19 Days Vietnam-Cambodia-Thailand Cycling Tour from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok
Tour Overview
Vietnam cycles to Bangkok Via Cambodia. This Cycling trip takes you from a concrete and floating house in Vietnam to the wood and thatch shacks of Cambodia and the...
Code of Tour: TAD0000028091
Length of Travel: 19 Day
Destinations of Tour:
Departure City: Ho Chi Minh City
Price of Tour: Request
Type of Tour: Private
Features of Tour: Cycling
Vietnam cycles to Bangkok Via Cambodia. This Cycling trip takes you from a concrete and floating house in Vietnam to the wood and thatch shacks of Cambodia and the concrete home of Thailand. Cycling through the country roads in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, the peaceful countryside landscape in Cambodia, and the stunning view along the beach of the Gulf of Thailand is the perfect way to discover the beauty of the rural Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand especially, one night stay in the homestay will give you a chance to experience the real Mekong delta life. Its canals and plantations. Your journey cycling along paths lined with pineapple plantations, man-made canals, and rice fields. Watch as local farmers tend to their land and harvest rice
TOUR ITINERARY
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City – Cai Be
8:00 AM pick up from your hotel then transfer out of Sai gon for Mekong Delta. Then we’ll take back roads to Cai Be, where we’ll board a boat to An Binh island. We will spend some time visiting artisans; we will watch coconut candy making, rice paper making, and popcorn/pop rice making. Then, we will enjoy lunch on the island before continuing to our local homestay run by a lovely retired couple MR.&MRS BAY. The Bay lives in a typical Mekong Vietnamese house, with airy rooms and an outdoor kitchen. For the rest of the afternoon, you’re free to bike around the homestay. Diner at the homestay.
Activities:• 40 km biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 2: Cai Be-Cantho
You could wake up early morning to see children rush to school and do morning activities not only inland but also on the water. After breakfast and a hot cup of coffee at the homestay, we will cycle to the ferry for getting back to the mainland in Vinhlong, one of the famous fruits towns in the Mekong. You 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, and clack across innumerable wooden bridges. Cross narrow canals on a local sampan, before finishing at the main ferry for a refreshing boat trip across the expansive Song Hau River. Ride the final few km to the very pretty town of Can Tho. then we transfer to the hotel. 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 Can Tho
Activities:• 30-50km biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Day 3: Cantho – Longxuyen
After a very early breakfast, you will take a boat trip to the famous Cairang floating market before riding on a narrow paved road market to Phong Dien. The route weaves through the 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 Concrete to the bird sanctuary, and a few km more along a tiny road leading upstream towards the main road. The ride ends with a short transfer to a hotel in Long Xuyen
Activities: • 50-75km biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Day 4:Longxuyen – Chaudoc
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 Thotnot 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 Bachuc, where Polpot’s regime massacred over 3,000 Vietnamese in 1978. The route loops round to Chaudoc from Bachuc along the border, or re-trace back to triton (depending on road conditions) and ride the rest of the way to Chaudoc along incredible country roads. Those with energy to spare can climb Sam Mountain for sunset! Dinner and overnight in the hotel
Activities: • 50-75km biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Chau Doc – Ha Tien
After having breakfast at the hotel. We leave for the floating houses on the upper Mekong river by boat where we can see plenty of catfishes, and 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 where Muslims pray and teach Cham kids in Arabic for a while. Cruising back to the Van for cycling to Ha Tien.
Activities: • 50-70 km biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 6: Ha Tien- Kampot (Farewell Vietnam, Hello Cambodia)
This morning you bid farewell to Vietnam as you cycle the short distance to the border crossing with Cambodia. Your introduction to Cambodia will be cycling along quiet coastal dirt roads passing through salt flats and small villages. Your first port of call will be the coastal resort of Kep which is now undergoing a revival after years of neglect. You will have lunch here and perhaps try the tasty seafood the area is renowned for. After lunch, you spin the final 35km to Kampot. The town has an undeniable charm, being a sleepy, quaint place with a relaxed ambiance and friendly locals, the streets are quiet and there are a lot of French colonials and Chinese-influenced architecture still surviving, and it all that wasn’t enough there is a wonderful riverfront where you will experience possibly the most beautiful sunset in Cambodia as the sun slips down behind the nearby mountains
Activities: • 65km biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7: Kampot -Takeo (85km)
As you leave Kampot you cycle through some inspiring limestone karst scenery, picturesque villages including some ethnic Cham settlements, and endless rice fields. Takeo does not have a lot to boast about being a small provincial capital made up of many local government department buildings. However, around the market area, there are some old colonial villas in differing states, and the waterfront promenade makes for a pleasant late afternoon sunset stroll. A real taste of small-town Cambodia well off the tourist trail!
