Vietnam and Cambodia Gravel Adventure (DRAFT)

Today, arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam’s lively southern metropolis and prosperity powerhouse. You can feel the energy in the streets here! Join us on an afternoon Vespa tour into the city’s labyrinthine neighbourhoods and impressive architecture, or simply rest up after your flight and pick up any last-minute items you might need before our cycling begins. This evening, we’ll gather for dinner and set the stage for the adventure ahead. You might like to end the evening at one of Saigon’s many sky bars!

This morning, we’ll depart Ho Chi Minh City on a 2.5 hour transfer to the edge of Cat Tien National Park. A scenic mixed-surface ride along the Dong Nai River awaits, the perfect way to acclimatize to riding in Vietnam and experience the culture of the countryside! Stopping for refreshment in pretty villages with vibrant markets and curious locals eager to meet us, we’ll make our way to theentrance of Cat Tien, a large natural sanctuary established to protect old-growth forest. Here, a ferry can take us across the river for a pedal into the park with its majestic trees and many species of birds, reptiles, monkeys, and more. We’ll then transfer over to our lush resort near Madagui for a peaceful night.

Awaking to birdsong in the jungle, we’ll set out straight from our resort on a scenic ride through jungle, fields, and river valleys as we approach the Annamite Mountains. Along the way, we can stop and look at artefacts from an ancient Hindu civilization that once flourished here. In the early going, we’ll be on paved roads with some broken surfaces, but further along, we’ll hit some rougher roads and make our first serious climb of the trip. Transferring the final section, we’ll reach Phuoc Long, a small town that was the site of a pivotal battle during the Vietnamese-American War. Tonight, we’ll take a walk around town and try some of the local specialties.

Leaving Phuoc Long, we’ll wind our way up along narrow mountain roads to the Cambodian border. On the other side, we’ll meet our Cambodian team, who’ll take us to a nearby restaurant for lunch, followed by a 90 minute drive further into the country. From here, we’ll cycle through Mondulkiri, Cambodia’s least-populated province, and arrive at Sen Monorom, a lively small town that is home to many indigenous Bunong people. You may see their unique traditional houses around the outskirts of town. On arrival at our resort, you might like to relax by the pool with wide views over the green hills, or take your bike for a spin around town.

Our ride begins with a long, fun descent through the cool atmosphere of the hills, with views over a rolling landscape. Much of this land is protected from development, so there are long stretches of pristine jungle beauty. Every now and then, we’ll see the charming traditional Khmer (Cambodian) stilted houses that are still common in this region. Fueled by the fresh air, we’ll speed along this paved road for the morning. After stopping for lunch in a small village, we’ll have the chance to explore some local gravel roads and find out more about rural life in this isolated region. We’ll then transfer around 90 minutes up the road to Ban Lung, in Ratanakiri Province. Our centrally-located hotel is the perfect base from which to explore this friendly, welcoming provincial town.

We’ll stay in scenic Ban Lung for an extra day and cycle a beautiful loop that takes in some idyllic bodies of water along the way. We’ll begin at Yeak Loam, a volcanic crater lake surrounded by greenery. We’ll continue riding on gravel through villages and farmland, with some beautiful waterfalls in the jungle along the way. Emerging onto the highway for a stretch, we’ll zip along before turning once more onto a quieter trail that takes us to yet more lakes and villages and some remote villages. There are plenty of places to take a dip and cool off along today’s route! Returning to Ban Lung, we’ll relax for the evening and get ready for a big day of pure gravel tomorrow!

We’ll transfer around one hour out of Ban Lung and begin riding across jungle landscapes, with villages of stilted houses and gardens bursting with life. A small local ferry takes us across a wide river, and our road takes us into even quieter territory. Small wooden trestle bridges take us across small streams. The rivers here are tributaries of the Mekong, which we’ll see later today. We are crossing a part of the country that few foreigners ever see. After another ferry crossing, we’ll have the choice to cycle a little more, or transfer directly a couple of hours further to Stung Treng, on the banks of the Mekong, where we’ll celebrate our big ride with a great dinner.

This morning, you can start the day with a visit to the central market in Stung Treng. It’s well worth it to see the astonishing variety of fruits, vegetables, fish, and countless other goods available. After a coffee and maybe a walk on the riverside promenade, we’ll get back on our bikes. We can take it a bit easier today with a riverside ride on smooth gravel along the Mekong, getting a sense of life along this great Asian waterway. In the afternoon, you might like to get a massage or go kayaking on the river to see it from another perspective. Tonight is your chance to explore the dining options in town on your own; there’s plenty to choose from!

