16 Day Cycling Tour from Siem Reap to Saigon in Cambodia and Vietnam

This tour is hosted by the Australian company founder and local regional guides to ensure 100% satisfaction. Of your 16 days, you spend 10 on the bike. With adventures beginning from Siem Reap, Cambodia, and finishing in Saigon, Vietnam, you can truly explore and uncover the mysteries of these two incredible countries.

The route is completely flat and open to beginner-based riders. This is not a race and the journey is as impressive as the destination, so Social Cycles doesn't want to rush it. Take the time to soak up life in the remote regions of these two beautiful countries, stopping for coffees along the way knowing you're in good hands with the support of a local team and the following van.

Social Cycles will take you on a journey to interact and connect with local grassroots Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and the beneficiaries of a funded project of your choosing. Research what really happens on the ground and out in the villages with Social Cycles in a holiday that carefully balances ethical research and local impact with cycling and site seeing.

Social Cycles takes a minimum of two riders and a maximum of 12. They strongly believe that when you travel with a group beyond 12, there is a risk that voices and opinions may be drowned out when you have the rare opportunities to visit NGOs and ask questions to local leaders. Your small group policy means it’s easier for all of you to stay together.

As this is a cycling holiday, you will need to be reasonably healthy. You don’t need to be super fit for this ride, you just need to be positive. The cycling pace is relaxed and casual with frequent breaks to take photos and enjoy the scenery. You cycle from 60 kilometers to 90 kilometers per day, but there is always the option to get in the van should you want to reduce the cycling.

When you embark on an 85-kilometer day, the distance can seem quite daunting. However, an early start for 07:00 and an estimated time of arrival of 16:00 gives you nine hours to get there, and two hours of extra daylight up your sleeve if you need it. Traveling by bicycle is not about the destination, but the journey. You’ll stop for Khmer and Vietnamese coffees, local treats, lunch and of course, to take plenty of pictures. When you are moving, the average pace is about 20 kilometers per hour but that is flexible depending on the confidence of the group.

Friends-International

Friends-International is leading the charge in the ChildSafe movement and the Think Families, Not Orphanages campaign. Friends-International has an office in Phnom Penh, which makes for a great introduction to Cambodia. Chumkriel Language School is an incredible organization that goes so far beyond teaching a language.

In Vietnam, you may have the chance to visit some of the bigger organizations and see how their system helps the community. Social Cycles often visits a variety of different organizations. If there is one in particular you would like to learn more about, please let them know and they’ll make it happen.

Cycling briefing

Social Cycles will conduct in-depth cycling briefings on all tours, before all rides. Different countries have different road rules (written and unwritten), so it’s imperative that all riders are focused and pay attention during these times. Social Cycles will go through the terrain, traffic conditions, and distance for every ride, but they will also cover road rules, hand signals, group cycling etiquette, and the best practice, as well as cycling pace and timing.

Please note that all riders must wear a helmet and closed-toe shoes at all times during the trip. Social Cycles also recommends cycling gloves and padded shorts. All Social Cycles routes are undertaken on quiet back roads. They do not cycle on highways. Unless specified, they take the support van out of and into major cities. All bikes are serviced in between tours. A mechanic is present at all times during all tours and on all rides should there be any issues with the bikes.

Dehydration is potentially one of the biggest risks in cycling adventures as it is often the least considered. The countries you ride through are often humid and dehydration can creep up on you. All bikes are fitted with at least one water cage. You are advised to bring your own water bottle.

You should be drinking somewhere between two and four liters of water each day of riding. It’s advisable to carry hydralyte to assist in hydration, but if you drink enough water, early enough, you should not need it. The van carries a drum of water at all times, available for refilling your water bottle.

Social impact

For every Social Cycles tour, all riders are requested to contribute a nominal sum for the purpose of a donation. Usually 200 AUD per rider. During the course of the tour, you are given the chance to engage with and learn from local NGOs. You visit no less than three NGOs during the Cambodia-to-Vietnam tour and spend some time learning about their projects, strategies, and challenges.

At the end of the tour, the riders are then empowered with new found knowledge and have the opportunity to combine the allotted donation money and make an impact toward a project of their choosing. In addition to building a profile for their impact partners, Social Cycles also pays each NGO for their time and resources. You spend one to two hours with each NGO.

