Cycle on this charity challenge 500kms through villages and plantations & across waterways and visit ancient temples and colourful pagodas of the Mekong Delta.
Duration: 11 Days
Grading:EASYMax Group Size: 25
Type:SMALL GROUPPrices from: £2293
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Tour Overview
This challenge entails cycling 500kms past plantations, across waterways and through villages deep in the heart of the lush Mekong Delta in Vietnam, to the dry lands and contrasting sights of ancient Cambodia.
You will pass temples and countless colourful pagodas, havens of calm and tranquillity and bustling markets. Your route takes you off the beaten track into the Mekong proper.
Few locals will have seen foreigners cycling past, and their interest and hospitality will spur on even the most tired cyclist to keep on pedalling.
Your end destination is the town of Siem Reap from where you can explore the ancient city of Angkor. Built from 879-1191AD by the Khmer civilization, Angkor represents one of humankind's most astonishing architectural achievements and in 1992, the city of Angkor became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cycle 500kms through heart of Mekong Delta - Endless miles of quiet backwaters & country roads - Ancient temples and countless colourful pagodas - Angkor Wat, masterpiece of Khmer architecture - Visit Saigon, Phnom Penh and Angkor
Itinerary
Day 1 | International Departure
Meet at London Heathrow Airport at the check-in desk for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. Your Charity Challenge representative will be there to assist you with the check-in and any last minute questions.
Day 2 | Ho Chi Minh City
The flight arrives in Ho Chi Minh City, where you will be met and transferred by the Charity Challenge local agent, to a centrally located hotel to relax and have lunch. This afternoon you will receive a full trip briefing and bike fitting. Overnight in hotel.
Day 3 | My Tho to Tra Vinh
After breakfast you will transfer a couple of hours out of Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho – the gateway to the Mekong Delta. Today’s ride will lead you right into the heart of rural Mekong. The cycling begins after the ferry journey across the Tien Giang River at My Tho. The route takes you through narrow roads and lanes, past banana plantations, fields of sugar cane, through the lush green landscape of the Delta, crossing rivers and canals by numerous, ubiquitous, fascinating ferries. A section of biking cuts off road onto gravel and dirt lanes, and weaves around hamlets, across water channels and through quite dense vegetation. This makes for superb biking. A final ferry across the gaping expanse of Co Chien River leads us to Tra Vinh, a pretty tree lined town with a large population of ethnic Khmer. Overnight in hotel.
- approx 52kms cycling
Day 4 | Can Tho
Today’s route is peaceful, with narrow and very pretty roads all the way to Can Tho. There is plenty along the way to see, from the contrasting architectural styles of ethnic Khmer homes, to the numerous colourful Khmer temples and to the fascinating river scenes witnessed when pedalling over countless small wooden plank bridges and single trek lanes. Visit Ba Om Pond with its magnificent lotus flowers. Overnight in hotel.
– approx 82kms
Day 5 | Long Xuyen
Today’s ride is spilt into two sections and is a contrast to the previous day’s ride. After a very early breakfast, you will take a boat trip to the famous Cai Rang floating market before riding on a narrow paved road market to Phong Dien floating market. The route weaves through morning market bustle along the banks of the very busy river. Absorb the sights of endless cottage industries, timber merchants, coconut shredders, small docks loading/unloading rice, and tiny vibrant markets. You will continue by bike on the narrow lane to the main road, which transfers along the highway back to Can Tho for lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will continue riding along a road leading upstream towards Long Xuyen. The ride ends with a final 5-minute ferry crossing and transfer (1hr) to Long Xuyen. Dinner & overnight in hotel.
– approx 75kms
Day 6 | Chau Doc
Once more, today’s scenery is completely different. After a short early morning transfer to Tri Ton, the cycling starts to gently undulate and mountains begin to loom as you ride closer and closer to Chau Doc. The presence of Thot Not trees indicates the growing proximity to Cambodia and the local people speak Vietnamese as their second language. This afternoon you will cycle to the Killing Fields of Vietnam at Ba Chuc, where Pol Pot’s regime massacred over 3,000 Vietnamese in 1978. The route loops round to Chau Doc from Ba Chuc along the border, or re-trace back to Tri Ton (depending on road conditions) 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! Dinner & overnight in hotel for your last night in Vietnam.
