Saigon to Siem Reap

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Price from
US$ 2,250
Duration
9 Days / 8 Nights
Distance
338 km
Difficulty
Tour Code
MCT-MSS
Next departure
12-May-2024
Number of Cycling Days6
Average Distance Per Day: 56
0
150 Km
Total Cycling Distance338 kilometres
AccommodationIncluded
Bike HireMountain Bike: US$ 140
Single SupplementUS$ 395
Client Rating (based on 14 reviews)

About this Cycle Tour

This tour takes us into two of Southeast Asia’s most diverse and fascinating countries, Vietnam and Cambodia. Beginning in Vietnam, we bicycle tour from the bustling city of Saigon down into Vietnam’s rice bowl, then venture to the lively villages around the Mekong Delta. This fascinating area is flat and lush and is quite unlike anywhere else in Vietnam. Although it is a densely populated area, we manage to take quiet backroads and see some of the serene beauty of this area as we pass lotus flower ponds surrounded by ancient trees, riding along and over canals and roads lined with coconut trees and bamboo

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Itinerary

Day 1

Meet in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) for dinner and a trip briefing.

Day 2

Transfer to Ben Tre, considered Vietnam’s coconut capital, to start riding down narrow roads and lanes, past banana plantations and fields of sugarcane, across rivers to Tra Vinh a pretty tree-lined town

Day 3

There is plenty to observe today - fishermen, village life, temples -- as we cycle scenic roads, crossing many small bridges, to Can Tho.

Day 4

Visit Cai Rang floating market before a transfer to start the ride on a gently undulating road with mountains beginning to loom as you ride closer and closer to Chau Doc, stopping on the way to visit the Killing Fields of Vietnam at Ba Chuc.

Day 5

We rest our legs as we boat it up the Mekong River to Phnom Penh.

Day 6

The morning is free to explore Phnom Penh. Then, we cycle on back roads to Oudong, a former capital of Cambodia before a transfer to Kampong Thom.

Day 7

After a visit to the ancient temple site of Sambor Prey Kuk, we saddle up and ride between the temples by bicycle. After lunch, we have a beautiful ride through paddy fields and small villages before a transfer to Siem Reap.

Day 8

We ride to the Angkor Temple complex before starting the Grand Circuit, stopping at each major temple area before riding back to Siem Reap.

Day 9

After breakfast is free until your departure from Siem Reap.

Reviews

Cycling is the only way I feel you can unobtrusively observe the everyday lives of people & how they live whilst experiencing great food & scenery . Oh & getting fitter every day.

Phillip Mc MasterJuly 2023

Spiceroads provided a seamless holiday and an amazing adventure. All we had to worry about was eating, sleeping and cycling! Spectacular scenery and cultural experience

Margie FordJune 2023

Great way to get away from the regular tourist routes and experience the country and its local culture.

Jacqueline Ann MooreDecember 2019

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Saigon to Siem Reap
Tour CodeMCT-MSS
9Days
8Nights
DestinationsVietnam and Cambodia
Tour MeetsSaigon, Vietnam
Tour EndsSiem Reap, Cambodia
Fly in to
Fly out of
Group Size2-16 riders
Minimum Age18 (on scheduled departures)

Activity Profile

6Cycling days
338kmTotal cycling distance
56kmAvg distance / day
mAvg climbing / day

Pricing

PriceUS$ 2,250
Bike Hire (Mountain Bike)US$ 140
Single SupplementUS$ 395

What's Included

  • SpiceRoads jersey
  • Water bottle
  • Support vehicle
  • Guide(s)
  • Meals (as indicated)
  • Accommodation
  • Snacks and drinks

What's Excluded

  • International flights
  • Domestic flights
  • Airport pick up
  • Airport drop off
  • Visa fees
  • Alcohol
  • Tips

Departures

12 May - 20 May 2024
21 July - 29 July 2024
15 September - 23 September 2024
11 May - 19 May 2025
20 July - 28 July 2025
14 September - 22 September 2025

Trip Profile

The road surfaces on this tour are mixed. We ride a combination of good quality tarmac, wide dirt tracks, and broken roads that are sometimes badly potholed but easily navigable by bike. The terrain is predominantly flat. Only on a few days do we cover longer distances (92 km), so experienced riders will find the distances long enough to challenge them, while less experienced riders are easily able to travel at a more relaxed pace.

On this trip, there is a lot to see as we ride alongside rivers, villages, orchards, and rice fields. We have two days when we travel by boat, giving variety and a chance for weary legs to recover.

Suitability: This trip is suitable for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. This trip is not too arduous, and so riders with less experience are more than welcome, although the fitter you are, the more you will enjoy it.

Biking Conditions: This tour follows a mixture of good condition tarmac roads to pot-holed or broken ones and vehicle-width dirt paths. No off-road riding experience required. A support truck is almost always available to help when required, except on some parts of the very narrow paths of the Vietnam Delta. But you will always have your guides with you at all times.

Day 1 Meet in Ho Chi Minh City

We meet at our hotel in Ho Chi Minh City (please contact us if you need rooms or flights from Bangkok). We have today free to explore Ho Chi Minh City. In the evening we dine at one of the finest restaurants in the city and prepare for our upcoming Vietnam adventure!