Bike

In Cambodia, you will use Reid X-Trail 26 (and some X-Trail 29’s) mountain bikes to get you through some of the tough terrains that await. As most of the riding is off the beaten track, the front suspension makes for a much more supportive ride. Flick the mechanical lock-out, and the Suntour XCT 100mm travel fork becomes rigid, ideal for fast climbs and hard sprinting.

When the trail points down, powerful mechanical disc brakes, 24-speed Shimano gearing and 2.10-inch tires you power and control. Reid X-Trails feature tough alloy Alex DH-17 double-walled rims with stainless steel spokes and KT quick release hubs. This makes up a light, robust, and reliable wheelset. All bikes come equipped with a water cage, but for hygienic reasons, you’ll need your own water bottle.

Itinerary

Day 1: Siem Reap

You will arrive and stay in the heart of the cosmopolitan lifestyle that has been thrust on Siem Reap since the country has opened up to the outside world. Tourism is opening new markets, opportunities, revenue streams and challenges for the local area. After Social Cycles picks you up from the airport and take you to your hotel, take some time to relax or explore the city before you meet for a welcome dinner. Dinner is at one of Siem Reap’s best restaurants, Marum. It’s part of the Friends-International social enterprise projects, providing vocational training for marginalized youth.

• Meals: dinner at Marum Restaurant, part of Friends-International training enterprise
• Cycling: none
• Transport: airport transfer to the hotel and transport to dinner and return
• 16:00 Meet at the hotel for bike fitting
• 17:00 Meet in the hotel for a general briefing
• 18:00 Depart for dinner to Marum Restaurant
• 20:30 Transport to return to the hotel

Day 2: Siem Reap

Today, you will enjoy a sunrise cycling around the temples of Angkor. Sunrise is from 04:30 as you hit the bikes for the first time, but it is so worth it. Sunrise over Angkor Wat is a bucket list achievement for good reason. From here, you’ll venture on to other and arguably more impressive temples in the area for the remainder of the morning. In the early afternoon, you’ll have the chance to visit the first NGO of the trip. You will spend time with these incredibly inspirational people that have dedicated their lives to helping others. Hear their stories and understand what the real issues of the country are.

• Meals: breakfast and dinner
• Cycling: 45 kilometers around Angkor temples and return to the hotel
• Transport: none
• Activities: guided cycle tour of Angkor temples, including Angkor Wat, Bayon temple, and Ta Prohm
• 04:30 Depart the hotel for sunrise at Angkor Wat
• 12:00 Return to the hotel to have lunch at leisure
• 15:00 NGO visit
• 19:00 Depart for dinner to a local restaurant in central Siem Reap

Day 3: Battambang

Today is a river riding through local villages with coffee stops. Traveling across the wetlands and navigating your way around Tonlé Sap River is an experience you will never forget. The road soon turns to single track as you get more and more remote. You farewell your support van and venture on into the rural and barren lands of Cambodia.

Few villages exist out here, supporting themselves through sustainable fishing methods. Battambang is great for shopping with colonial-style streets and hidden secrets where bric-a-brac abounds. Dinner is in another social enterprise-based restaurant, Jaan Bai, that produces food on par with anything in any Australian city.

• Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Jaan Bai restaurant
• Cycling: 45 - 65 kilometers, depending on water levels
• Transport: private boat (four to five hours, depending on water levels)
• 08:00 Depart after breakfast by bicycle (20 kilometers)
• 10:00 Board a boat with lunch provided on the boat
• 14:00 Offload at a local village to resume cycling (25 - 45 kilometers)
• 16:30 Arrive at a Battambang hotel
• 19:00 Dinner at Jaan Bai Restaurant, part of Cambodian Children's Trust NGO.

Day 4: Pursat

Today is an adventure cycling with red dirt and Sustainable Cambodia. After an early breakfast, you’ll make your way along the dusty red back roads of Battambang, via Banan Temple. You’ll get to the town of Pursat by early afternoon and into your hotel to enjoy the swimming pool and on-site massage spa.