– approx 75kms+
Day 7 | Chau Doc to Phnom Penh
Depart early for the boat journey up the Mekong River to Phnom Penh (take water, food, book etc for your approx 6hr journey). Once arriving at the pier at Chau Doc you will say Goodbye to your Vietnamese guide & bikes and cruise up the Bassac River for approximately 1hr to the Cambodian border. At the Cambodian border the boat crew will obtain your visas on your behalf (you will need a spare passport photo, fill in a form and pay the $20 visa fee). This process will take about an hour. The boat will then continue (approx 3hrs) to take you upstream to Phnom Penh, where you new Cambodian team will be ready to greet you with your new bikes. You will then continue your journey into Cambodia & Phnom Penn. This capital city was once considered one of the most beautiful in the Orient, and despite its recent turbulent history, it still retains a colonial charm. After lunch at the atmospheric Foreign Correspondent’s Club and you will transfer to Cambodia’s killing fields and a visit to S21, Tuoel Sleng genocide museum. Later this afternoon you will transfer to your hotel where your bikes will be ready for you to fit and check. Overnight in hotel.
Day 8 | Kampong Chhnang
You will depart early this morning by bike and head north on National road N5 via the ancient Japanese bridge and start travelling through the Cambodian countryside. You will share the road with light local traffic and get a good sense of what Cambodian transportation actually is. After 12kms you arrive at Prek Phnov and at that junction you turn left onto unpaved roads, passing local villages and rice fields. As you continue along you pass the ancient capital of Udong where the Udong Mountain is still home to many old Royal Palaces. You will pay a visit to one of the remaining stupa’s and afterwards you will ride along the paved road heading north-west to Kampong Chnang. Kampong Chnang is the provincial capital of the province of the same name. The Tonlé Sap River passes by Kampong Chnang home to a floating village located 91kms north of Phnom Penh. The area is scenic and across the river you can find several ancient temples from the Chenla period, such as Samrong Sen and Prasat Prah Srey. You will experience great views of the countryside and meet hordes of local people welcoming you with broad smiles and greetings. When you arrive in Kampong Chnang you have the opportunity for an optional extra ride, dependent upon arrival time; you can ride through rural areas to the hills of Kampong Chhnang. Surrounded by paddy fields over sandy roads you ride through traditional pottery villages. Have a look at how these pots are made by hand without any electrical devices and continue your ride through paddy fields towards Wat Touch. Here a small hill awaits you with excellent views over the river delta that eventually becomes the massive Tonle Sap Lake. Cycle back to Kampong Chhnang and enjoy dinner (optional ride should take approx 1-1.5hrs + rest stops). Overnight and dinner in Kampong Chnang.
– approx 91kms
Day 9 | Kampong Chhnang to Siem Reap
This morning you will start with a boat transfer (approx 4-5hrs) to Siem Reap crossing the immense Tonlé Sap Lake. The Tonlé Sap Lake is the heart of Cambodia and nearly half of the Cambodians live on the lake. It is the largest fresh water lake in South East Asia and its biodiversity has put the lake amongst the ecological seven wonders of the world. Upon arrival in Siem Reap you will pass the floating village of Chhong Kneas a bustling trade centre for fish sales and tourism. We cycle the 12km into town and settle for lunch (your luggage will be transported to your hotel and will await you there.) Lunch will give you the power you need in order to explore the world largest heritage site: Angkor Wat. You will cycle towards the Angkor complex and cross the check point, from there the loop you take passes by many different styles of temples. The shady roads contribute to a pleasant ride through the complex where literally dozens of temples are scattered around. You stop at Srah Srang for refreshments and enjoy the sights of this former Royal Pool. Explore the temple of Banteay Kdei which is one of the largest in the complex and a must see, it’s a great taste of what awaits you tomorrow! Most of the massive complexes were built between the 11th-13th century. A little further along you will find yourself exploring Neak Poan, a small temple located on the Grand Circuit. Not many people visit here which is great as the crowds are nowhere to be seen. You will continue another 6kms along the Grand Circuit and pass Banteay Kdei, Preah Kahn and eventually the former capital of the Khmer Empire; Angkor Thom with the Bayon Temple in its heart. Finally you head towards the highlight of the day: Angkor Wat where a nice surprise awaits you! There you celebrate your accomplishment and head back to town for dinner, a fine feast & celebration with traditional Khmer dancing and food in the Apsara Theatre. Overnight in hotel.
