Cycling Saigon to Angkor Wat 10D/9N

We commence today ride with an hour's drive south to the rural village of Ben Luch to see the lushly green Mekong Delta by bicycle. We cycle through beautiful farmlands where locals grow many dragon fruits and kinds of rice. Then we ride cross through a network of farming canals and rustic villages to My Tho. The morning is about 35km, but it could make flexible from 25 - 35km—lunch in My Tho city, then transfer to a rural village in Cay Lay where we ride to Cai Be in the afternoon. Explore the lively waterways and vibrant villages along the river to Cai Be with a ferry boat to An Binh Island.

If you could get up early, take a walk through the village, and explore the morning activities of the locals. Return to the homestay, taste tea and coffee, enjoy breakfast and watch local's morning activities on the front waterways. From the homestay, we ride to explore people living through Binh Hoa Phuoc, then Phu Phung villages, before cycling to Cho Lach.

The paths are mixed of different surfaces; dirt tracks, concrete trails, asphalt country back roads through verdant fruit orchards, farmlands of ornamental trees, backwaters, and rustic villages. We travel through local markets, cross many small rivers on narrow bridges, and pedal on the dirt tracks alongside the Mekong River to Cai Mon. Enjoy lunch at the local home has a beautiful nursery garden. After lunch, take a rest with a transfer to Mo Cay for the beautiful ride to Tra Vinh in the afternoon. We explore Mo Cay, scenic villages, water palms, and crossing water channels. The routes are smooth through thousands of coconut trees, water palms, and cross-irrigational canals. We will stop at local family businesses that produce oily products made from coconuts before we ride to the ferry that takes us to the other side of Co Chien River to Tra Vinh.

Tra Vinh populated with major of the Khmer Krom ethnic group, and they were partly members of the old Khmer Empire, later divided under political and historical turmoil. Mekong Delta is one of the second homelands of Khmer Ethnic. Today's ride allows you to learn deeply about Khmer's history & cultures.

We cycle on narrow paths, pass tiny thatched houses amongst coconut trees, cross the endless rice paddies, visit Khmer homes and colourful old temples. The bike routes are link hamlets to hamlets on small concrete, a network of agriculture canals with plenty of water for farming. You will immerse yourself into the Khmer cultures, meet the Khmer monks at the temples, see women on conical hats working on farms. Taste fresh fruits, local snacks at a small market.

Break for lunch in a small town, and follow a transfer to the next town for the afternoon's adventurous ride. The afternoon ride is more enjoyable, with some tiny ferry boats through water channels of the Mekong River. We ride along the lively Mekong River, through lush rural farms of Vinh Long province, finish today's ride in the outskirt of Can Tho, and will transfer on the Longest suspension bridge to Can Tho city.

Cai Rang is the largest wholesale floating market in the Mekong Delta, and it attracts tourists all year round because it's a real one. After leisurely breakfast, enjoy a 40-minute motorized boat ride from Ninh Kieu Pier to the most active Cai Rang floating market, where hundreds of small boats exchange farm products, from boat to boat. The boat gets through the market slowly, so we watch locals exchange farm products from sampans to sampans, and it is also an excellent time to capture the market in trading. Every boat has a long upright pole at its bow on which samples of the goods for sale hung on the bamboo sticks with bananas, pineapple, sweet potatoes, watermelons and so on.

Then we get off from boat to ride Long Xuyen, where we stay tonight. We pedal along rivers, the backwaters of Phong Dien. Enjoy fantastic views of the surrounding and along waterways—lunch in small-town, in Thoi Lai rural Dist. The afternoon ride takes us deeper to hamlets, pass rice husking mills, duck raising farms, frog farms, thatch houses along with the agricultural system, and cross through immeasurable rice paddies to Lo Te Junction. Finally, we'll transfer to Long Xuyen city.

Chau Doc is a small border town with many gateways to Phnom Penh by boat and land. Chau Doc is about 65 km by car from Long Xuyen and by bicycle is about 80 km. Depart from the hotel at 7:30 with a 30-minute transfer out of Long Xuyen, explore the peaceful rice bowl of Mekong Delta, enjoy the most scenic landscapes in the Mekong Delta regions.

