Experience The Real Vietnam
Experience The Real Vietnam
Cycling is one of the best ways to experience the hidden charm historical sites of the Angkor Wat complex. Riding through jungle paths, explore the Angkor Temple complex, and end the day enjoying a colorful sunset. Then head to the countryside to explore rural village life, cycling through quiet communities and watching locals going about their daily lives. Venture off the tourist track and visit the tucked away floating village and submerged forest of Kampong Phluk to experience living life on the water. Exploring by bike, we get to see more of the incredible legacy of the Khmer at Angkor and get a glimpse into rural Cambodian life. A perfect mix of must-see sites and exploring off the tourist track, this bike tour in Southeast Asia suits first-time visitors and Cambodia frequent travelers alike!
Cycling through the jungle Paths to explore hidden Angkok temple.
Experience the daily life of the locals who live in the surrounding area.
BRIEF ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival Siem Reap
Day 2: Angkor Complex
Day 3: Countryside
Day 4: Banteay Srey
Day 5: Tonle Sap – Departure
Day 1 Arrival in Siem Reap. D
Pick up from airport and transfer to hotel. Rest of day free. Dinner will be served at the finest local restaurant. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 2 Angkor Complex Cycling Activities. B.L
Pick up from the hotel or meet up at our bike depot for bike fitting and safety briefing for our day at Angkor, cycling from temple to temple. We then hop on our bikes and ride toward the Angkor Temple complex. We will enter from the south and traverse up portions of tarmac road and jungle paths until we reach our first temple of today, Tah Prohm. After our visit here we’ll carry on through the jungle and toward the eastern gate of Angkor Thom, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire. In the near center of this massive enclosure, we’ll find the enigmatic temple of Bayon. This temple is known for its many smiling faces. As the sun reaches its zenith now, we’ll take a short rest and lunch, before visiting the grandest temple of them all Angkor Wat. Depending upon the time, we can choose to return to Siem Reap after our visit to Angkor Wat for a brief rest before returning to the Angkor complex. This evening, we’ll enjoy a beautiful sunset in Angkor Park and return to our hotel by transfer.
Ride 30 -40km
Day 3 Prah Dak – Kbal Spean – Banteay Srei. B.L
Leaving Siem Reap by bike we strike out for the countryside. Our initial destination this morning is the village of Prah Dak, which lies not far from the temple complex. Once we pass through this quaint little village, we’ll cycle down a narrow tarmac lane to Banteay Samre. Now we start getting deeper into the Cambodian countryside and pass many local villages and schools and people going about their day to day business. Ahead of us, the great sandstone ridge of Phnom Kulen rises up from the countryside. At the base of this mountain, we will stop for lunch and take a short 3km trek to Kbal Spean. Here we can see ancient riverbed carvings of Hindu gods in the “River of 1,000 Lingas”. Once we finish here, we’ll load up our bikes and transfer to Banteay Srei the gem of the Angkor area known for its exquisite bas relief carvings. Afterward, transfer you back to Siem Reap.
Ride 65km
Day 4 Kampong Phluk Floating Village – Roulous Group – Siem Reap. B.L
After breakfast, we leave the crowds behind and head towards the floating village and submerged forest of Kampong Phluk. The floating forest makes this tranquil place unique and is a treat for visitors. We enjoy a boat tour around the village, between trees breaking through the water surface and soak in the culture of living life on the water. We’ll eat lunch at a local house before we get back on solid ground. As the day becomes warmer, we’ll transfer to the village of Roulous, home to some of the earliest permanent structures built by the Khmers. We explore the three main temples here – Lolei, Preah Ko, and Bakong. Afterward, we’ll transfer back to Siem Reap. As our trip comes to an end, we can help arrange hotels for those looking to extend their time in Siem Reap or venture to scenic Phnom Penh. ** Due to low water levels during the dry season, the boat trip at Kampong Phluck is only possible from June to March. However, an alternative floating village at Kampong Kleang can be arranged instead.
Ride 45km
Day 5 Departure
Free time until transfer to airport for onward flight.