Northern Hotel
Dinner

Day 2 Ho Chi Minh City – Tra Vinh

After breakfast, transfer a couple of hours out of Ho Chi Minh to Ben Tre- considered Vietnam’s coconut capital. Today’s ride will lead you right into the heart of rural Mekong, as you pedal down narrow roads and lanes, past banana plantations and fields of sugarcane. A section of biking takes us off road onto gravel and dirt lanes, weaving through hamlets, across rivers, and through quite thick vegetation; this makes for superb biking. A ferry crossing takes us to Tra Vinh, a pretty tree-lined town, home to many ethnic Khmers.

Cuu Long Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 45km

Day 3 Tra Vinh – Can Tho

The route today is peaceful, and the road is scenic all the way to our destination of Can Tho. There is plenty to see along the way from contrasting architectural styles of Khmer homes and temples to the rich and colourful river scenes when crossing many small bridges.

Ninh Kieu 2 Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 92km

Day 4 Can Tho – Chau Doc

Visit Cai Rang Floating market before transferring approximately one hour to the start of the ride. Once more the scenery is completely different. From Tri Ton, the cycling starts to gently undulate, and mountains begin to loom as you ride closer and closer to Chau Doc. We cycle to the Killing Fields of Vietnam at Ba Chuc, where Pol Pot’s regime massacred over 3,000 Vietnamese in 1978. We then loop around Ba Chuc along the border and ride the rest of the way to Chau Doc along incredible country roads. Those with energy to spare can climb Sam Mountain for sunset!

Chau Po Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 70km

Day 5 Chau Doc – Phnom Penh

Cruise up the Mekong River to Phnom Penh from our overnight stop at Chau Doc. We get a chance to rest our legs as we see many scenes of local daily life along one of Asia’s great rivers. As we head into Cambodia, we stop at the capital Phnom Penh before heading north to cycle among 1,000 years of Khmer history.

Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 Phnom Penh – Oudong – Kampong Thom

We have a late start to give you time to explore Phnom Penh. We then transfer for only 30 minutes before we hop on the bikes and our cycle to-wards Cambodia's former capital, Oudong. The 400-plus steps to the top will get the legs working overtime, but the view is worth it! This ride gives us a chance to see rural Cambodia - stilted houses, rice paddies, ox carts, waving children and of course the friendly Khmer people. After the ride, we transfer to Kampong Thom.

Sambor Village
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 25km

Day 7 Kampong Thom – Siem Reap

We start the day with a visit to the ancient temple site of Sambor Prey Kuk. This temple site was constructed in the 7th century and functioned as the capital of the Chenla Empire. It is one of the oldest temple sites in Cambodia and is mainly covered in vegetation. After our guided tour through the temples, we enjoy a local picnic lunch prepared by the local community in small wooden huts along the Stung Sen River and absorb the local sights and sounds. After lunch, we have a short transfer to Damdek, where we offload the bikes and begin cycling towards Siem Reap.

Steung Siem Reap Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 40km

Day 8 Angkor Temples

This morning, we start our bike ride to the entrance of Angkor Wat temple complex and head to Ta Prohm, famous from the film “Tomb Raider”, deliberately left by French conservationists in the same condition as it was discovered. Overgrown with strangler fig and silk-cotton trees, the temple has a mystical and romantic appeal. We continue to Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple, and the Terrace of the Elephants. We enjoy lunch at Angkor Café before we explore the biggest religious Hindu edifice in the world - Angkor Wat. Considered the masterpiece of Khmer architecture, this Vishnuite temple is the king’s funerary temple, which is why the temple faces west. Inside the temple, the walls are covered with carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Hindu mythology and the wars Suryavarman II fought during his reign. After our visit to these magnificent temples, we cycle back the 7 km to Siem Reap.

Steung Siem Reap Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 30km

Day 9 Departure

Catch a flight from Siem Reap airport or stay to explore more of Angkor's temples, like the sandstone temple of Banteay Srei.

Breakfast

Disclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.

Nuts & Bolts

Bikes

Because some people can't imagine going on a trip without their own beloved bicycle, we do not provide them as part of this tour. However, you can hire bikes locally for the price listed in the tour pricing section.

If you bring your own bike, please make sure it is a mountain bike, preferably with front suspension in good mechanical order.

Bike Repairs

Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.

Safety

Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. 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.

Guides

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.

The Nitty Gritty

Vietnam

Passports and Visas

Vietnam e-Visa is available to 80 nationalities. Please check this link to determine if your country is on the list. To apply for an e-visa please visit the official government website here and follow the required steps and make payment. You can apply for a single entry visa up to 30 days. Multiple entry e-visas are not currently available. For peace of mind, we suggest applying for your e-visa as early as possible, and no later than 2 weeks before your expected arrival in Vietnam. While processing time is generally no more than 1-3 working days (not including weekends and Vietnamese holidays), it is wise to give yourself some buffer time in case there are any issues.

