Backroads Biking in Cambodia

Arrive at the airport and enjoy a transfer to your hotel in Siam Reap, the gateway to the Angkor temples. The remainder of the day is free for you to spend as you wish, relaxing or exploring the city with its shops, French colonial architecture, and lively markets.

After breakfast, collect your bike and prepare for the first ride of the trip which will bring you to one of the most important Angkorian-era archaeological sites in the region. You’ll ride along quiet roads beneath the sacred hill of Phnom Bok to the temple of Banteay Srei. This is one of the more elaborate temples in the Angkor region, made from intricately carved red sandstone. After lunch, you’ll hop on the bus for the short journey to Kbal Spean, the ‘River of a Thousand Lingams’. Rocks on either side of the river and even under the water have been carved with lingams and images of gods. The day ends with a refreshing plunge in a waterfall pool.

This morning you will set off from the hotel for an exciting ride along dirt roads and narrow jungle paths to the stunning spectacle of Angkor Wat. This 12th century UNESCO World Heritage Site is thought to be the largest religious monument in the world. There will be plenty of time to look around the 400-acre site for the rest of the day. As the afternoon draws to a close, ascend the pyramid-shaped temple of Pre Rup, for some majestic sunset views of the ruins and surrounding rice fields.

This morning you’ll get back on the bike for a ride through the rural countryside, among rice fields, sugar palms and peaceful villages, to the town of Roulos. Roulos has some of the earliest structures built by the Khmers (between 877 and 889) including Lolei, Preah Ko, Bakong and Chau Srei Vibol. Spend some time looking around the temple of Bakong, built by King Indravarman in 881. Sit down to lunch in a traditional Khmer house in the countryside. In the afternoon, enjoy a relaxing ride back to the hotel.

This morning, it is time for another lovely short ride through the countryside to Angkor Thom, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire. Highlights of this ruined fortified city include Bayon, a crumbling, mysterious maze where 216 carved faces of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara stare back at you. After lunch in a local restaurant, you will have the opportunity to cycle and walk around the area, visiting some of the sites hidden in the forest, such as the very old, overgrown Phimeanakas Temple. Look forward to watching the performance of traditional Khmer Apsara dancing during dinner.

Today you will embark on an adventurous journey by public speedboat from Siam Reap to Battambang, which will take between six and eight hours. Beginning at Tonlé Sap Lake, the boat leaves the lake and travels slowly down the winding Sangker River, where you’ll pass traditional stilt houses, collecting and dropping off locals along the way. This is a fascinating, authentic experience where you will gain an insight into the lives of the people who depend on the lake and river, fishing, and growing vegetables in the same way that their families have for generations.

This morning you will enjoy a leisurely ride to the 11th-century temple of Wat Ek Phnom, getting a snapshot of local riverside village life along the way. After lunch, you’ll depart Battambang and drive alongside the Tonlé Sap Lake to the port town of Kampong Chhnang, located in the south-east corner of the lake, which is famous for Khmer pottery. In the late afternoon, there will be time to explore this traditional Cambodian town with its market, floating houses, and fishing boats.

Today’s morning ride takes you through paddy fields and plantations fringed with palm trees stopping at small pottery villages along the way. After lunch, leave the Kampong Province and transfer to Kirirom National Park. In the afternoon explore the park by bike, riding on tarmac and dirt roads through lush scenery with views of the Cardamom Mountains. Spend the night in a hillside resort in the park.

This morning is dedicated to an adventurous ride through the Kirirom National Park. With pine forests and narrow trails, the park is a great place to explore by bike – look out for resident monkeys, elephants and even leopards! This is the most challenging ride of the trip with some steep ascents, but the support vehicle is on hand if anyone needs to take a break.

In the afternoon you will visit the village of Chi Phat in the heart of the forest – historically, the domain of the Khmer Rouge. This area was known as Cambodia’s ‘Wild West’ and during the regime of Pol Pot, Chi Phat was a forced labour camp that was closed to the outside world. Spend the evening in a local homestay in the village.

You are right in the heart of the Cambodian rainforest, which has abundant wildlife including birds, gibbons, and even elephants. You will explore the area by bike, riding along hidden trails through the jungle. Cool off in a crystal-clear waterfall pool. You’ll stop in the traditional village of O’Kay, far from the established tourist trail, in the heart of what was once Khmer Rouge country.

In the morning ride a trail from the homestay along the Preak Piphot River down to Andoung Teuk. Here, you will leave the bike behind and be driven to the sleepy, riverside town of Kampot, a former French settlement with crumbling colonial architecture. After lunch, take a boat ride on the Kampot River to your riverside accommodation passing lush green palms, small villages, and local fishermen. During the day there is also be the chance for a kayak on the quiet waters of the river.

Today you will transfer to the laid-back fishing town of Krong Kep. The town has an interesting history; it was a holiday resort at the turn of the century before becoming a hideaway for Cambodia’s elite during the ‘golden age’ of the 1950s and 60s. Explore the town and visit it’s crab market before you take a boat ride to Koh Tonsay, otherwise known as Rabbit Island. This is the perfect place to kick back and relax after all that cycling. Spend the afternoon as you wish, chilling on the island’s palm-fringed beach, swimming and soaking up the sun!

After breakfast, leave the countryside behind for Cambodia’s intriguing capital city, Phnom Penh. On a city tour, you will see the top sights including the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and National Museum. Practice your haggling skills at the lively Russian and French markets. At the end of the day, watch the sun go down on the Phnom Penh skyline and the Royal Palace from a boat on the Mekong River. It is the perfect finale to your Cambodian adventure!

This morning there will be some free time to explore Phnom Penh further before you transfer to the airport for your flight.