We’ll get an early start with a 90-minute transfer out of town. Our bikes await us in a small farming town, where we can stock up on refreshments before starting off into the wide open spaces once more. We are entering central Cambodia between the Mekong Basin and Tonle Sap Lake, Southeast Asia’s largest body of freshwater. Along our route, we’ll see the harvests of various crops out drying by the road, and plenty of cattle and other farm animals wandering around the road, along with some bustling towns that are well off the beaten track, even for Cambodians. The riding surface is extremely varied, and can change from rough pavement to pure chunky gravel all within a few hundred metres. After lunch in a small town, we’ll transfer to our comfortable resort in Kampong Thom.

From Kampong Thom, we’ll transfer around 90 minutes to a stunning example of ancient Khmer (Cambodian) construction: the red laterite Kampong Kdei Bridge is over 800 years old, and is still crossed by bikes, motorcycles and tuk tuks. Riding across ourselves, we’ll set out into the farm country of cashew plantations and dozens of other crops. A great lunch in a farm village awaits, followed by more beautiful gravel riding through groves of trees and open pastures shaded by coconut palms. We’ll see still more impressive ancient bridges, and finally arrive at Beng Melea Temple. This beautiful temple was built around the same period as Angkor Wat, and is a great introduction to the vast temple complex. After walking through, we’ll transfer around 90 minutes for our first evening in Siem Reap.

Today, we’ll head for one of the key elements of the Angkorian civilization: Kulen Mountain is the source of the sandstone used for most of the temples, and is also the source of the water that flows down throughout the temple area, sustaining its moats and canals. As we approach this massif, we’ll stop to look at Banteay Srey, widely regarded as one of the prettiest Khmer temples. Our ride takes us onward to a stone streambed where hundreds of lingas (phallic symbols from Hinduism) are carved. We can take a swim under the nearby waterfall, then take a look at a stunning lookout over the vast jungle from lofty cliffs. Later, you’ll have the option to return to Siem Reap by bicycle or transfer. Tonight, we’ll head to a nice cocktail bar in the city centre, then gather for a special dinner of Khmer cuisine.

The heart of the Angkorean civilization is just north of Siem Reap, where hundreds of structures are clustered amid the jungle in a protected park. The gravel bike is the perfect way to explore this surreal location. We’ll start at Bayon Temple, famed for its smiling Buddha faces, then cycle the gravel trail around a huge reservoir from the Angkor era, where we can spot birds and other wildlife. Turning back towards the main park area, we’ll ride a paved section past the most famous temples of different eras, stopping for explanations from our guide. As we pedal our way back to Siem Reap, we’ll stop at a memorial to victims of the Khmer Rouge and learn about this period of Cambodian history. Later in the afternoon, after some relaxation, we’ll go to Angkor Wat by tuk tuk and walk through this wonder, giving it the attention it deserves. Upon returning to town, you can choose your own dinner location; there’s plenty to choose from in this lively little city, and your guides will be happy to share their favourites!

This morning, our trusty tuk tuks will take us to Ta Prohm Temple, known for the gigantic trees that have grown into the stone structure, making for an uncanny union of nature and human engineering. After exploring the temple, we’ll ride out into the true countryside on some fantastic gravel roads, where welcoming locals will really engage with us and show daily farming life in their communities. We’ll continue to come across intriguing ancient ruins along the way. Finally, we’ll reach Bakong, a “mountain-style” temple built to symbolize Mount Meru, home of the gods in Hinduism. This is an older temple that dates from the 9th century. We’ll be blessed by the monks that still live there, then have lunch at a wonderful nearby restaurant. This afternoon, you will have the option to return to Siem Reap by transfer, or continue cycling towards Tonle Sap Lake, with a hilltop view over this great body of water. Tonight, we’ll celebrate our gravel journey through Vietnam and Cambodia with a fantastic dinner at a restaurant in the heart of town.

This morning, you might like to browse some of Siem Reap’s beautiful open-air art galleries, where you can see artisans carrying on traditional weaving, carving, and more. You could also head out for one more quick spin on the bike, or relax by the pool. Later, we’ll transfer you to the airport for your outbound flight (unless you’re planning to stay here a while longer!).