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This is a short motorcycle trip which consists primarily of the most adventurous routes of our ‘classic’ Cambodia Adventures motorcycle trip. During this trip you drive through busy cities, between paddy fields, through the jungle, and along the Mekong River. We will drive on unsurfaced paths and gravel roads. We come to the miraculous Angkor Wat via inland roads, we take a boat trip along floating villages and find our way south along narrow pathways.
The highlight is probably the route through the Cardamon Mountains. Part of it is unsurfaced and this can be a real challenge, especially if it has rained a bit.
Everything you need to know about this tour. Do you have any further questions? Please contact us!
You arrive in Phnom Penh during the day. The hotel is a forty-five minute drive from the airport in the city center. The journey to the hotel gives a first impressions of the crowds, the hustle and bustle and the buildings. You meet the tour leader who will make clear agreements about travelling by motorcycle and will go through the whole trip once again. Depending on the time, you have the opportunity to discover something of the city. We end up at one of the many cafes along the Mekong River in Phnom Penh.
An early start for a beautiful and varied day. After just a kilometer of motorcycle riding, we take a ferry to cross over the Mekong River. In such a way we avoid the busy traffic of Phnom Penh and find ourselves immediately on narrow paths and roads. We drive along the Mekong River, passing through villages and many temples. We will enjoy a local lunch somewhere in the vicinity of Kampong Cham.
We continue on our way, literally passing through the backyards of the local population. After visiting the beautiful Han Chey Temple, with its beautiful views over the Mekong, we continue our way along the river, which we cross again towards Kratie. While enjoying a drink in front of your hotel, one can watch the sun go down sitting by the river.
We start the morning with a short drive along the Mekong. After we crossed it, a challenging journey of 190 kilometers of unpaved and off-road starts. The track leads us straight through rubber and fruit plantations and goes through a landscape where you imagine yourself in the African Savannah. You should bring along sufficient water for the journey, as there are not many places to have a drink. We look for a simple lunch along the route as soon as we get back to civilization. If we have time we go in Sambor Leek Kuk to the overgrown temple ruin for a cool group photo that would not be out of place in an Indiana Jones film.
There is a main road to Siem Reap but we will soon leave this road in search of gravel roads and little dirt roads, to visit small villages and local markets. As we arrive in Siem Reap from the south, we will soon spot the first impressive temple complexes of Angkor Wat. Siem Reap is one of the liveliest cities in Cambodia. In the center you will find countless good restaurants and many charming cafés. Moreover, this is the perfect place to shop for souvenirs, send an email or spoil yourself with a massage.
This afternoon you have the time to visit the large temple complex of Angkor Wat.
The temples of Angkor are a source of inspiration and pride for all Cambodians and also appeal to the majority of visitors. The period of the Angkor Empire covers around 600 years and in that time more than 70 temples, palaces, libraries and other buildings spread over 350 km² have been built. In fact, Angkor Wat is just one of these temples, but nowadays the name refers to the entire area. To view all the temples of this gigantic complex you actually need several days. But your travel guide can advise you on which temples you can visit best at what time and which temples you should definitely not miss.
After breakfast we drive through the Angkor Wat area towards Battambang. If circumstances permit, we try to avoid the busy chaotic highway as much as possible. In the direction of Sisophon, 100 km from Siem Reap, this part of highway no. 6 is still easy to drive on, but from Sisophon onwards major road constructions are carried out on Highway no. 5 to Battambang. Partly because of this, it is an incredible chaos, and a real challenge. We try to avoid the highway by taking minor (dirt) roads towards Battambang. In Battambang, the second biggest city of the country, there are many UNESCO-protected French colonial houses along the river.
"It was my first motorcycle tour, so everything was new and especially exciting. I found it nice to ride unpaved paths on the motorcycle to drive / over the potholes and cross the river on a raft and to experience how people live there All together it was a big party "
If it has been raining recently, today can be a strenuous and challenging day. Riding to and crossing through the Cardamom Mountains can then be a muddy event. Even though Cambodia has received lots of tourists for many years, the Cardamom Mountains has been discovered by very few foreigners. The mountains form the border between Cambodia and Thailand and has long been a Khmer Rouge stronghold. At the beginning, the gravel roads are wide and flat but they will be getting more bumpy and smaller when we get into the mountains. Agricultural plains turn into tropical rainforest. We spend the night in a simple guest house in the small village of Veal Veng. We need to order food and drink ahead of time so that the guest house can prepare these for us on time.
Also today the route can get pretty challenging, especially when a rain shower has changed the surface into smooth red clay it will be slippery. We take our time for this adventurous route through the green forest. The civilized world will be very far away for a while. We will also have a provisional lunch along the way.
After lunch we will look for the new Chinese road, a concrete block path that will take us to Koh Kong. If we have time we will see if we can take a refreshing dive in the sea somewhere along the way. Koh Kong is a small town on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, a few kilometers from the neighboring country.