Activities: • 85km biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8: Takeo – Phnom Penh
After breakfast this morning you have the opportunity to visit a local orphanage managed by ‘New Futures’. Here you will learn more about the great educational work they are doing in the surrounding poor villages, and how Asia Adventures is working together with them through its ‘Pedal2Empower’ cycle donation project. As you leave Takeo you spin north passing through more endless rice paddies. After some time you turn off the main road to visit Tonle Bati, a riverside location where you have time to explore the small, yet picturesque Angkorian temples of Ta Prohm and Yeay Peau. You will then avoid the ‘main’ road as much as possible and upon reaching the outskirts of Phnom Penh you will stop off at the ‘Killing Fields. This is where Khmer Rouge prisoners were forcibly marched from the Toul Sleng prison in the city center and then executed; it is now a memorial site located in a beautiful tranquil setting. After some contemplation, you can either negotiate the rush-hour traffic into the heart of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital city, or opt for taking the support vehicle.
Activities: • 85km biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9: Phnom Penh City Cyclo Tour
On your first morning in charming Phnom Penh, you will be pleased to discover that today it is someone else’s turn to do the pedaling as you are treated to a fun cyclo tour, a traditional mode of transport. Your first stop will be the terracotta red National Museum which offers a charming setting for a comprehensive collection of Khmer artifacts. After this, you will visit the nearby Royal Palace, on the banks of the mighty Mekong river. Inside the Palace walls, you will be treated to the Throne Hall, the Chan Chaya Pavilion, and the King’s residential quarters. You will then move onto the neighboring Silver Pagoda, so named as it is claimed its floor is made up of over 4,000 silver tiles! After lunch it is back in the cyclos as you are pedaled through the streets of Phnom Penh to the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as S21), ironically a former school, located in a quiet Phnom Penh suburb, this was the infamous Khmer Rouge prison/torture center. You will then visit the Russian Market an excellent place for picking up souvenirs.
Activities: • cyclo tour,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10: Phnom Penh to Kompong Cham
This morning you leave the busy streets of Phnom Penh and after 40km turn off the main road and enjoy a shady ride following the course of the Mekong River along a mostly unpaved, and at times bumpy road toward the town of Kompong Cham. Foreigners are rare through these parts so expect a few surprised faces as you cycle through the many traditional villages where you will witness people busy with their everyday lives: cooking, cleaning, playing, leading the cows to the river, cycling school kids, pagodas & monks, and the sun-drying of bright red chilies, pepper, rice, and fish by the side of the road, and of course the river life on the mighty Mekong which keeps coming and going from view. There are plenty of cool, shady, scenic spots for rest breaks where the curious locals are sure to want to say ‘Hello’. Kompong Cham retains several French-influenced buildings and trader shop fronts – while often badly dilapidated they retain an austere grace so totally lacking from the more modern concoctions that invariably flank them. Given its small size, it’s easy to explore by foot, which you are free to do after you have checked in to your hotel.
Activities: • 65-105km biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11: Kompong Cham- Beng Mealea & Siem Reap
An early start this morning as you leave Kompong Cham and soon turn off the main highway and follow a road that gradually climbs and passes through shady rubber plantations. After 75km you reach the small town of Prey Thom Tratrav and rejoin the main highway. From here you will travel in the support vehicle for the 150km drive to the market town of Dom Dek. From here you will re-mount your bikes and cycle the 30km to the temple remains of Beng Mealea, a truly atmospheric experience. Only recently re-discovered the temple has been consumed by the voracious appetite of nature and is largely overrun by vegetation, the trees that have forced their way through the stone towers and galleries make it a shady and cool place to relax. As you explore you feel like a true adventurer! Afterward, you drive to Siem Reap and check in to your hotel
Activities: • 65- 105km biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12: Exploring the Magnificent Angkor Temples by Bike
After breakfast at the hotel, The Cycling will start with a bit busy road before we head to the village cycling on a shady bumpy road and following the single trail inside the jungle to see the real-life of the local people living around the temple, and the cycling trail will take you to the Angkor Thom( Bayon Temple), the multitude of serene and smiling stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak. sightseeing at the temple before getting on the bike hit the road to another famous Temple, Ta Phrom, embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers. Spend an hour visiting Ta Phrom. It was built in the 12th century by the famous King Jayavarman VII indicated to his mother., Continue Cycling through a small circuit passing Ta Keo temple before reaching Angkor Wat, the temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world, The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country’s prime attraction for visitors
Activities: • 40km biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Day 13: Cycling to Beautiful Banteay Srei Temple
Start the cycling trip to Banteay Srei In the early morning. Bike on a beautiful rural road as you can see the real countryside of Cambodia including; rice fields, typical villages, and pagoda. Arrive in Banteay Srei before lunch. Visit Banteay Srei temple known as the women’s citadel (built in 967 A.D dedicated to Brahma). With the pink sandstone walls and the best carving of all, Banteay Srei has attracted many tourists when coming to Siem Reap. Continue biking to visit Kbal Spean, the River of Thousands Lingas. On the way back to Siem Reap city, make a stop to visit the Landmine Museum of Mr. Akira. Mr. Ra dedicated his life to clearing the landmines in the countryside of the country. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Activities: • 80km biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 14: Siem Reap – Battambang
You have an early start from the hotel to board the boat to Battambang. This is arguably the most fascinating river trip in Cambodia and takes around 6 – 7 hours (N.B. When the water levels are low it may not be possible to take the boat trip, and the journey will be made by road). As the river winds its way into the Tonle Sap Lake (South East Asia’s largest freshwater lake) you pass an amazing variety of landscapes and lives, seemingly unchanged for hundreds of years. As the river joins the Tonle Sap Lake you pass the protected wetland of Prek Toal, regarded as the single most important breeding ground for globally threatened large waterbirds in South East Asia. After crossing the vast expanse of this inland sea and heading towards Battambang port you pass through the floating village of Chong Khneas where we witness an entire bamboo village complete with homes, gas stations, schools, hairdressers, and even karaoke bars floating on water! Once you arrive at the port you get a chance to try the local bamboo Train before getting to your hotel.
