TRIP PROFILE
Road conditions:
The cycling routes for this trip is relatively flat from Cambodia to Thailand. From Vientiane to Luang Prabang, there are some hills over 1,000 meters high.
Total cycling distance for 16 days is around 900 km as a group, with experienced cycle guides setting an even pace and stop often to visit points of interest and sample some of the local food. Our support vehicle follows close behind with plenty of refreshments.
Bikes
The bikes you will be riding are well-known makes of hybrid or mountain bikes (depending on the tour) with lightweight alloy frames, 24- to 27-speed gearing, Disc-brakes, and Shimano components, and front suspension.
Bike Repairs
Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee to have spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube, and a pump while riding is recommended.
Safety
Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is nonnegotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree, you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.
Guides
You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture, and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.
THE NITTY GRITTY
Passports and Visas
All nationalities require a visa and a passport valid for 6 months for your trip in Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. A 30-day visa on arrival is available at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap Airports and at some land border crossings. You can also obtain a visa online through e-Visa. There is a 3-day processing time and you’ll need a scanned copy of the passport. Not all border crossings accept the e-Visa, please check this port of entry page which provides a list of which checkpoints support the e-Visa service. For a list of consulates/embassies abroad go to this page.
Travel visa requirements for Thailand
Visiting Thailand for most Western passport holders (that includes citizens of the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa) is simple as they’re allowed to enter the country for short stays without having to apply for a visa.
Laos
Visa on arrival:
Thirty days. Available at Wattay International Airport (Vientiane), Pakse Airport, Luang Prabang International Airport, and all Thai–Lao border crossings open to foreigners. Also available at border crossings with Vietnam (Nam Khan, Bo Y, Tay Trang, Cau Treo, and Lao Bao) and China (Mo Han).
Tourist visa (T):
Thirty days. Required for all border crossings where visa on arrival is not available. Can be arranged in advance at Lao embassies and consulates, or through tour operators in Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
We recommend that you visit a travel medical doctor and ask about the following vaccinations: typhoid, polio, tetanus, and hepatitis A. A certificate for Yellow Fever is required when arriving from an infected area within six days.
Weather
In Cambodia:
November in Cambodia is the start of the dry season; although the odd, short shower early in the month is not unusual. Comfortable temperatures (avg: 25 °C), low humidity, and plenty of sunshine make this a popular time to travel in Cambodia. December is characterized by dry, sunny weather, low humidity, and relatively cool temperatures (avg: 26 °C). In January Cambodia is well into its dry season. By August it is experiencing the rainy season, but this does not affect our cycling too much, as rain generally falls late afternoon or at night. The advantage of visiting Cambodia during the wet season is the vibrant spectacle of lush green rice fields and countryside.
Thailand:
There are three main seasons in most of Thailand: rainy, caused by the southwest monsoon (the least predictable, but roughly May-Oct); cool (Nov–Feb; felt most distinctly in the far north, but hardly at all in the south); and hot (March-May). The Gulf coast’s climate is slightly different: it suffers less from the southwest monsoon but is then hit by the northeast monsoon, making November its rainiest month.
Laos:
Laos weather consists of wet and dry seasons. From May through October is considered the wet season. Laos’ hot season lasts from November to April, but you’ll enjoy 2 different weather conditions. The best time to visit Laos is at the end of the year (December–February). During this period, you’ll enjoy low temperatures and clear skies, which make for pleasant sightseeing.
Food
Most meals are included in your trip price apart from non-cycling days and some other exclusions. Please check the itinerary for full details. If you have a special dietary request, please advise us at the time of booking. Most diets can be catered for, but it is always important to advise us in advance.
A typical Cambodian meal would normally consist of a soup, salad, a fish dish, vegetables, and rice. Dessert is normally based on fresh fruits and sticky rice. Fish Amok is Cambodia’s National Dish. This popular dish uses a kind of catfish steamed in a savory coconut-based curry. The small fish known as Trey Dang Dau are very common and are often eaten deep-fried. While freshwater fish is the most commonly used meat in the Cambodian diet, pork and chicken are also popular. Probably the most popular soft drink in Cambodia is iced coffee, freshly brewed and mixed with sweetened condensed milk. Fresh coconut is also widely available, safe to drink straight from the fruit, and always refreshing in hot weather.