– approx 50kms
Day 10 | Full day in Angkor Wat, Depart Siem Reap
If you want to this morning you can ask your expedition leader to arrange a sunrise visit to the temples of Angkor (for a small additional fee, approx $5pp) to give you the opportunity see the ruins in all their splendour. Angkor Wat itself is just one of the many temples in the region but is one of the best preserved and most impressive. It is worth climbing the remarkably steep and narrow steps of the central spire for the view over the whole temple surrounded by jungle. Angkor Thom, is a fascinating ruin featuring many mysterious giant carved faces and some incredible wall carvings, and is one of the most remarkable sights in the area. Also not to be missed is the temple of Ta Prohm, which has been left to be reclaimed by nature and features incredible tree roots breaking through the stone carvings and walls, a fascinating tribute to the power of nature over man and an experience reminiscent of ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Tomb Raider.’ You will end up today’s route with a visit to Preah Kahn, which is one of the largest complexes and also left out by pretty much every tourist. Explore this splendid temple before heading a bit further north, to experience a local community project located in Peak Snaeng. A group of local and foreign people have set up a project to improve education, hygiene and personal development for the children in the local region. The project has been set up to teach the kids the importance of education and to protect them from child labour, prostitution and trafficking. After your visit, you will head back through the complex to your hotel. Early evening or tomorrow morning (dependent upon flight availability) you will transfer to Siem Reap airport for your return flight to the UK via Bangkok.
Our Trusted Partner's Responsible and Sustainable Travel Policy
Welcome to the world's biggest industry. By the year 2010 it is forecast that more than one billion people will take an overseas holiday - and you may be one of them. The impact of tourism has already been immense and it will increase. The travel industry can bring many benefits to local communities, including an injection of cash and employment for local people, preservation of native habitats and indigenous wildlife, and cultural exchange. However, without care, tourism can also have a negative impact: destruction of natural habitats; diversion of scarce resources; disturbance of wildlife; and the violation of tribal peoples' rights.
At Charity Challenge we aim to set responsible tourism standards within the industry.
Charity Challenge has been officially recognised for our efforts in the developing world, making a positive contribution to communities in desperate need. Highly commended in the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2007, in the category of Best Tour Operator for Poverty Reduction, we were commended for our work helping to raise in excess of one million pounds for Habitat for Humanity Great Britain through our house building communitychallenges in Sri Lanka, South Africa, China and India. The Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards, now in its third year, aims to recognise individuals, companies and organisations in the travel industry that are making a significant commitment to the culture and the economies of local communities. Today, communitychallenge participants have helped to build more than 400 houses, in five countries across three continents, helping those often living without access to running water, electricity or proper sanitation facilities.
We were also commended for our work by Queens Award for Enterprise in the field of Sustainable Development, for our communitychallenge application with the following feedback:
“The company, which provides a series of inspiring team challenges that develop and motivate staff, aimed at providing assistance to the developing world and fundraising for charity, is to be commended on producing an application that shows evidence of a thorough and committed understanding of all aspects of sustainable development, both within the company itself and in its core business activities. It is clear that sustainable development is at the heart of the business. The examiners were thoroughly impressed with the company’s commitment to social sustainability; in this rapidly expanding market, it represents outstanding performance and is an example to others.”
"I would like to compliment Charity Challenge for the sensitive way that the local community benefit from the financial aspect of tourism such as the water supply and education system in Tanzania." room for improvement
We are supporters of Tourism Concern and are constantly looking for ways to improve our operations to further benefit the local communities in which we operate. As such, we welcome your thoughts on any ways you feel we can improve our responsible tourism.
support for local projects
As part of our commitment to the local communities we interact with during our challenges, we donate approx US$500 per group to a local community project. Examples of the projects we are funding include the following:
Vietnam: SOS Children’s Villages began nearly fourty years ago in Ho Chi Minh City. Some families are so poor that they cannot look after their children so they end up living on the streets, begging for money and food or are sent out to work. Government figures suggest there are over 21,000 children living on the streets in Vietnam. SOS Children’s Villages care for over 16,000 children in Vietnam and have twelve SOS children’s Villages and 31 related projects throughout Vietnam. Our support helps to fund the ongoing work of the charity.
