Welcome to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Vietnam Backroads team will meet you at the airport, take you to Saigon centre, check in at the hotel, and have a rest of the day. Welcome dinner at a famous restaurant in town. Ho Chi Minh is known as Saigon formerly, and today locals often called it the city centre. It used to be the "Pearl of the Far East" in the last centuries as it was an important trading centre for Asian traders and Western merchants. It's one of the country's leading commercial city centres with plenty of changes.

We begin today's cycling with 1.5 hours transfer to the hamlet in Can Duoc Dist, 45km from Saigon city center. We enjoy dirt track riding in removed hamlets, through jasmine rice paddies, join locals crossing the rivers on ferries, explore beautiful waterways lined with lush foliage of water palms, stilt houses along the rivers. Experience the easy life of locals, passing fish farms and shrimp farms, pedal along the Vam Co River through rustic hamlets hidden in verdant farmlands. See locals harvest fruit and vegetables.

We stop off in the rural village, visit Alluvia Farm & Chocolate Factory, learn step by step how to make delicious chocolates. Taste fresh coca fruits and chocolate. Enjoy tasty Banh Xeo at the farm and explore picturesque scenes in authentic villages to Cho Gao, where we back on the vehicle and transfer to Ben Tre in the late afternoon.

After a hearty breakfast, we'll transfer to Ha Luong River, explore tiny villages under shady coconut trees through villages, share space with locals on little ferry boats, mingle with locals on mopeds on narrow pathways. Visit small markets along the villages, enjoy fresh fruits and coconut milk. Afterwards, we explore the ornamental lands, bonsai trees and lush ornamental plants, and nursery gardens in Cai Mon.

The rural villages are ideal places for nature and plant lovers. We will immerse ourselves in the green fields of durian orchards and mangosteen in the countryside we ride past. We mostly travel on shady paths and cross numerous rivers on small bridges and little ferries—lunch en route. Then, we continue biking down the Cai Mon town, enjoy watching the endless lush vegetation. Lunch en route, enjoy watching the peaceful scenery of Co Chien River on the ferry boat to Vinh Long. 

In the afternoon, ride cross ride paddies, verdant orchards, pass many brick factories along rivers. The routes are open-air and a little wider than the paths in the morning. We stay on small roads along lively rivers and some sleep rivers. The complicated network of waterways and the vast fertile farmlands offer fantastic scenery and the friendliest people. It's also a bit hard for your guide to navigating the routes to keep your speed continually. Our vehicle will pick us up in Long Ho township and transfer 1. hour to Can Tho city.

Can Tho is also called Tay Do as it is the capital city of the Mekong Delta. It's famous for its floating markets of Cai Rang and Phong Dien, not far from the city. After your breakfast at the hotel, then get on board the Ninh Kieu pier for a 40-minute motorboat ride. You can see the water taxi, and many commercial sampans sampan boats advertise what to sell on loudspeakers. You could see literally hundreds of big and small boats every morning to buy and sell just about anything you can imagine – freshly harvested fruit and vegetables, rice, and even noodle soup, broken rice, and coffee are also for sale aboard a tiny boat or another! Primarily, you can see many grocery boats and floating houses and surroundings.

Get off your boat, pick up the bikes, explore lively villages hidden in the lush water palms in Phong Dien's countryside. The truly off-the-beaten-path allows us to experience Mekong easy life on shady paths alongside winding rivers to Vi Thanh. We break for lunch in a small town, we follow a small road, cross the ride rice fields to Giong Rieng. The afternoon ride mostly travels through ride paddies, and the routes are quiet, smooth concrete along agricultural canals. We get back on the vehicle in Giong Rieng township and rest on transfer to Rach Gia City. The city is famous for its fresh seafood in Mekong Delta, and we will have a big seafood dinner in the town.

Depart at 7:30 am from the hotel, and we travel 30 minutes on the vehicle to a rural township. We cycle to explore the stunning coast of Cay Duong Bay. We ride down the beach, the first-hand witness, and experience the life of locals living in seaside villages in the Mekong Delta. There are some tiny mountains, some undulating routes the part and the last part near Hon Chong but flat in the long distance in middle part.

Stop at some small town situated on irrigation canals down to the sea, and visit small fishing villages along the trails. There are plenty more to see on the bay of Cay Duong, but the water is not blue, and there is no sandy beach at all. We have a chance to visit Khmer hamlets, visit colourful Khmer temples. Have a picnic lunch in a small town, and carry on our fantastic ride to Hon Chong. Hon Chong has few rock pinnacles and limestone karsts, and caves with colourful pagodas. It's a great place to break for coffee and enjoy the scenery before 1 hour's transfer to Ha Tien.

After an early leisurely breakfast, you will transfer 15 minutes to Xa-Xia border, cross the border, get through the customs office, and meet the new team in Cambodia. Continue travelling 30 minutes by vehicle to the Kampong Trach for a full day ride to Kampot. We cross the paddy fields, rustic villages, then we explore the stunning landscape of Kampong Trach mountain park and water caves. The area offers limestone karst mountains that hide numerous caves and caverns with beautiful mountain views.

The routes are gentle dirt track and a little hilly but more undulating. Afterwards, we continue the ride to explore chilli pepper farms and the many vast plantations. Chilli pepper in Kampot is one of the most well-known chilli pepper in the world. The pepper is a cultivar of pepper grown and produced in Kampot province, Cambodia. 

