Ride Saigon to Bangkok, 14 Days, Bike Tour Southeast Asia

From what is now Cambodia, the Khmer empire once dominated Southeast Asia, with Angkor at its heart. Its fascinating and sometimes bloody tales are the fabric of the regions rich tapestry. Phnom Penh’s colonial buildings are just the start of the story, as we wind our way through road, river and lake to amazing Angkor and temples that defy belief. At journeys end, Thailand’s beautiful beaches and smiling Buddhist monks offer a welcome sight for weary travellers.

The road conditions on this cycle tour are mixed. We ride on a combination of good quality sealed roads, wide dirt tracks, and broken roads that are sometimes badly pot-holed but easily ridden by bike. The terrain is mostly flat. Only on a few days do we cover longer distances (90-95 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 adventure holiday, there is an incredible amount to see as we ride alongside rivers, villages, orchards, and rice fields. We also have three days when we travel by boat, adding a change and a chance for weary legs to recover.

Is This Trip Suitable For Me?

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 road 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.

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 FAQ section. The bikes are well-known makes of mountain bikes with lightweight alloy frames, 24 to 27 gears, v-brakes, and Shimano components and front suspension. 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 to have 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.

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.

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 Travellers

We do not require you to pay a surcharge for travelling alone. We will arrange for you to share accommodation with another traveller 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.

Extra Expenses

We recommend that you tuck away a little, perhaps £20, for incidentals.

Cambodia

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.

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.

Thailand

Weather

Thailand generally has a tropical climate with fairly high humidity. The North and Central region have a tropical climate with fairly high humidity. Northeast Thailand has a humid hot and dry weather alternatively with medium rain while the coastal areas of the east are humid and hot with intermittent rain. The South of Thailand has a tropical climate with fairly high humidity.

There are three seasons: from March to June it is hot and dry, with temperatures between 27˚C/80 F and 40˚C/104 F, with night temperatures in the 20s. The rainy season is from July to October, but temperatures are slightly lower, because of the effect of the rain. During this time it will not rain continuously, but in sharp bursts, and the sun can come out quickly. The cooler season is from October to February, with average temperatures between 20˚C/68 F and 30˚C/86 F.

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. Any special dietary requirements can also be catered for as well. Please let us know at the time of booking.

Money

The Thai currency is the baht. ATMs, which are abundant, are the easiest ways to get Thai baht. Have a supply of US dollars in cash on hand, just in case your card doesn’t work. Banks or the rarer private moneychangers offer the best foreign-exchange rates. Credit cards are accepted in big cities and resort hotels but you’ll need baht for family-run guesthouses or restaurants.

Vietnam

Health

Vietnam is a malarial area and you may 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.

Money

The official national currency is the Vietnam dong (d), but the US dollar is widely accepted in tourist centres. 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 centres. 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.