Rice is the staple food in Vietnam. Soup with rice noodles is a national dish. Recipes for main meals make use of vegetables, meat, and fish. Herbs and spices used in food preparation include basil, coriander, lemongrass, mint, and black pepper. Other ingredients are garlic, onions, ginger, and lime juice. There are numerous types of noodles eaten at all times of the day and noodle and rice-based snacks wrapped in rice paper or leaves are available. Desserts include a variety of cakes and fresh fruit (bananas, durians, guavas, jackfruit, mangoes, oranges, persimmons, and pineapples). Popular drinks are tea, coffee, and beer. The local spirit is rice wine.
Thailand:
Thai foods make an impression not only on their looks, smells but also on the tastes and flavors. Almost all Thai dishes are cooked and processed with diverse types of spices and herbs which are beneficial to people’s health. The complex and diversity of taste senses in each cuisine including sweet, bitter, sour, and spicy make it distinctive, and unlike numerous others in the world. For those who wish to travel in this “Land of Smiles”, Thai food is one of the things they can’t miss. Every cuisine is a unique blend of seasoning. Though it often brings hot and spicy taste it is perfectly balanced among five flavors of salty, sweet, bitter, spicy, and sour, which offer distinctive taste in each dish. Some of the other common seasonings are fish sauce, lemongrass, basil, dried shrimp paste, garlic, spices coriander, cumin and cardamom. The food in Thailand differs from region to region. The southern coastal regions fame for seafood, meanwhile the northeast savors the spiciest food and curries are popular in the Muslims.
Laos:
Laos food is one of the best-kept secrets of Southeast Asia. Laos a country tucked between Thailand, China, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cambodia offers a cuisine rich in flavors, herbs, and simple and fresh ingredients.
Some of the most popular dishes that Laotian cuisine is famous for include their stews, bamboo shoot soup, lambs, and other meat dishes. Coming out of the umbrella of Thai cuisine, Lao dishes are out to find an identity of their own. And the good news is that is gathering both acceptance and appreciation among foodies as well as food critics from all over the world. Let us take a look at some of the Lao dishes that have made it to the international platter.
Drink
Keeping you completely hydrated is a job we take very seriously. Coldwater, some energy-restoring local fruit, and soft drinks are included in the tour price while riding. Soft drinks and other beverages during meals are not included. Beer is freely available everywhere but is NOT included in the price.
Solo Travelers
Countryside Adventures does not require you to pay a surcharge for traveling alone. We will arrange for you to share accommodation with another traveler of the same gender and if we can not match you up we will provide a single room at no extra charge. If you prefer not to share a single supplement is payable to guarantee your own room. The cost of the single supplement is listed above.
Accommodation:
We choose accommodation on the basis of comfort rather than a luxury. Our prices are based on sharing a twin room. Should you wish to have a room to yourself, there is a single supplement option on the majority of our tours. The accommodation for this trip is in Hotels with some places having en-suite facilities and air conditioning.
Money
Thai baht and US dollars are widely used in Cambodia, especially in larger cities and towns. In smaller towns and villages, Cambodian riels are usually preferred. There are ATMs in most areas, however, machines dispense US dollars. The guides will be able to show you where the ATMs are. Spend riel before departing as no one will exchange them for you once you leave.
The official Thailand currency is the baht, which consists of 100 satan Thailand currency is comprised of coin denominations that range from 1 satang to 10 baht and banknotes that start at 20 baht and go as high as 1000 baht. Coin denominations are 1 satang, 5 satangs, 10 satangs, 25 satangs, 50 satangs, 1 baht, 2 baht, 5 baht, and 10 bahts.
Laos Currency:
The official national currency in Laos is the Lao kip (K), but Thai baht (B) and US dollars (US$) are also commonly accepted.
GENERAL BOOKING INFO
Booking
If this is the tour for you here’s what you need to do to confirm your place: Read our Booking Conditions.
Deposit
When booking your tour, you’ll be required to pay a deposit to guarantee your place. For tours less than 7 days, the deposit amount is 100% of the tour price, per rider. For tours 7 days or longer, the deposit amount is 30% of the tour price, per rider.
Balance
Day tours and tours shorter than 7 days require full payment at the time of booking. For tours 7 days or longer, full payment must be paid 45 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights. Our confirmation will include personal details you provided us (including your flight information), visa application advice, a packing suggestion list, and a detailed tour itinerary. It will also include a checklist to ensure you get everything ready for your holiday.
Cancellation Policy
On the rare occasions when we, Countryside Adventures, must cancel a trip, all payments received to date will be 100% refunded, which constitutes full settlement. There will be absolutely no deductions. If you, the client, must cancel your reservation, your cancellation fee will be determined according to when you cancel. For full details, please read our cancellation policy.
Countryside Adventures Team