Activities: • no biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 15: Battambang- Pallin
Bike on the tarmac road to the outskirts of Pallin. After a few km from Battambang passing the emerald green of endless rice paddies and About 15km from Battambang, you won’t miss the imposing limestone outcrop of Phnom Sampeau with its hilltop pagoda. If you have excess energy you may choose to climb the 700+ steps and be rewarded with great views of the surrounding countryside. Getting closer to Pallin this change to cash-crop plantations such as corn, cassava, and cashew nut. and another few climbs the majority of the day is uphill, not that you will notice it as you weave around the large potholes! You cycle through various pleasant small villages made up of wooden shacks and shady trees. Excellent places to stop for a rest and get some real interaction with the curious and friendly locals. Reach Pallin for the hotel check-in and relax.
Activities: • 50-85 biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 16: Pailin-Pong Nam Ron ( Farewell Cambodia – Hello Thailand )
This morning you head west on less-traveled roads, cycling towards the quiet Cambodian/ Thailand border crossing, nestled in the foothills of the scenic Cardamom mountains. Immediately on crossing the border, you will notice the difference in the fortunes of these neighboring countries as you leave the bumpy red dirt roads of Cambodia and cycle on the tarmac of Thailand! It is also very obvious how the wood and thatch shacks of Cambodia give way to the concrete homes of Thailand. After 20km of Cambodian cycling from the small, dusty town of Pailin, which was once home to both a thriving semi-precious stone mining industry and some former high-ranking officials of the expired brutal Khmer Rouge regime we will cross the border and cycle the rest from the border to the beautiful hotel for the cold beer and the swimming pool. Overnight in Pongnamron.
Activities: • 50-65 biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 17: Pong Nam Ron- Chao Lao beach
Today is a big day as you cycle through 110km with some downhill at the beginning and some steady climbs at the end. Initially, you bike inland and notice the scenery changing from forests to the coastline and distant mountains. Again this bicycle ride is on small paved roads that have little traffic and are a joy to cycle on. You are now in Chantaburi Province which is well known for its fruit and you will see and taste plenty as you pass by plantations, forests, and lots of small local villages. The last 12km of the ride is on a big road and this is where the small climbs begin. However, on arrival at Chao Lao beach, the reward is the hotel’s pool where you can relax with a well-earned beer, overlooking the adjacent beautiful beach.
Activities: • 50-110 biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 18: Chao Lao Beach –Leam Mae Pim Beach
Get up early as you acclimatize to the weather. The bike ride hugs the coastline as you pass from beach to beach on small local roads that are very quiet to traffic, the seascapes are marvelous. This is an interesting bike route that lets you see the local Thai way of life, as you cycle through local fishing villages, seafood markets, and plenty of temples where you can stop for a well-earned rest and refreshments. The mangrove swamps and fruit plantations add diversity to the scenery on these very picturesque rides. You also take some short ferry crossings which help to save some distance by taking you directly across the estuaries. You finish the bike ride right on the quiet beach of Leam Mae Pim beach. From here it is so easy to take a refreshing dip in the sea before dinner.
Activities: • 50-80 biking.,• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 19: Leam Mea Pim Beach- Bangkok – Departure
Before transferring north away to the busy streets of Bangkok we will have the last chance to the laydown maybe even take a dip in the clear warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand at the beautiful Laem Mae Phim Beach and then check our to transfer to the airport or your hotel in Bangkok. End The Tour.
Activities: • no biking.,• Meals: breakfast.