You’ll get a great experience from an amazing NGO, Sustainable Cambodia. A full presentation by the executives in their office and a tour of their facilities. Shortly after, you will be guided to see their projects working first hand. See the difference the NGO makes first hand. Be inspired by the real difference made by real people.

• Meals: breakfast
• Cycling: 50 kilometers
• Transport: Moung Ruessei to Pursat
• Attractions: Banan Temple
• 07:30 Depart after breakfast by bicycle
• 09:30 Arrive at Banan Temple
• 12:00 Lunch in a local village
• 13:30 Transfer to Pursat
• 16:30 NGO visit in Pursat
• 19:00 Dinner at a local restaurant

Day 5: Phnom Penh

Today, you will cycle into Phnom Penh through riverside villages and Tonlé Sap. You start cycling 75 kilometers out from Phnom Penh and ride all the way up to the front door of the hotel. Please note that you take the back roads the whole way into Phnom Penh and arrive via a ferry into the heart of the town. At no point do you take National Highway 5. The amount of city cycling is approximately 1.5 kilometers. Riders can walk or take the van if they are not comfortable with this.

The back roads bring in some of the most spectacular scenery as you pass through villages living on Tonlé Sap Lake. The ride takes in great coffee stops, endless photo opportunities, and a couple of ferries. The final two kilometers within the heart of the city can be transferred via van as an option. For dinner, it’s a feast of tarantula’s and silk works at the famous Romdeng Restaurant, a social enterprise restaurant from the Friends-International team.

• Meals: breakfast and dinner at Romdeng Restaurant, part of Friends-International NGO
• Cycling: 75 kilometers into Phnom Penh
• Transport: transport from Pursat (135 kilometers) to Kampong Tralach village
• 07:00 Depart after breakfast by van / bus
• 09:30 Arrive in Kampong Tralach and begin cycling
• 12:30 Lunch in the local village
• 16:30 Arrive at a Phnom Penh hotel
• 19:00 Dinner at Romdeng Restaurant

Day 6: Phnom Penh

You’ll start the day by meeting the incredible people at Friends-International and learn about the wonderful work they do within the community. This is a great insight into real local everyday issues, from real local everyday heroes. From the office, you venture toward the Russian Market and then move to Tuol Sleng, also known as S-21 Genocide Museum. This devastating chapter of the Khmer Rouge and Cambodian history is emotionally challenging but strongly recommended. There is some free time in the afternoon to process your day, whilst you’ll meet again for a local Khmer barbecue dinner.

• Hotel: Mito Hotel or similar
• Meals: breakfast and dinner at a local Khmer barbecue
• Transport: transport from to and from S21 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum or Khmer Rouge Killing Fields
• Activities: S21 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum or Khmer Rouge Killing Fields
• 09:30 NGO visit
• 11:00 Visit to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
• 19:00 Dinner at a local Khmer barbecue restaurant

Day 7: Kampot

Your first major cycling day takes you south of Phnom Penh to Phnom Chisor in rural Cambodia. It’s not really much of a mountain at 130 meters and the route is perfectly flat. You casually cycle through remote villages and waterways, via narrow dirt tracks. Phnom Chisor is where you’ll be for lunch as you have plenty of time to explore these ancient ruins which are 200 years older than Angkor Wat. From here, you’ll take the van down to the Cambodian coastal town of Kampot to enjoy the culinary delights on offer.

• Meals: breakfast
• Cycling: 63 kilometers
• Transport: transport from lunch to Kampot (120 kilometers)
• Activities: Phnom Chisor
• 07:30 Cycle out of Phnom Penh after breakfast
• 12:30 Arrive at Phnom Chisor
• 13:00 Lunch with an option to climb to Chisor
• 14:00 Transfer to Kampot (two hours)
• 19:00 Dinner at a local restaurant

Day 8: Kampot

Start the day with an (optional 80-kilometer) mammoth Bokor Mountain cycle challenge! It’s 40 kilometers to get to the top. The first 10 kilometers are flat, then it just keeps on going up, and up, and up! If cycling uphill doesn’t rock your world, Social Cycles can bring your bike in the van and you can cycle down! Whilst at the top, you can take some time to explore the French ghost town of Bokor Hill Station in Preah Monivong National Park. For dinner, you’ll head to the Rusty Keyhole for the best barbecue ribs in Cambodia!