We leave the mountains on a freshly surfaced road in the direction of Sre Ambel. It is still reasonably quiet on this section. After lunch we continue our way to Phnom Penh. We take a look at life in the country and exchange it again with the hustle and bustle of the city. In the evening we take a moment on the boulevard to review all the adventures of the preceding week. The "Night Market", located at the beginning of the promenade, offers the opportunity for some last souvenirs.
One will have to get used to taking a bus to the airport again. A last look at the city and then to the airport to get on the plane.
You can extend your stay in Phnom Penh.
During your extension you can visit the famous “Killing Fields” of Chuoeng Eck. Roughly ten kilometers outside the city, the prisoners of S-21 were killed in the most brutal manner in order to save on bullets. Remains of clothing, teeth and bones are still scattered across the field. In memory of the events, a temple has been built on the site in which the skulls dug up so far are housed.
You can also visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide (S-21) Museum. Between 1975 and 1979 thousands of citizens accused of counterrevolutionary thoughts were interrogated, tortured and all but seven killed here. This former school still leaves a gloomy impression on oneself afterwards.
Next to an insight of this dark page in Khmer history, Phnom Penh also has a lot of positive things to show. The boulevard, the local markets and the charming temples. You can enjoy one of the many cafes along the Mekong River
During this tour we use either Honda XR or Baja 250cc motorcycles. If you would prefer to have a lower Honda Degree please mention this when booking.
Tour leader
This trip will be led by a multi-lingual European tour leader on a motorcycle. Our guide knows the routes very well and has years of experience in guiding motorcycle tours.
Support team
There will be a support vehicle following the group, driven by a local driver. Our support car will carry the luggage and spareparts. The mechanic who sits in the support car, will maintain the motorbikes and do repairs on daily basis. Our mechanic is also a spare rider in case someone is not able to ride.
Adventure trip
The name 'Cambodia Adventures Motorcycle Trip " dates from the time of our first motorcycle trip through this country in 2001. The roads then were often no more than gravel roads full of bomb craters; not a single bridge in the jungle was intact and warning of bandits and many minefields gave rise to a negative travel advice. Since then, the country has been stable for several years and is working hard to rebuild itself. Roads are improved with great speed and are even surfaced. The mines department has rendered the majority of the country mine free and the government has permanently subdued the rebels and remaining Khmer Rouge fighters. It remains a challenge for us to keep the trip adventurous; so far so good. As we discover new adventurous routes each year and incorporate these into the trip, we decided to keep the name for the three week tour. For this short tour we take the best out of the three weeks tour. Regardless, motorcycling in Cambodia remains a great adventure.
Physical challenges
In some border areas the country is more or less flat. The physical challenge of the trip will depend almost entirely on the quality of the unsurfaced roads. We do not aim to make this an off road trip. The aim is to keep about a third to half of the routes on unsurfaced trails. These unsurfaced parts vary from narrow paths along the Mekong to wide gravel roads through the jungle. The dirt road climb to Bokor Hill Station is fa challenging route for most participants. Although off-road experience is not a requirement, a basic off-road training for this trip would be very useful. As one learns in such a training what and why and when one should do something on a motorcycle, this will make the trip much more enjoyable.
Every year in Cambodia, it is a question of waiting to see the condition of the unsurfaced roads after the rainy season. Big trucks keep on driving during the wet period, often becoming stuck with the result that flat roads suddenly become challenging off-road routes. Most roads are now levelled annually with a bulldozer. In addition to hardened truck tracks the rainy season also leaves treacherous rain gullies and potholes behind in the road surface.
Clothing
The following items are mandatory: helmet, motorcycle jacket with protection, gloves, good hardwearing (motorcycle) trousers with protection or separate knee protection and solid high (mountain) boots. Even though the monsoon only lasts until mid-October, it can be very hot in November. Make sure that you wear protective but not too warm motorcycling gear. Bring a helmet which also protects the face and chin; such as a full-face or off-road helmet.
Insurance
Third party insurance is not possible.
Drivers license
Besides your original drivers license an international drivers license/permit (IDP) is required. Please check in your own country where to obtain the IDP.
Visa
At Phnom Penh airport one can buy a visa on arrival for ca. US$30; you only need a passport photo.
You may apply for an e-Visa online at least 3 days prior to travel and must download the e-Visa certificate to be presented on arrival. https://www.evisa.gov.kh/
Please check full travel requirements before your trip. https://www.traveldoc.aero/
Rider starting at: € 1850,-
Pillion: 1650,-
Single room occupancy additional charge: € 250,-
Pocket money to bring with you: € 250,-*
Minimum number of riding participants: 6
Maximum number of riding participants: 12
Maximum number of pillion riders: 2
* Pocket money: This amount is an indication of how much cash you may need to take with you on this trip. It covers food, drink,souvenirs, optional excursions and fuel.
This tour is available on these dates:
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