Cycling tour from Siem Reap to Hoi An
5.0
5.0
| 5.0 |
An unforgettable overland cycling tour adventure from the famous world wonder of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap to the ancient trade port of Hoi An. Connect with friendly locals while exploring the exotic and inspiring lands of Cambodia and Vietnam on this bicycle tour.
Overview
This adventure links two of the region's famous locations, the Angkor temples of the Khmer Empire with the historic UNESCO World Heritage town of Hoi An. The journey between offers an amazing diversity of landscapes and overnight stops: from the Mekong Basin and remote areas near the Lao border, to the area surrounding the Ho Chi Minh Trail; from the Vietnamese highland coffee country, to the beautiful coast. Great bike touring, activities and an amazing array of scenery awaits.
The most recently opened border between Cambodia and Vietnam sits in the triangle area where the Laos, Cambodian and Vietnam borders meet. We make use of this strategic location to offer a satisfying and different cycle route between these two iconic destinations. This tour shows you the great, non-touristy areas, off the beaten track and with some very memorable bike touring in between.
765 Km riding. On this bike tour the terrain is a mixture of sealed and unsealed secondary roads. We rarely cycle on main roads or highways and if we do, it's only for a few kilometres to get to the next turn. The majority of the ride is on small roads through the villages with minimal traffic. The road surface can at times be rough and broken, depending on seasonal conditions. In most cases, there is a comfortable line through the puddles or potholes and it makes for more interesting riding than a perfect road. There are some hills involved in this tour. These are a maximum of 8km long at any time. Most are shorter at around 3-4km in length. The gradient would not exceed 10% at any time. There is one day in excess of 100km in distance. The mixture of adventurous cycling, kayaking and travel in relatively remote areas, makes this a slightly more challenging tour than most of our Cambodian adventures, so we have rated it at four out of six stars.
Pedal-assist E-bike is an available option for this tour for $420 surcharge.
Highlights
Cycle the iconic temples of the UNESCO World Heritage Angkor Archeological Park at sunset.
Walk to the other UNESCO favorite mountaintop Preah Vihear temple with views of Thailand.
Switch from bikes to kayaks as you paddle the Mekong by the Laos border.
Cycle past small fishing communities in the countryside, then take a boat ride into Hoi An.
Day to Day
Early check-in at 13:00 is available. After a chance to unpack, the group convenes for the first, gentle ride of the tour. We start with a bike fitting at our Siem Reap headquarters then ride up along the Siem Reap river, stopping at the Royal Gardens, to reach the Angkor Wat Heritage area. We pedal back trails and paths, stop briefly at Angkor Wat itself, then the iconic Bayon temple. We conclude the ride at the moat of Angkor Thom and take a peaceful cruise on a rowboat with Canapes and bubbly to celebrate the start of the adventure. Dinner is had back in town and there is time for a trip briefing in amongst all the action.
Our cycling route today takes us on brilliant back trails and secondary roads through landscapes of coconut and palm trees and into a dry zone leading up to just near the Kulen Range. Here we find Banteay Srey, known as the lady temple. After taking some time to see the intricate and unique carvings here in orange-pink sandstone, we pedal on to the waterfall at Kbal Spean. Here, after a short walk, we can enjoy the cool water of the falls and the shade. In the late afternoon, we visit the ACCB Wildlife Conservation Center, a facility that is home to rescued wildlife species that are rare throughout Cambodia now. Here we see enormous birds, cheeky Langur monkeys, gibbons and we can often hear Hornbills overhead. A drive of one hour takes us to the small town of Anlong Veng where a simple, but adequate hotel awaits us.
This morning you have the opportunity to try a couple of typical Cambodian breakfast items, but we'll have the essentials on hand also. The ride starts out with a pedal through town and a short diversion to the now abandoned home of the infamous Ta Mok, one of the senior Khmer Rouge figures. From there, we'll find a secondary road that takes us east, with the Dangrek Mountains on our left for most of the morning. About halfway through, we join a more substantial road, but still with minimal traffic. The areas through which we cycle have only been opened up in recent years by this road and we see some communities starting to put down roots, often Military families who have been encouraged to move here as part of a border protection presence. Sra Em is the commercial hub for these communities and where our comfortable hotel with a pool is located.
Today we ride, then hike up an ancient staircase to Prasat Preah Vihear, a temple and a location that has been a source of angst and tension between Cambodia and its larger, richer neighbor: Thailand. In 1962 an ICJ ruling confirmed Cambodia as the owner of the temple, but tension has continued over disputed land surrounding the temple. Nonetheless, the temple is now in a peaceful situation, set atop the mountain range and offering views out over the plains. It is a beautifully designed, ancient Hindu temple, built during the time of the Khmer empire. We climb to the top to explore this UNESCO wonder, then descend to our accommodation for the evening.