Countryside Adventures
Day 1 Arrival in Siem Reap. D
Pick up from airport and transfer to hotel. Rest of day free. Dinner will be served at the finest local restaurant. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 2 Angkor Complex Cycling Activities. B.L
Pick up from the hotel or meet up at our bike depot for bike fitting and safety briefing for our day at Angkor, cycling from temple to temple. We then hop on our bikes and ride toward the Angkor Temple complex. We will enter from the south and traverse up portions of tarmac road and jungle paths until we reach our first temple of today, Tah Prohm. After our visit here we’ll carry on through the jungle and toward the eastern gate of Angkor Thom, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire. In the near center of this massive enclosure, we’ll find the enigmatic temple of Bayon. This temple is known for its many smiling faces. As the sun reaches its zenith now, we’ll take a short rest and lunch, before visiting the grandest temple of them all Angkor Wat. Depending upon the time, we can choose to return to Siem Reap after our visit to Angkor Wat for a brief rest before returning to the Angkor complex. This evening, we’ll enjoy a beautiful sunset in Angkor Park and return to our hotel by transfer.
Ride 30 -40km
Day 3 Prah Dak – Kbal Spean – Banteay Srei. B.L
Leaving Siem Reap by bike we strike out for the countryside. Our initial destination this morning is the village of Prah Dak, which lies not far from the temple complex. Once we pass through this quaint little village, we’ll cycle down a narrow tarmac lane to Banteay Samre. Now we start getting deeper into the Cambodian countryside and pass many local villages and schools and people going about their day to day business. Ahead of us, the great sandstone ridge of Phnom Kulen rises up from the countryside. At the base of this mountain, we will stop for lunch and take a short 3km trek to Kbal Spean. Here we can see ancient riverbed carvings of Hindu gods in the “River of 1,000 Lingas”. Once we finish here, we’ll load up our bikes and transfer to Banteay Srei the gem of the Angkor area known for its exquisite bas relief carvings. Afterward, transfer you back to Siem Reap.
Ride 65km
Day 4 Kampong Phluk Floating Village – Roulous Group – Siem Reap. B.L
After breakfast, we leave the crowds behind and head towards the floating village and submerged forest of Kampong Phluk. The floating forest makes this tranquil place unique and is a treat for visitors. We enjoy a boat tour around the village, between trees breaking through the water surface and soak in the culture of living life on the water. We’ll eat lunch at a local house before we get back on solid ground. As the day becomes warmer, we’ll transfer to the village of Roulous, home to some of the earliest permanent structures built by the Khmers. We explore the three main temples here – Lolei, Preah Ko, and Bakong. Afterward, we’ll transfer back to Siem Reap. As our trip comes to an end, we can help arrange hotels for those looking to extend their time in Siem Reap or venture to scenic Phnom Penh. ** Due to low water levels during the dry season, the boat trip at Kampong Phluck is only possible from June to March. However, an alternative floating village at Kampong Kleang can be arranged instead.
Ride 45km
Day 5 Departure
Free time until transfer to airport for onward flight.
Countryside Adventures
What’s Included
Support vehicle
Experienced Cycling Guide(s)
Meals (as indicated)
Airport pick up
Airport drop off
Accommodation
Bike and helmet
Snacks and drinks
What’s Excluded
International flights
Domestic flights
Visa fees
Alcohol
Tips
Road conditions: Although we ride on a wide range of trails, many of which are off-road, this tour is suitable for anyone with basic fitness. The roads are tarmac or broken tarmac and there are no technical mountain bike sections.
Total cycling distance for 05 days is around 130 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.
This trip has a specific Temple Guide who is extremely knowledgeable on the temple complex and can also explain the local area, history, customs, and way-of-life each time we stop. For groups of less than four people, you have a choice of a cycling guide or a temple guide in the support vehicle. This trip is suitable for all levels of riders and is an excellent trip for families.
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.
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.
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.
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.
All nationalities require a visa and a passport valid for 6 months after their planned exit from Cambodia. 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.
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.
Cambodia has two distinct seasons – wet and dry. The dry season usually lasts from October to April. The wet season starts in May until September. Within each season there are variations in temperature. The coolest being 24C around November/December and the hottest hitting 35C around April/May.
Meals are included as per the itinerary where B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner. Most meals are local and feature noodles, rice, curries, and soups. Cambodian cuisine is a mixture of Thai, French, and Chinese dishes and we make sure you can sample a wide variety. Any special dietary requirements can also be catered for as well. Please let us know at the time of booking.
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.
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.
We recommend that you tuck away a few extra dollars, perhaps US$30, for incidentals.
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.
If this is the tour for you here’s what you need to do to confirm your place: Read our Booking Conditions.
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.
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.
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