We'll explore the lush endless rice paddy fields, pass brick mills, factories, visit impressive stilt-houses, and removed hamlets and agricultural canals in the morning. Following your lunch is the 1.5 hours transfer to the rural village of Tri Ton, and we ride to explore.

In the afternoon, we ride on various dirt tracks through Khmer communities, numerous pagodas and temples, enjoy Sam mountain views, under the shady paths, line-palm trees we cross the Khmer villages, undulate the ways to Tra Su Forest. We arrive at the perfect time to explore this forest when many birds return to their homes to sleep. Take a tour, explore this forest by a quiet motorboat ride and sampan boat paddling through the brilliant green duckweed, lotus flowers, and water lilies. The tour usually includes a stop at a bird-observation tower that is 23 meters. Tra Su bird sanctuary is home to more than 70 species, including storks, egrets, and herons. The best time to visit is when the cajeput forest is flooded, from July to November. The forest is also the home to flora and fauna. Afterwards, we ride to Sam Moutain, pass lotus fields, colourful Buddhist pagoda, and you will transfer to Chau Doc town.

After breakfast, say goodbye to the Vietnamese team and board on the speed boat at 7:15 am for Cambodia. The boat journey is upstream of the Mekong River, and it takes about 4.5 hours. It is the perfect time to watch daily activities on waterways, beautiful scenery along the river banks.

Enjoy a healthily packed lunch on board with the crews. A local guide accompanies the group to help you with visa documents at Vinh Xuong Water Border Gate and then the visa procedure at Kaamsamnor Border Gate to enter Cambodia. You are welcomed at the dock by Vietnam Backroads Team and taken to the hotel to check-in. Take a rest, and explore Phnom Penh on your own until having dinner in town.

Note: travellers who haven't got the Cambodia visa before the trip! and will get a Cambodia visa at the border. Please take 3 passport photos with you on the trip.

Please keep your passport, visa photos, and other related documents on your day bag for your visa application process. Your guide will help you with exit and visa procedures at both Vietnamese and Cambodian border gates. Please don't keep your passport and its papers in your suitcase.

- Exit point: Song Tien Border Gate
- Entry point: Kaamsamnor Border Gate

After breakfast, embark on a scenic 5-hour shuttle transfer to Damdek, with a stop for lunch en route. Along the way, take a short break to visit the historic Kampong Kdei Bridge, one of the oldest laterite bridges in Cambodia dating back to the Angkor period.

From Damdek, enjoy a leisurely bicycle ride through picturesque countryside villages, soaking in the rural charm as you approach Siem Reap. Upon arrival, check in to your hotel and settle in. The evening is free for you to explore Siem Reap at your own pace and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant of your choice.

Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire that evolved from the 9th century north of the lake Tonle Sap. The Empire encompassed much of south-east Asia, and it had a lot of political and cultural influence on the whole region until its downfall in the 14th century. Because of the Khmer Empire's power and several artistic masterpieces are still left, the site was placed on the World Heritage List.

Today, we explore the incredible Angkor Temple complex, it's surroundings, including the jungle by bicycle. We first travel to Angkor by bus to watch Angkor Sunrise. Then we explore the Angkor temple, Ta Prohm, followed by famous sites of Angkor Thom; Victory Gate, the Bayon, Baphuon, Phimean Akas, the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. Next, we ride through the jungle and explore many ancient Angkor sites. Finally, we return to Siem Reap by vehicle. 

This morning starts early with a transfer to Angkor Temple to witness the breathtaking sunrise over the ancient ruins.
After soaking in the serene beauty of dawn, explore the magnificent Angkor Wat, climbing to its upper levels for panoramic views of the majestic complex and the lush surrounding jungle.

Following your temple visit, return to the hotel for a well-deserved breakfast. Later, transfer to Siem Reap Airport for your departure. Tour Ends!