We start off riding today on a recently opened, dirt road which will eventually form part of the Dragon Road, a perimeter trail that will run from the Vietnamese border in the Northeast to the Gulf Of Thailand in the Southwest. As the day wears on, we board the support vehicle for the drive into our destination of Stung Treng. This is a sleepy town at the junction of the Mekong and the Srepok Rivers. The riverbank is a great place to see out the day with some snacks and curious conversation with the locals.
It's time to trade our bikes for kayaks as we paddle instead of pedal. We first drive north towards the Lao border where our kayaks await. This is a highly enjoyable and memorable experience. Paddling downstream, pass through the flooded forests that are made possible by the river's passage over falls to the north that oxygenate the water and make a range of plant, bird and fish life possible in this area. We paddle for around four hours, but thanks to the currents of the Mekong, you can take it easy on the paddle and just enjoy maneuvering the craft through the forest. We finish up a little after lunch and then travel by motor-boat to reach the exit point. We then finish off the day on our bikes as we ride along a beautiful section of Mekong trail back to Stung Treng.
We start out in a boat today as we shuttle up the Srepok River, one of the Mekong tributaries. After an hour and a bit on the boat, we meet the road and then take to bikes again for the ride up into the highlands of Rattanakiri. The hills are certainly not steep, but there are quite a few so today can be a challenging but rewarding ride. We finish off at the Rattanakiri Lodge in Ban Lung where the sense of style through the property, bringing a sense of old world charm.
Ban Lung, the capital of Rattanakiri Province, is becoming a more lively place as the population grows. The local market is buzzing with activity, and where often one can see more unusual produce than you might on the flatlands. The province is known for its forests and minority peoples. The unfortunate fact is that there has been deforestation over many years, so things are not as green as they used to be. There are still some nice walks, though, and probably the easiest way to do these is to do an organized trek out of the hotel. Alternatively, you may just like to rest and make good use of the pool.
We have a very different ride today on a well-paved surface as we ride up further into the highlands to the Vietnamese border. We are now in the neighborhood of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and while we won't actually ride the trail due to its challenging terrain, we will get a feel for the kinds of conditions that it takes in. A sleepy border post sits in wait for us to enter Vietnam. After farewelling the Cambodian support crew, we continue in the vehicle to reach Kon Tum. This area is home to a number of ethnic minorities with their own traditional farming techniques. We take an afternoon ride to get a feel for the area which is also known for coffee production.
We will spend another night in Kontum tonight and will spend the day cycling the trails and backroads of the area. We'll see a coffee plantation and visit some minority villages where we can learn a little about the tribal customs and beliefs and some of their farming practices. This will be yet another off-the-beaten-path cultural experience.
Today is a ride to remember. A 1-hour vehicle transfer to set us up with an achievable distance, then some great riding. After a few rolling hills, we cycle into a thrilling descent, taking us down out of the hills onto the flatlands. Some amazing views can be seen over the side of the mountains and on a clear day you may even see the ocean. After our descent, we are in a very different country with rice becoming the main crop and the density of villages increasing. We'll park our bikes and enjoy lunch here in the town of Ba To before transferring the remainder of the distance to the bustling regional capital of Quang Ngai in the late afternoon.
As Quang Ngai's working populace head on their commute by motor-scooter, we will be pedaling towards the coast. Along the way, we encounter a point of tragic history at the My Lai Massacre site. It was here that one of the most barbaric incidents of the US-Vietnam war took place and when uncovered by the media had a profound effect on US public opinion over the war. After learning a little about this, we continue on a ride along the coast, a very different feel to our previous days. Tam Ky is a smaller town with a pleasant hotel and great local food.
Saving the best for last! This is a great ride to finish with. We first cycle quiet roads right along the coast, passing tiny fishing communities and village markets and schools. Late morning, we arrive at a river where a boat is waiting to take us into our destination. We arrive by boat into the UNESCO listed Hoi An Old Town, an introduction that few people have the pleasure of experiencing. A short pedal has us at our final lunch, then it is farewell and off to your hotel for some well earned, relaxation time.
The tour concludes today. Breakfast is included and checkout time at the hotel is noon. We will have a car waiting to take you to the nearby airport in Da Nang, but you may wish to stay on in this lovely little town, Hoi An. We have some excellent day rides if you haven't yet had your fill.
Dates & Price
EARLY RIDER PRIZE: Be in the first 4 to book a departure and get 5% OFF the tour price*
*Not applicable with guaranteed, private, or self-guided tours, other discounts, trip credit, or special offers
WHAT MAKES US STAND OUT
GRASSHOPPER STYLE
With our experience crafting adventurous cycling tour experiences in Southeast Asia, we have designed this route to be the ultimate access to the hidden secrets of Cambodia and Vietnam. Discover the wonders of Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear, then explore the north of Cambodia on small tracks and stop in towns where locals will be surprised and excited to see you. The journey ends in the old town of Hoi An after a satisfying journey that will leave you with lasting memories of your cultural immersion and satisfying active adventure.
