Cycling to Explore Thailand – Cambodia -Vietnam ( 13 Days)

Description

Day 1: Bangkok-Rayong (Cycling 50km) Meet with our guide at  your hotel to brief on the tour and check the bike. Then transfer the starting point near Rayong. Start cycling by taking coastline road by the sea around 50km. Stop for lunch. Late afternoon, we arrive in Rayong.  Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Rayong at the beach hotel. (L,D) Day 2: Rayong-Chantaburi (Cycling 60km) Breakfast at the hotel. Start biking to mangrove study center around 60km. On the way we stop and pay visits and talk to local people, see how they earn their livings. At the mangrove, we can walk around and visit one of the most successful forest restoration project of Thailand. Then check in and spend the night in Chantaburi. Dinner at local restaurant. (B,L,D) Day 3: Chantaburi-Pailin (Cycling 47km) Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Pongnamron and start cycling to the border 27km. After the immigration, lunch at local restaurant. Then cycling 20km to the Pailin town located on the foothills of the scenic Cardamom mountains. Pailin used to be Khmer Rouge Strong-hold survived by trading gem stones. Until 1998, Khmer Rouge has demobilized their forces into the government army, then the town had got completely peace. The town is now home to some of the former Khmer Rouge leaders who are – now in jail awaiting for international tribunal. After cycling on the dirt red bumpy road, we arrive in the small dusty town of Pailin. View sunset at Phnom Yat to overlook Pailin. This temple of on Phnom Yat hill is more for Kula Muslim minority who earn their living with gem stone business. The Muslim minority made up 5% of the whole population in Cambodia. Return back to the hotel for shower and welcome dinner. Overnight in Pailin. (B-L-D) Day 4: Pailin-Battambang (90km) Breakfast at the hotel. Fill the water and briefing on the road condition and water stop. Afterthe town, there are a few climbs and then down hill. Watch for large potholes, and cows might be crossing the road with the string so there might a trap. We cycle along this Cadarmom mountain range passing the rice field and we won’t be tired as the kids like to say hello and waving from their houses. Recently, the road from Pailin to Battambang has been improved. We stop for water, snack and drink under a big shad of a tree. Then continue cycling another 20km before stopping for lunch in Sneung overlooked a nearby a temple near the road. A little rest on the mat would be good. After lunch we cycle another 20km to Phnom Sampov, overlook the hilltop pagoda and the cave. Battambang used to be second biggest city but now become a relaxed town where Siem Reap is getting more boom. Situated on the bank of Sangker River, Battambang has many French colonial building and traditional Cambodian house. It is worth to take the Bamboo train as the local railway is running only twice a week for passenger train and cargo train is running more often. So local people enjoy taking more bamboo train. Overnight in Battambang. (B,L,D) Day 5: Battambang-Siem Reap (15km) An early breakfast before transferring to board on the boat to Siem Reap. The boat runs from October to February as the water will be lower from February onward (If the boat does not operate we have to cycle transfer and cycle 40-50km to Siem Reap). The boat hs jacket and takes about 6 – 7 hours. It is one of the best boat trip in Cambodia to cross the Sangker river viewing the fishermen and all their activities on the river. Then crossing Tonle Sap lake (South East Asia’s largest freshwater lake). It is the main reserve for water when the Mekong is flooded, without the lake, Cambodia will be flooded every year. In rainy season, the water reaches 10,000 square Km when it is only 5,000 square Km in dry season. The lake is as important as for the human-being and the fish, birds and other wild animals. One hour before reaching the dock, the boat passes Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary home and breeding area for some thousands of water birds. After crossing Tonle Sap lake, we arrive at Chong Kneas floating village. The village combines of Cambodian, Muslim and Vietnamese and they move up and down depends on the season. All the houses are floating with support of the bamboo. After arrival at the dock, get off and prepare to ride bicycle 15km to our hotel. Overnight in Siem Reap. (B-L-D) Day 6: Siem Reap-Angkor Complex (35km by bicycle) Depart from the hotel on the main road and cycling through Angkor pass check point. Cycling through the shady road with a little pumping because of the a few pot-holes. There you will begin to see Kravan temple, Banteay Kdei, and stop at the famous Ta Phrom, embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers. Visit Ta Phrom (45 minutes-1 hour). It was built in 12th century by the famous King Jayavarvan VII indicated to his mother. While clearing back the forest archaeologists decided to leave the vegetation of Ta Phrom in place to serve as a reminder of how the original discoverers found it and the other Angkor temples. Many of the trees have grown around and through the remains and soar high above the temples. Continue the cycling through small circuit passing Ta Keo temple, Chao Say Tevoda, Tommanon before reaching to Angkor Thom city. There you will see, Terrace of Leper King, Terrace of Elephant, Baphoun, Phimean Akas. Stop at Bayon temple and start the visit (45 minutes-1 hour). Angkor Thom built by Cambodia’s great king, Jayavarman VII. An eight-meter high wall encloses this ten square kilometre city, which is encircled by a moat. The famous Bayon, in the geographical heart of Angkor Thom, is a remarkable 54 tower temple. Initially the temple appears to be a shapeless mass of grey and brown stone, but it is only as you get closer that you realize every tower has the carved face of Avalokiteshvara on it. After the visit, cycle to Angkor Wat to finish the small circuit. Stop at South Gate of Angkor Thom for taking photo. Access via a causeway over the moat that are flanked by statues of Gods on the left and devils on the right. Then visit the magnificent 12th century Angkor Wat. It is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. Angkor Wat is a massive three-tiered pyramid crowned by five beehive-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. Suryavarman II constructed Angkor Wat in the form of massive ‘temple mountain’ dedicated to the Hindu god,Vishnu. Overnight in Siem Reap. Day 7: Kulen Mountain  (50km) We leave Siem Reap after breakfast and ride through remote countryside to Kulen Mountain passing temples along the way and then a steep hike up the mountain. Near the top we will visit the river of 1000 Lingas, a 16th century Buddist Monastery, and then enjoy a picnic at a sacred waterfall. After lunch we will travel back to the hotel for some free time. (B-L) Day 8: Siem Reap-Phnom Penh (50km) Breakfast at the hotel. We begin to cycle off road from Ou village through the remote countryside to Samrong and we stop for lunch along the way at local restaurant. After lunch we transfer to Phnom Penh to avoid some of the busy roads from Siem Reap province by transferring to visit the Ancient Bridge at Kampong Kdei, one of the best examples of the remaining 800 year old bridges in Cambodia. From the bridge we follow the historic highway connecting the provinces of Kampon Thom and make the rest room stop at Skun known as fried spider town.  We arrive at our hotel. Overnight in Phnom Penh. (B,L,D)   Day 9: Phnom Penh City Tour: Past & Present (B) Today we start the tour from Killing Field, it is a place of more than a million of Khmer people were killed during Khmer Rouge regime, directed by Mr. Pol Pot, from 1975 to 1979. Continue to visit Toul Sleng prison, also known as S21. The former of this place is Toul Sleng High School, but after Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975, the classrooms were transformed into Khmer Rouge prison. After that, we will visit The National Museum, was built on August 15th 1917, in the style of Khmer traditional architecture and was launched in 1920 by Sisowath. It is a good collection for learning about ancient artifacts, Cambodian archeological art, from the 4th century until the 13th century. And then, your tour guide will bring you to visit The Royal Palace. It is representation of the Khmer nation and the place where the Khmer King lives. All the temples in The Royal Palace are painted in yellow, representing Buddhism and white representing Hinduism. You will also have a chance to visit Silver Pagoda (Emerald Buddha), the pagoda at Wat Phnom and the Independence Monument. Continue to visit a local market, the gather place of sellers and buyers. Take this time to observe daily business of Khmer people and goods they sell. Then, you’ll be taken back to your hotel for your evening at leisure. DAY 10: Takeo-Chau Doc (78km) Early breakfast. Fill in water and check visa for Vietnam one more time as Vietnam visa has to be done in advance. Cycle 53km to Phnom Den border crossing point. Take a break in half way for water stop. After immigration, say goodbye to our Cambodian driver. Lunch at the local restaurant at the border. After lunch, cycle to discover along the Mekong Delta road into the beautiful green countryside. Along the way you will see rice fields and water buffalos nearby the road. Arrive in Chau Doc, those with energy to spare can climb Sam Mountain for sunset! Dinner and overnight in Chau Doc. (B,L,D) Day 11: Chau Doc – Can Tho (50km+cycling) After breakfast, we leave for the floating houses on upper Mekong river by boat where we can see plenty of catfishes, red snappers… breeding under right their houses. What is an amazing life! Then keep boating to visit the Cham village with about 12.000 people who those are weaving sarongs, hats…by hands as keeping their ancestral tradition. Walk to the mosques that Muslims pray and teach Cham kids in Arabic for a while. Then we start cycling along incredible country roads from Chau Doc to Bachuc along the border, or re-trace back to triton (depending on road conditions). The cycling starts to gently undulate and mountains begin to loom as you ride out off Chau Doc. The presence of Thnot trees indicates the growing proximity to Cambodia and the local people speak Vietnamese as their second lanaguge. This afternoon, you will cycle to the killing fields of Vietnam at Bachuc, where Polpot’s regime massacred over 3,000 Vietnamese in 1978. Dinner and overnight in Can Tho. (B,L,D) Day 12: Cantho – Travinh (80km+cycling) After breakfast, there will be 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”. We take first short boat trip to Vinh Long, one of the famous fruits town in Mekong. Then you bike along narrow country lanes, easy dirt tracks and trails. This biking is at its most glorious-through tiny orchards, witness colorful life along the riverside, pedal pass picturesque delta homes, pause to chart with welcoming villagers, clack across innumerable wooden bridges. Cross narrow canals on a local sampan, before finishing at the main ferry for a refreshing boat trips across the expansive Co Chien River. Ride final few km to the very pretty Khmer town of Travinh. Overnight in Travinh. (B,L,D) Day 13: Travinh – Mytho – Ho Chi Minh (50km+ cycling) After breakfast, start with a section of biking cuts off road onto gravel and dirt lanes, and weaves around hamlets, across water channels, and through quiet dense vegetation. This makes for superb biking after a ferry across the graping expanse of Cochien river from Travinh, the pretty tree lined town with a large population of ethnic Khmer.  Then another section of crossing rivers and canals by numerous, ubiquitous, fascinating ferries, we bike through the route takes us through narrow roads and lanes, past banana plantations, fields of sugar cane, through the lush green landscape of the delta. The ride lead us right into the heart of the rural Mekong before arriving at Mytho – the gateway of the Mekong delta to end our cycling trip. From Mytho, we transfer a couple of hours to Ho Chi Minh City to avoid the busy traffic. TOUR ENDS.   Tour Price Includes – Accommodation – Cycling experienced guide – Full board meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) – Support van for transfer & tour with cool box – Snack, water, fruits and cold drink (Coke light) – Boat ticket Battambang-Siem Reap-Phnom Penh Note: In case the boat is not running, we will arrange the transfer by van with some extra cycling – All entrance fees and boat fees Tour Price Excludes – International Flights – Departure Tax $25 (international) – Cambodian Visa Fees $30 (issued on arrival), for Vietnam please check with us. -Visa Vietnam need to apply before inter – Alcoholic, and other beverages – Tips for guides. – Personal travel insurance – Any services not mentioned in itinerary