Nepal: Many people in Nepal live in extreme poverty with nearly 40% of the population earning less than US$1 per day. One in thirteen children die before reaching the age of five, and over a quarter of children do not go to primary school. One of the projects we have helped to fund through Plan International is supporting girls who are forced into working as domestic servants by their family’s desperate poverty.
Plan is helping them to return to their families and continue their education. Nearly 1,000 girls have been rescued and are now receiving an education with help from Plan. local community support
We employ local guides, porters and other essential support staff and we try, where possible, to use locally owned accommodation. This way, local challenge costs can truly benefit the local community. We train our overseas support teams thoroughly in all aspects of our responsible tourism policy. sustainable development
A leading UK government body responsible for sustainable development recently commended Charity Challenge for its thorough and committed understanding of all aspects of sustainable development. It added: “It is clear that sustainable development is at the heart of the business. In this rapidly expanding market, it represents outstanding performance and is an example to others.”
what we do
We aim to set responsible tourism standards within the travel industry and to minimise the impact of our challenges on the environment within which we operate.
We ensure that every challenge we run benefits both the charity being supported, and also the local communities with whom we interact.
The social, economic and environmental impact of our challenges is considered at all stages of planning a challenge. Our responsible tourism policy covers our operations in the UK, whilst on the challenge and also advises travellers how they can minimise their impact on the environment and benefit the host communities as much as possible. in the UK office
In the office we also make are careful of carbon emissions through the power and electricity we use. We cut down our carbon by ; energy
• PC screens are on energy saver mode
• PC's, printers and copiers etc. are turned off at night
• Energy saver features on all printers and photocopier are made use of
• Digital photography is used where possible to reduce chemical use
• We offset the equivalent of the expected carbon emissions from our office operations through Future Forests waste
• Paper is always reused where possible before recycling
• Staff are actively encouraged to avoid wasteful printing
• Recyclable waste (white paper, cardboard, other paper, glass, plastic) is all separated for recycling
• Staff who do not have relevant recycling collections at home are encouraged to bring their materials to the office where they can be collected and recycled properly
• Files, folders and other such stationery are always reused to their full potential
• No polystyrene or plastic cups are used in the company, glasses and mugs are provided
• We actively focus on email and web based sales communication
• Printed company materials are now always printed on paper from fully sustainable forests transport
• Public transport is used for work travel wherever possible
• Staff are encouraged to walk or cycle to work
• We offset the carbon emissions for all staff air travel if on business
• Staff are encourage to offset their carbon emissions from flying, for private travel
About our Trusted Partner
Charity Challenge is the UK's leading adventure travel company specialising exclusively in the organisation, leadership and administration of inspirational fundraising expeditions. We operate more than 120 challenges each year for around 3,000 participants, and have so far helped to raise somewhere in the region of £15million for over 900 charities.
Our expeditions include treks, mountain bike rides, mountain climbs, white water rafting, sailing, horse riding & communitychallenges. They take place in Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East. They cover three different difficulty levels, ensuring there really is something for everyone.
Working very closely with many of the countries leading charities, Charity Challenge carries out all of the expedition administration meaning that even the smallest of charities can benefit from a dynamic and hugely popular fundraising tool.
At Charity Challenge we place great importance on responsible tourism. Our commitment extends to helping the local communities you will visit. We employ local guides, porters and other essential support staff and always try and use locally owned accommodation. We ensure that the experiences are positive for the local people & their community by making a donation from the profits of each expedition to a local community project within the country that the expedition takes place.
We are renowned for our professional conduct and concern for participants' safety at every step of the adventure. We offer comprehensive advice during the booking process and provide a full support package including notes on fitness training, travel tips, vaccinations needed, visa information, high altitude info, responsible travel guidance and fundraising ideas.
Beautiful scenery : Saigon to Angkor Wat Bike Ride at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Beautiful scenery
Cycle from Cambodia to Vietnam : Saigon to Angkor Wat Bike Ride at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Cycle from Cambodia to Vietnam
North Gate : Saigon to Angkor Wat Bike Ride at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
North Gate
Cambodian Border, Mekong Delta : Saigon to Angkor Wat Bike Ride at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Cambodian Border, Mekong Delta
Road to Can Tho : Saigon to Angkor Wat Bike Ride at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Road to Can Tho
Angkor Wat : Saigon to Angkor Wat Bike Ride at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
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