we’ll venture on to other, arguably more impressive, temples in the area for the remainder of the morning. In the early afternoon, we’ll have the chance to visit our first NGO on the trip. We will spend time with these incredibly inspirational people that have dedicated their lives to helping others. Hear their stories and understand what the real issues of the country are.
Day 3 Day 3: Battambang (By Boat And Bike, 50Km)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Battambang (By Boat And Bike, 50Km)

River riding, local villages and coffee stops

Travelling across the wetlands and navigating our way around Tonle Sap river is an experience you will never forget. The road soon turns to a single track as we get more and more remote. We farewell our support van and venture on into the rural and barren lands of Cambodia. Few villages exist out here, supporting themselves through sustainable fishing methods via the river. The track can only go so far, as we arrange a long tail boat ride for you and the bikes a further 16km into the wetlands. When we come out the other side, we cross another 18km of dirt road before eventually coming into Battambang.

Battambang is a common favourite on the trip. Packed with cafes proudly displaying local art, the town is considered an emergence of young talent in a field that was virtually wiped out by the Khmer Rouge. Battambang is also great for shopping, with colonial style streets and hidden secrets where bric-a-brac abounds. Dinner is in another social enterprise based restaurant that produces food on par with anything in any Australian city.
Day 4 Day 4: Cycle To Pursat (50Km)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Cycle To Pursat (50Km)

Adventure cycling, red dirt & Sustainable Cambodia

After an early breakfast, we’ll make our way along the dusty red back roads, via Banan temple. Well get to the town of Pursat by early afternoon and into our hotel to enjoy the swimming pool and on-site massage spa. We’ll get a great experience from a unique NGO, Sustainable Cambodia. A full presentation by the executives in their office and a tour of their facilities. Shortly after, we will be guided to see their projects working first-hand and the difference the NGO makes. Be inspired by the real difference made by real people.
Day 5 Day 5: Cycling Into Phnom Penh (75Km)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Cycling Into Phnom Penh (75Km)

Cycling into Phnom Penh, riverside villages and Tonle Sap

We start cycling 75km out from Phnom Penh, and ride all the way up to the front door of the hotel. The back roads bring in some of the most spectacular scenery as we pass through villages living on Tonle Sap lake. The ride takes in great coffee stops, endless photo opportunities and a couple of ferries. It’s almost entirely on back streets with minimal traffic. The final 2km within the city’s heart can be transferred via van as an option.

For dinner, it’s a feast of tarantulas and silk works at the famous Romdeng restaurant, a social enterprise restaurant from the friends International team.
Day 6 Day 6: Phnom Penh
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Phnom Penh

Friends International, S-21 genocide museum and Khmer BBQ

We’ll start the day by meeting the incredible people at Friends International and learning about all the wonderful work they do within the community and how they’re spreading their strategies across the world. This is a great insight into REAL local everyday issues, from real local everyday heroes. From the office, we venture towards the Russian market and then move to Tuol Sleng, also known as S-21 Genocide Museum. This devastating chapter of the Khmer Rouge and Cambodian history is emotionally challenging but strongly recommended. There is some time in the afternoon to process your day, whilst meeting again for a local Khmer BBQ dinner.
Day 7 Day 7: Phnom Penh To Kampot (60Km)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Phnom Penh To Kampot (60Km)

Chisaur Temple and some rural riding

This 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 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.
Day 8 Day 8: Bokor Mountain Cycle Challenge (80Km)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Bokor Mountain Cycle Challenge (80Km)

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 keeps going up, 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 9 Day 9: Kampot
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Kampot

Salt Fields community, ethical fashion and slow coffee

In the morning, we’ll visit Chumkriel Language School (no children will be in attendance at the time of visiting). A fantastic NGO and inspirational human being, Mr Suthy has set up a very grassroots local school to give access to education to children of the salt field community. In the afternoon, just sit and relax by the pool, wander through the market or just take some time. If you like, you can cruise down the river at sunset and watch the fireflies come to life (if we’re lucky!)
Day 10 Day 10: Cycling To The Vietnam Border (60Km)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Cycling To The Vietnam Border (60Km)

Salt lakes, pepper farms, live crab markets and white beaches

Today we cycle to the border into Vietnam, but not before we discover the wonderful province of Kep. Located just before the border, this town is famous for its 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, well make our way around the National Park and to the border crossing into Vietnam.

From the border, we’ll say goodbye to the Cambodian team, and welcome the Vietnam team. We transit to the coastal town of Rach Gia.
Day 11 Day 11: Can Tho
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: Can Tho

Cycling the Mekong Delta (82km)

Can Tho is where the Mekong Delta really comes into its own! To get there we cut through the back roads of rice paddies and farmland, 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, well pull up a patch of grass at the night market and treat yourself to a degustation of delightful street food!
Day 12 Day 12: Can Tho
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 12: Can Tho

Sunrises, floating markets, noodle factories and cocoa farms

Well 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 who 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.
Day 13 Day 13: Can Tho To Ben Tre
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 13: 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 at 5pm, just in time to rest, relax and explore the local market for dinner.

coconut-candy
Day 14 Day 14: Ben Tre To Ho Chi Minh
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 14: 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 15 Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon, Mekong Quilts and Dinner

We’ll visit our third and final NGO of the trip in Mekong Plus. With a presence in Cambodia and Vietnam, this grassroots local NGO focus on a hand-up, not hand-out policy. The social enterprise part of this NGO trains beneficiaries to make quilts, handicrafts and bamboo bicycles. The holistic approach from Mekong Plus includes education scholarships, vocational training, microfinance programs and social enterprise businesses. 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, photos and decide where youd like the donation money to go to.
Day 16 Day 16: Ho Chi Minh
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 16: 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.

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16 days tour

Cycle Siem Reap To Saigon - 16 Days

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Cycle Siem Reap To Saigon - 16 Days

Day 1: Siem Reap

Day 2: Siem Reap (45Km Cycle Around Angkor Temples)

Day 3: Battambang (By Boat And Bike, 50Km)

Day 4: Cycle To Pursat (50Km)

Day 5: Cycling Into Phnom Penh (75Km)

Day 6: Phnom Penh

Day 7: Phnom Penh To Kampot (60Km)

Day 8: Bokor Mountain Cycle Challenge (80Km)

Day 9: Kampot

Day 10: Cycling To The Vietnam Border (60Km)

Day 11: Can Tho

Day 12: Can Tho

Day 13: Can Tho To Ben Tre

Day 14: Ben Tre To Ho Chi Minh

Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City

Day 16: Ho Chi Minh

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