From Cambodia's capital of Phnom Penh you'll ride to the Gulf of Thailand and the former resort town of Kep, then cycle along the coastline through quaint fishing villages. After a day at the beach you'll head north to the Cardamom mountains and overnight at a Community Based Eco-Tourism (CBET) project that is offering locals an alternative living to logging and hunting. Here you'll ride on single track trails before cycling further north to an eco-lodge that boasts the nearby Tatai waterfall. Next you'll leave Cambodia and ride into Thailand; you'll be on the coastline of the Kingdom's narrowest strip. The tour draws to an end at the sandy beaches of Koh Chang island.
SpiceRoads CyclingThis bicycle tour takes you well off Cambodia's beaten path, away from the temples and into the heart of natural wonders such as mangrove forests, secluded beaches, waterfalls, rivers and the rainforest of the Cardamom mountains. Using boats to go deep into forests you'll explore small villages and even ancient burial sites containing cultural artifacts.
After a stopover at a natural resort overlooking the Gulf of Thailand in Kep, you'll ride to Ream National Park. To get closer to the wild inhabitants you'll bike and boat through the mangrove forests, catching glimpses of herons and cranes, monkeys and possibly even pythons. From there you'll travel to the Cardamom mountains, considered one of Southeast Asia's last remaining wilderness areas. It is with ironic thanks to the war and Khmer Rouge guerrillas who kept loggers at bay that species such as the Indochinese tiger, the Asian elephant and the Siamese crocodile survived. Though in recent times there has been encroachment, you will stay overnight at a Community Based Eco-Tourism (CBET) project that is offering a solution – providing an alternative income to poachers and hunters as guides. Here you'll ride on singletrack trails to a pristine waterfall, and see ancient burial sites.
Next you'll head further north, taking another boat upriver to an eco-lodge which boasts the nearby Tatai waterfall in the midst of the jungle. After your commune with nature, you'll leave Cambodia and ride into Thailand, where you'll be on the coastline of the Kingdom's narrowest strip (only 2 km (1.2 mi) wide at one point), and end at the sandy beaches of the tranquil island of Koh Chang.