Day 9: Kampot

Today’s activities include the Salt Fields community, ethical fashion, and slow coffee. In the morning, you’ll visit Chumkriel Language School (no children will be in attendance at the time of visiting). A fantastic NGO and inspirational human being, Mr. Suthy has set up a very grassroots local school to give access to education for children of the salt field community. In the afternoon, just sit and relax by the pool, take a wander through the market or just take some time for yourself. If you like, you can take a cruise down the river at sunset and watch the fireflies come to life.

Day 10: Rạch Giá (Vietnam)

Today, you cross over the border into Vietnam, but not before you discover the wonderful province of Kep. Located just before the border, this town is famous for its fresh seafood, particularly crab. You’ll spend a couple of hours exploring the famous pepper plantations and salt lakes on the way. Navigating through the back roads, you’ll make your way around the national park and to the border crossing into Hà Tiên, Vietnam. From Hà Tiên, you’ll jump in the van and head to Rạch Giá for a feast of the local seafood and bánh xèo.

• Hotel: Dai Luong Hotel or similar
• Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Cycling: 55 kilometers
• Transport: transport from Vietnam border to Rạch Giá (2.5 hours)
• Activities: Kep Crab Market (option to stop via a pepper farm, salt fields, and white beaches)
• 07:30 Cycle out of Kampot after breakfast
• 11:30 Arrive at Kep Crab Market for lunch
• 14:00 Arrive at the border and cross into Vietnam
• 17:00 Arrive in Rạch Giá and bike fitting with new bikes
• 19:00 Dinner at a local restaurant

Day 11: Can Tho

Can Tho is where the Mekong Delta really comes into its own! To get there, you cut through the back roads of rice paddies and farmland, arriving in the city by late afternoon. With a population of over a million and a thriving tourist trade, Can Tho has a vibrancy about it like none other. Relax and explore this amazing city.

Please note that you take back roads the whole way up until about 16 kilometers from the city. Can Tho is a big place and this is a good option for some riders to take the bus / van from this point. Others may want to cycle the whole way into Can Tho. For dinner, you’ll pull up a patch of grass at the night market and treat yourself to a degustation of delightful street food!

• Hotel: International Hotel or similar
• Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Cycling: 98 kilometers
• Transport: none (option to cycle the last 16 kilometers into Can Tho)
• 07:30 Cycle out of Rạch Giá after breakfast
• Various breaks, including lunch along the way
• 17:00 Arrive in Can Tho
• 19:00 Dinner at a local restaurant

Day 12: Can Tho

You’ll catch the floating markets for sunrise and have your breakfast brought to you on the water! The vibrancy and atmosphere at the break of dawn are incredible! This is no tourist performance, this is real life for the local people where they trade, sell, and buy every day. Following that, you’ll visit the noodle factory where you’ll have a chance to make your own noodles and the cocoa farms just before lunch.

Day 13: Bến Tre

There will be more Mekong cycling and a local homestay. You’ll take a day to casually explore the oasis that is the Mekong Delta. From the coconut candy factories of Bến Tre to the canals and floating markets of Mỹ Tho, this is a place to relax and unwind. You’ll avoid the hordes of tourists in Mỹ Tho by using Bến Tre as a base to explore the region.

It’s still a full-day cycling from Can Tho and you’ll enjoy getting amongst the maze that is the Mekong Delta. You should get into Bến Tre for 17:00 and relax with a local family in their home (private rooms). You’ll also have the chance to have an impromptu cooking class for great local food!

• Accommodation: homestay
• Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Cycling: 94 kilometers
• Transport: none
• 07:30 Cycle out of Can Tho after breakfast
• Various breaks, including lunch along the way
• 17:00 Arrive in Bến Tre
• 19:00 Dinner at a local restaurant

Day 14: Ho Chi Minh City

You’ll start early to beat the heat and what you can of the traffic. Cycling into Saigon for the last cycle day of the tour is an incredible experience. Ho Chi Minh City is what the world would look like if cars weren’t invented. With whole lanes and roads dedicated to two wheels, it is the city of the future as the population grows. The last 12 kilometers will be where you rest up and transit into the city center itself via the support van. Your boutique hotel is in the heart of the city, just a short stroll from the street food market for dinner and a live band.