If your nationality is not on the list for e-visa eligibility, or you need options for longer stays or multiple entries, then you may consider Visa on Arrival. The process for this is more complicated than e-visa and requires the acquisition of a visa letter prior to arrival. Please see here for a detailed overview.

If you are joining our "Saigon to Bangkok" or "Saigon to Siem Reap" tour, when you are applying for your e-visa, please select Song Tien Landport as the exit point. This refers to the river crossing at Chao Doc.

Health

Recommended vaccinations are typhoid, polio, tetanus and hepatitis A. A certificate for Yellow Fever is required when arriving from an infected area within six days. Vietnam is a malarial area and you will need to take anti-malarial tablets. Please speak to your doctor for the most up to date information.

Weather

Weather in Vietnam is divided into 4 main regions - the far north, north, central and south.

The far north can get very cold in December and January while the dry season runs from October to late March and the wet season between April to September.

In Hanoi & the north, it is hot, wet and humid from May to October while November to April is cooler and dry.

Central Vietnam experiences hot, dry weather between January & August with temperatures ranging in the mid 30°C. High levels of rainfall are during September - November.

Southern Vietnam is dry and hot from November to April, and warm and wet between May & October, with the highest rainfall in June, July & August.

Food

Meals are included as per the itinerary where B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner. Most meals are Vietnamese food and features noodles, rice curries and soups. Vietnamese cuisine is world famous and we make sure you sample as much variety as possible. Any special dietary requirements can also be catered for as well. Please let us know at the time of booking.

Drink

Keeping you completely hydrated is a job we take very seriously. Cold water, 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 in Vietnam but is NOT included in the price.

Solo Travelers

SpiceRoads 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.

Extra Expenses

We recommend that you tuck away a few extra dollars, perhaps US$10, for incidentals. It is customary to tip local tour guides and drivers, however, the amount you give should be dependent on the level of service you receive. As a general guide, we suggest US$ 3-4 per person per day is appropriate.

Money

The official national currency is the Vietnam dong (d), but the US dollar is widely accepted in tourist centers. However, in smaller towns and villages the dong is preferred. ATMs are available in all major tourist destinations and big cities. Vietcombank has the best network with a single withdrawal limit of 2,000,000d (about US$125). Most major currencies can be exchanged at leading banks in Vietnam, but the US dollar is preferred away from the tourist centers. Changing US$100 will make you an instant millionaire! You cannot legally take the dong out of Vietnam but you can reconvert reasonable amounts of it into US dollars on departure.

Cambodia

Passports and Visas

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. If your chosen tour includes a border crossing where e-Visa is not available we'll tell you at the time of booking. For Visa-On-Arrival, the cost is 35 USD and it needs to be paid in cash. It is important that the USD are in good condition - i.e. no visible tearing, creasing, crumpling, or scribbling - so please only bring new and crisp USD bills to avoid any issues upon entry.

Health

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.

Weather

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 hottest hitting 35C around April/May.

Food

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.

Drink

Keeping you completely hydrated is a job we take very seriously. Cold water, 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.

Solo Travelers

SpiceRoads 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.

Extra Expenses

We recommend that you tuck away a few extra dollars, perhaps US$20, for incidentals.

Money

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.

General booking info

If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:

FLEXIBLE BOOKING CONDITIONS

Booking a SpiceRoads cycling adventure is easy and we try to do everything possible to make sure you have full flexibility and peace of mind. We do not require a deposit to hold your place on a tour and once full payment has been made your money is protected in our client account and you have the flexibility to cancel or change your booking if needed.

CONFIRMING YOUR BOOKING

Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.

You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.

TRIP STATUS

There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.

BOOKING ONLINE

From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).

If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.

BOOKING OFFLINE

Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.

DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS

We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.

The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.

In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.

In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.

The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.

FULL FLEXIBILITY FOR TOUR CANCELATIONS

If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).

If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).

Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.

If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.

Loyalty Riders Club

For those who have been on several long tours with us, we reward customer loyalty by offering repeat customers a special discount off the tour price (excludes single supplement and bike rental). If this is your fourth scheduled tour or more you will receive a 5% discount. If this is your eighth scheduled tour or more we will extend a 10% discount. The discount will be reflected in your online booking, but please contact us if any questions. Loyalty discounts cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Note: Only tours of 7 days or more will be applicable for a loyalty discount.

International Flights

International flights, to and from the start and finish points are not included in the tour price. Once your tour is Guaranteed to Depart you can book your flight. Please contact us for advice before arranging flights for the best arrival and departure times. We would only cancel a trip for an extreme circumstance, but in that case, where we cancel your trip, we cannot be liable for losses incurred relating to any flight booking you have made. Please claim any losses from your travel insurance that you acquired when you booked your holiday.

Newsletter

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The information in this document is given in good faith, and covers the average range of conditions likely to be found on this trip. Please note that the itinerary is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, however, we will always do our best to adhere to this original itinerary

Contact Us

45 (Sub Soi Pannee) Soi Pridi Banomyong 26
Sukhumvit Soi 71 Klongtan Nua, Wattana
Bangkok, Thailand 10110
Tel: +66 (0) 2 026 3295
Email: info@spiceroads.com
Website: www.spiceroads.com