This is a chance you learn more about this and experience the way to process it. Ride past the Brateak Krola Lake, enjoy watching lotus fields and cycle through lush farms to Tuek Chhou where we stay on the main road for a couple of km and ride on a small country road to salt fields. Meet locals on farms and continue across the salt paddies to the beautiful river. Then we stay on a small road along the river to Kampot city.

Bokor Hill Station is a collection of French colonial buildings constructed as a peaceful mountain luxury resort and retreats for colonial residents in the early 1920s atop Bokor Mountain in Preah Monivong National Park, about 37 km west of Kampot in southern Cambodia. The mountain is rich in lush forests and a varied range of wildlife, and Bokor Hill Station is about 1.027m above levels. This is one of the highlight visits in the town. 

After breakfast at the hotel, you'll transfer to Bokor gateway, pick the bikes, to challenge 35 km on the scenic road winding through the dense jungle of Bokor national park. The routes are smooth and have less traffic, and the support vehicle is always behind you. Explore the colonial buildings, an old church, hotels, see the spectacular scenery from the mountain top. Stop at the lake, see the waterfalls, visit the Sampov Pram Pagoda, and admire the luxury Thansur Sokha hotel. Its a great time to explore every corner of Bokor Hill Station and its surroundings. Enjoy lunch, return to the hotel, shower, and check out for 3.5 hours transfer to Phnom Penh.

Oudong was an ancient city of the post-Angkorian period (1618-1863 C.E), located in present-day Psadek commune, Punhea Loeu district, Kandal province, about 35 km northwest of Phnom Penh city via National Road Number 5. The city faces Kampong Loung village and Tonle Sap river on the east, Vang Chas village and Oudong market in the north, National Road Number 5 on the south, and its southwest side faces Prasith mountain. It is approximately 10Km away from another post-Angkorian city of Longvek.
 

After breakfast, you'll transfer out of Phnom Penh city, and we start riding from Preaek Pnov. Enjoy a leisurely cycle through many Khmer communities, local farmlands, and removed hamlets. The routes are varied terrains, from tarmac to gravel through stilt-house villages. Ride through rice paddies and stopping along the way to learn rich culture and history about this region. We explore Oudong Mountain, visit the Phreah Reach Traop Mountain, enjoy the stunning scenery, enjoy the views, looking over the lush fields. Have tasty lunch at a local home, continues to explore the Oudong town's outskirts toward to Kampong Chhnang. We back on the vehicle in a rural village on the way, and have a transfer to Kampong Chhnang.

Kampong Chhnang is an amazing tiny town and near the Ton Le Sap. Kampong Chhnang Province centuries ago was a coastal city on the route between China and India; due to sedimentation from the Mekong River, the coastline moved much farther to sea. When the Tonle Sap river changed its course, the city lost its primary water source and thus was deserted, the population moving to a town called Kampong Tralach. A city gradually formed around it, bring new life to Kampong Chhnang. A museum presents the archaeological record of the city's history. 

Today we set off a bit earlier because there is a long way to Battambang. We'll transfer 1.5 hours to Krakor township, and we ride to Kampong incredible Luong Floating village. Take a-30 minute composite boat ride to experience local daily activities, pass grocery shops, local schools, petrol stations, pagodas, hospitals, and ice factories. See locals making dried fish. Fish lined up in neat rows on skewers on the sun, fish will be kept for up to a year. The entire village life is on floating houses and boats. Afterwards, we enjoy dirt track cycling through lowland country farms of mixed vegetables, rice paddies, passing numerous ancient temples, stilt houses. The routes are trail, dirt track, and many are shady palm trails. We ride along sleep Pusat River. We will have a picnic lunch on the way. Today's ride will end at Pusat town, and you'll transfer to Battambang.

Battambang is located in North West Cambodia and by the Sangker River with colonial architecture and well-know with the old colonial railway- called bammboo trains. It was abandoned for many decades, and then locals use the rails to transfer goods and farm products- called bamboo trains. Enjoy a short bamboo trip through the lush countryside, and continue the ride.

In the morning, your half-day combined tour by bike and bamboo trains lets you explore the verdant agriculture fields, ancient temples, and vibrant villages and learn more about local businesses and industries with breaks at workshops making local snacks from rice, bananas, tapiocas, and cooking sticky rice in bamboo.

In the afternoon, following lunch with two options:

1. Take the afternoon boat ride from Battambang to Siem Reap in the rainy season- high water levels Cruising to Battambang from late July - early January
2. Take a transfer from Battambang to Siem Reap in the dry season- low water levels - transfer to Battambang from late January to Early July

Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia. Stretching over some 400 km2, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. They include the famous Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. UNESCO has set up a wide-ranging programme to safeguard this symbolic site and its surroundings.

It's your highlight spot on your trip, and you'll transfer to Angkor Wat's entrance. We ride a circuit around some of the temples and ride to Ta Prohm, the well-known temples overgrown by trees, then to Bayon in Angkor Thom, Bayon temple, the Terrace of the Elephants. Explore many mysterious giants carved faces, incredibly detailed carvings. Enjoy lunch at a small restaurant and continue your discovery of Angkor.

Enjoy breakfast and spend your time shopping, relax until a pick up for Siem Reap international airport. Tour End!