Please note that cycling to Ho Chi Minh City is possible via a certain route. The traffic is slow and generally going the same way along this route. Social Cycles has completed this many times with groups before. It is also possible for the van to follow along this route, ensure a barrier between traffic and cyclists. This is, of course, optional, should you prefer to take the van / bus in.

• Hotel: Vien Dong Hotel or similar
• Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Cycling: 93 kilometers
• Transport: none (option to transfer the final 15 kilometers)
• 07:30 Cycle out of Bến Tre after breakfast
• Various breaks, including a local lunch along the way
• 16:00 Arrive in Saigon
• 19:00 Dinner at a local restaurant (Pho 2000)

Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City

You’ll visit your fifth and final NGO of the trip - Mekong Plus NGO. With a presence in Cambodia and Vietnam, this grassroots local NGO focuses on a hand up, not hand out policy. The social enterprise part of this NGO trains beneficiaries to make quilts, handicrafts, and bamboo bicycles.

The holistic approach from Mekong Plus NGO includes education scholarships, vocational training, microfinance programs, and social enterprise businesses. Use the day to explore at your leisure. There are a feast of local markets, grand shopping centers, museums, and attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. For the evening, you’ll meet up for dinner, swap stories, photos and decide where you’d like the donation money to go to.

• Hotel: Vien Dong Hotel or similar
• Meals: breakfast and dinner at KOTO
• Cycling: none
• Transport: to and from Củ Chi tunnels
• 08:30 Visit to Mekong Plus NGO after breakfast
• Lunch at leisure
• 13:00 Depart the hotel for Củ Chi Tunnels
• 17:00 Return to the hotel
• 19:00 Dinner at KOTO

Day 16: Departure

Congratulations! You’ve cycled across a couple of countries, covered almost 700 kilometers in the saddle and more than scratched the surface as to what these fantastic countries are about. You’ll enjoy a final breakfast together before Social Cycles get you off to the airport and on your way home.

• Meals: breakfast
• Cycling: none
• Transport: airport transfer for riders leaving today

Notes: Itinerary changes are going to happen. It’s just in the nature of the adventure. Things happen that just cannot be controlled or accounted for, especially when you get off the beaten track as Social Cycles does. However, they will do their best to give you as much notice as possible, upgrade you where they can or just give you an all-around amazing time. They ask for your patience and understanding when they need to alter the cycling route due to weather or terrain changes, and some of which they won’t know until they get there. All changes will be made in your best interest, with health and safety taking priority.

This cycling tour will start from Cambodia covering Siem Reap, Battambang, Pursat, Phnom Penh, and Kampot. Then, you continue to Vietnam by entering Rạch Giá and cycle to Can Tho, Ben Tre, and end in Saigon (Ho Chi Min City).

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The best part about cycling from one country to another is to cycle through the various regions of food along the way. This is slow travel at its best as Cambodia offers salt lakes and pepper farms, fresh crab markets in Kep, and tarantulas in Phnom Penh (optional). Meanwhile, in the Mekong Delta, you will roll your own noodle sheets and eat your way through a street food degustation sensation of everything sweet, salty, spicy, and sour!

• A sunrise cruise in Kampot
• Exploring Siem Reap on your own on day 1
• Ho Chi Min City tour at your leisure (local markets, grand shopping centers, museums, and other attractions)
• Massages (frequently available in most towns)
• Wandering around the market in Kampot

• 10 days of cycling
• Mekong floating market tour
• Multiple field trips to villages and communities
• A minimum of three NGO presentations with local staff across Cambodia and Vietnam
• Services of local guides, support van driver, and mechanic
• Full bicycle hire
• Entry to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, and Mekong Delta floating market tours
• Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners
• 15 nights' accommodation
• Full support vehicle for the ride with water and fruit
• Airport transfers for arrival

• International flights
• Some meals as per the itinerary
• Tips and gratuities
• Personal expenses
• Travel insurance
• NGO donations
• Visas

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.