A real insight of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia

Meet up at your hotel in Saigon. Transfer with bikes to Cai Lay. Visit Ap Bac battle January 2rd 1963. Ride to Cai Be on back roads approx 1.5 hours. Take the boat trip to visit coconut candy making, rice paper making, popcorn & pop rice making….Have lunch on an island before continuing onto our local home stay run by a lovely retired couple, Mr & Mrs Ba. They live in a typical Mekong delta Vietnamese house, with airy rooms and outdoor kitchen. The rest of the afternoon is free to bike surrounding the home stay. Dinner will be prepared by home stay hosts.

Overnight in Vinh Long.

After breakfast at home stay, the last short boat trip will be reached Vinh Long, one of the famous fruits town in Mekong, visit the military heliport of American army from 1954 to 1975 in Mekong Delta, bike along narrow country lanes, easy dirt tracks and trails. This is biking at its most glorious-through tiny orchards, witness colorful life along the riverside, pedal pass picturesque delta homes, pause to chat with welcoming villagers, clack across innumerable wooden bridges. Have lunch at local 9 Dau restaurant in Mo Cay town where considered of the Vietnamese Communist cradle during Vietnam War. Cross narrow canals on a local sampan, before finishing at the main ferry for a refreshing boat trip across the expansive Co Chien River. Ride final few km to the very pretty Khmer town of Tra Vinh. There will be plenty of time to explore side tracks and trails as the cycling distance today is not far. This gives a great first impression of the "heart of Mekong".

Overnight in Tra Vinh.

A special ride today as much of the area is populated by Khmer people. The regional architecture is interesting and there are many Khmer temples to stop and admire en route. Cycle as much or as little as is preferred; the road is peaceful, narrow and very pretty all the way to Can Tho! Pedal to Ba Om Pond with its magnificent lotus flowers, and observe local women having their future predicted in the small temple nearby. En route, stop to visit a local Buddhist temple school if possible. Arrive finally at Can Tho, the Mekong's largest town located at the confluence of the Can Tho and Hau Giang rivers. Visit the Can Tho prison throughout French and American war located nearby the Can Tho city hall now.

Overnight is in Can Tho.

Today's ride is split into two sections and is a contrast to the previous day's ride. After a very early breakfast, you will take a boat trip to the famous Cai Rang floating market before riding on a narrow paved road market to Phong Dien, many canals here used as the boat transportation during the Vietnam war, the guerrillas have hidden under the shade of water coconut from the American helicopters on the head top. The route weaves through morning market bustle along the banks of the very busy river. Absorb the sights of endless cottage industries, timber merchants, coconut shredders, small docks loading/unloading rice, and tiny vibrant markets. You will continue by bike on the narrow lane to the main road, which transfer along the highway back to Can Tho for lunch. In the afternoon, you will continue riding along a tiny road leading upstream towards Long Xuyen. The ride ends with a final ferry crossing and short transfer to hotel in Long Xuyen.

Overnight in Long Xuyen.

Once more, the scenery is completely different. After a short transfer to Triton, the cycling starts to gently undulate and mountains begin to loom as you ride closer and closer to Chau Doc. The presence of Thot Not trees indicates the growing proximity to Cambodia and the local people speak Vietnamese as their second language. This afternoon you will cycle to the killing fields of Vietnam at Ba Chuc, where Pol pot's regime massacred over 3,000 Vietnamese in 1978. The route loops round to Chau Doc from Ba Chuc along the border, or re-trace back to Tri Ton (depending on road conditions) and ride the rest of the way to Chau Doc along incredible country roads. Those with energy to spare can climb Sam Mountain for sunset! Dinner.

Overnight Chau Doc.

Depart early for the boat journey up the Mekong River to Phnom Penh (take water, food, book etc… for your journey). Once arriving at the pier at Chau Doc you will say goodbye to your Vietnamese guide and bikes and cruise up the Bassac river for approximately 1,5 hours to the Cambodian border. At the Cambodian border the boat crew will obtain your visas on your behalf (you will need 02 spare passport photo, fill in a form and pay the $30 visa fee). This process will take about to half an hour. The boat will then continue to take you upstream to Phnom Penh, where your new Cambodian team will be ready to greet you with your new bikes. You will then continue your journey into Cambodia & Phnom Penh. This capital city was once considered one of the most beautiful in the orient, and despite its recent turbulent history, it still retains a colonial charm. After lunch at the atmospheric foreign correspondent's club and your fitting for your new bikes, you will transfer to Cambodia's killing fields and a visit to S21, Tuoel Sleng genocide museum.

Overnight in PhnomPenh.

Today is an early morning departure by bike heading north on the national road N5 past ancient Japanese bridge and start traveling through the Cambodian countryside. After 12kms you get to Prek Phnov where you turn onto unpaved roads passing local villages and rice fields. You head towards the ancient capital of Udong where Udong Mountain is still home to many of the old Royal Palaces. After your visit, riding 9kms to Prek Kdam and take a ferry across the Tonle Sap River – make sure you take plenty of snacks and water for this journey as delays may happen. You will then continue further 12kms and then stop for rest and lunch. Heading off after a hearty lunch you can soon appreciate the good tarmac roads of earlier as you cycle around the potholes of a narrow and once-tarmac road! The route takes you north once again past cashew nut plantation and sellers. You then continue on towards the bustling town of Skoun, lying at the crossroads between the north and east of the country. Skoun's local delicacy is tasty sauté garlic tarantula! You are surrounded once more by paddy fields and huge open plains, the scenery broken only by sugar palm trees, wooden huts and pagodas. This is a mentally challenging cycle of the challenge as the long road stretches out ahead of you. You can then rest and take a transfer 91 km to Kompong Thom, on the way you can enjoy the views of Samtuk Mountain in the distance. You will arrive in Kompong Thom, a small but energetic town with a fascinating market for dinner.

Overnight in Kompong Thom.

After transferring a short leg towards siem reap today's cycle. This will bring you to the small town of Stoung – 45Km from Kompong Thom. In Stoung start by biking the 100Kms left to the city of the temples .you will have some shade as you cycle beneath the roadside palms past Preah Pros Lake and Kompong Svay district. As you near the end of your challenge, the Cambodian road system is at its most challenging state yet! You cycle amongst the local traffic, many of them peeping their horns in greeting an as a warning and adding to the general chaos! It's advisable not to wave back as you negotiate these roads – you will need both hands! You are passing through an area which used to be the front line of the Khmer Rouge in the 1980s and signs of war and the subsequent de-mining campaign become more prevalent , hitting home how much has changed in this country in only the last few years . You continue, passing through Kompong Kdie and its magnificent 12th-century stone carved bridge, which is the only bridge to stand the constant floods. You will lunch which come each year to this area when the nearby immense Tonle' Sap lake floods. You will lunch in Sangbay before your final afternoon's ride to the finish line in front of Angkor Wat, a sight that is well worth the trials over the past few days.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Angkor Wat itself is just one of the many temples in the region but is one of the best preserved and most impressive. It is worth climbing the remarkably steep and narrow steps of the central spire for the view over the whole temple surrounded by jungle. Angkor Thom, the old city central to the area, is a fascinating ruin featuring many mysterious giant carved faces and some incredible wall carvings, and is one of the most remarkable sights in the area. Also not to be missed is the temple of Ta Prohm, which has been left to be reclaimed by nature and features incredible tree roots breaking through the stone carvings and wall, a fascinating tribute to the power of nature over man and an experience reminiscent of "Indiana Jones" and "Tom Raider".

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Today you have free at leisure till transfer to the airport for your next flight.

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