Destinations · Cambodia
Why We Ride
Cambodia is flat and hot, and people call hello from the roadside all day. From Siem Reap the riding starts with sunrise at Angkor Wat, on the bikes from 4.30 am, and a morning among the other temples. After that the roads get smaller. There is a boat across the Tonle Sap wetlands, single track into Battambang, dusty red back roads out to Banan Temple, and 75 km through villages on the Tonle Sap to the front door of the hotel in Phnom Penh.
The longer rides carry on south to Kampot, on the coast, for the salt fields, the pepper farms around Kep and a Khmer cooking class. The climb up Bokor Mountain is optional: 30 km to the top, the first 10 flat. If climbing isn't for you, the van takes your bike up and you ride down.
In Phnom Penh you meet Friends International and visit the S-21 genocide museum. It is a hard visit and we recommend it. Some rides stay in Cambodia. Others cross the border at Ha Tien and finish in Saigon.
“Our ride with Brett from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City was one of the most memorable trips I have ever done. A real odyssey on so many levels. We are still baking in the afterglow.”
Months with a departure on the calendar. 2026: October to December. 2027: January to March, May to December.
Difficulty 2 to 3 out of 5
Flat, on a mix of paved roads and compact dirt and gravel. Most riding days are 30 to 75 km. The one climb, Bokor Mountain, is optional.
Every Cambodia ride meets Friends International in Phnom Penh. Rides from Siem Reap also visit Sustainable Cambodia in Pursat, and rides through Kampot visit Chumkriel Language School. At the end of the ride, you choose the organisation that impacted you the most, and we'll contribute 200 AUD on your behalf. How the Giving Works →
You start among the temples of Angkor, on the bike from 4.30 am for sunrise over Angkor Wat. A boat then carries you across the Tonle Sap wetlands towards Battambang, a town of colonial-style streets, and dusty red back roads lead out to Banan Temple. In Phnom Penh you walk through Tuol Sleng, the S-21 Genocide Museum, after a morning with Friends International. The longer rides go on to the ancient ruins of Chisaur Mountain Temple, and then to Kampot on the coast: Bokor Mountain, the salt fields, and the pepper plantations and salt lakes of Kep on the way to the border at Ha Tien.
Your first dinner, in Siem Reap, is at a restaurant run by an NGO as a training ground for marginalised young people. In Battambang, dinner is at Jaan Bai, another social enterprise restaurant. Phnom Penh brings a Khmer barbecue, and Kampot a Khmer cooking class. On the ride south, lunch is at Chisaur Temple, and Kep, just before the border, is known for its fresh seafood, crab above all. Breakfast is included on most days, with some lunches and dinners. Each day of the itinerary shows which. Drinks are not included with meals, and the support van carries water and fruit on riding days.
You sleep in hotels throughout, twin share, in an air-conditioned room wherever possible. Couples share a room, and a single room can be arranged for a supplement listed on each ride's page. The rides from Siem Reap stay two nights there, one in Battambang, one in Pursat, where the hotel has a swimming pool and a massage spa, and two in Phnom Penh. The longer rides add three nights in Kampot. Hotels and restaurants are examples and may change.
Cambodia is flat. You ride a mix of paved roads, compact gravel and dirt, with some single track, at an average pace of 15 to 18 km/h. Most riding days are 30 to 75 km, and the group usually stays together. The one climb, Bokor Mountain, is optional: 30 km to the top, the first 10 flat, or the van takes your bike up and you ride down. There is always a support van, which carries your bags and can carry you when you want a rest. You ride a 24-speed mountain bike, in a group of never more than 10 riders. E-bikes are available on the Cambodia rides.
Rides in Cambodia
Angkor at sunrise and the Tonle Sap, then south to Kampot for the Bokor Mountain climb, salt fields, pepper farms and a Khmer cooking class.
Sunrise at the temples of Angkor, river roads and coffee stops around Battambang, then into Phnom Penh to meet Friends International. Cambodia's highlights in a week.
The Bokor Mountain climb and pepper farms around Kampot, then over the border into the Mekong Delta for floating markets, a homestay in Ben Tre and the ride into Saigon.
Angkor to Saigon the long way: temples at sunrise, Battambang's river roads and the Bokor climb in Kampot, then floating markets in the Mekong Delta and a homestay in Ben Tre.
Questions
You organise your own visa before the trip. Cambodia issues visas on arrival, and visa fees are not included in the ride price. Entry rules differ by nationality and can change, so check with the Cambodian embassy, or your own government's travel advice, before you book flights. Australians can check Smartraveller, which we follow too.
Cambodia is one of our easier rides. It is flat, and most riding days are 30 to 75 km on paved roads, compact gravel and some single track. The pace is casual and the group usually stays together. Each ride is planned to take most of the day, finishing around 3 or 4 pm, with time for coffee stops, photos and lunch.
No. The Bokor climb is optional. It is 30 km to the top: the first 10 km are flat, and then it climbs all the way. If climbing isn't for you, the van takes your bike up and you ride down. You can also take the day off the bike and spend it in Kampot.
There is a support van on every ride. It carries your bags and can carry you too when you want a rest. Sometimes it follows right behind. On the single tracks it meets the group at set points, usually no more than 20 to 25 km apart. Your tour leader can tell you what each leg involves before you start it.
You are on the bike from 4.30 am for sunrise over Angkor Wat, and you spend the rest of the morning riding between the other temples. The day is 30 to 40 km on flat, paved roads. Entry to Angkor Wat is included on the rides that start in Siem Reap.
Tuol Sleng, also known as the S-21 Genocide Museum, covers the Khmer Rouge years. The visit is emotionally challenging, and we strongly recommend it. It follows a morning with Friends International, and the afternoon is left free so you have time to take it in before the group meets again for dinner. Entry is included.
Not in the way some tours do. Under our child-protection policy, riders do not interact with children at schools or nurseries, and do not photograph children during NGO visits. At Chumkriel Language School in Kampot, no children are in attendance when we visit. Every group also attends a responsible-tourism presentation by Friends International or one of its official partners.
Yes. E-bikes are available on all four rides that include Cambodia, as an upgrade to the standard 24-speed mountain bike. The price of the upgrade is listed under Bikes & E-Bikes on each ride's page. Standard bike hire is included in the ride price.
That is a question for a travel doctor, ideally at least six weeks before you travel. Some countries require specific vaccinations, and a professional can tell you what is right for you. We are happy to provide route maps for your doctor. All riders give us their travel insurance details before the ride starts.
Fifteen minutes on the phone with Brett answers most questions about Cambodia.
