Excursion
Biking Ho Chi Minh - Phnom Penh 5 days
Tour details
Full Itinerary
We begin this journey to Mekong Delta with 1. hour transfer out of Saigon. We cycle through Long An, My Tho, explore the two first provinces of the Mekong Delta. These routes amongst verdant farms and rural villages are beautiful, and we ride a bicycle intensely into villages. Enjoy your ride across rice paddy fields, cross a river on ferries, and stopping at colourful Buddhist temples.
Enjoy the views that look onto farmlands, watermelon, dragon plantations, and pleasant villages. Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda and break for lunch in My Tho. Following lunch, we explore the vibrant villages in Ben Tre, visit local businesses running by families, sweet workshops and handcrafts, enjoy meet locals along the villages.
After leisurely breakfast, we'll transfer to the other side of Ha Luong River to explore the ornamental lands, bonsai trees and lush orchards, and nursery gardens in Cai Mon. Experience the life of villagers, witness the technique of taking care of the plants quickly. The cycle takes us through the rural villages, on small shady roads covered with fruit orchards, across many small rivers on narrow bridges. Bike through Cai Mon tiny town, admire the beautiful church, pass some small factories making clay pots and concrete pots and planters, carry on down the Co Chien River, take a rest on a ferry boat crossing the river to Mang Thit. Today's ride is a chance for flower, plants and nature lovers.
Enjoy lunch at a local home, and carry on exploring the bustling waterways, with many brick factories, clay pots mills alongside the rivers. Pottery and bricks making in villages of Mang Thit and Long Ho districts of Vinh Long province, Mekong Delta's Vietnam is a cottage industry for over a hundred years, and it still exists and develops to these days. People still use the old techniques to make a wide variety of pottery and bricks. In the past, locals made yin and yang tiles, but many mills abandoned them because yin and yang ties are not famous for years. Most of the mills, kilns, and factories are by the Mekong River, its branches, and canals because water is the main transportation in the past and current days. Rice husks are the primary fuels for all factories mills, and it very economical. We end today's ride in a rural village near Long Ho and transfer 1. hour to Can Tho.
Today's ride is fantastic, with first visit lively floating market. The Cai Rang floating market offers bustling scenery wholesales boats, and retailed boats bargain over prices. Other tiny sampan vendors are selling noodle soup, coffee, and commodities through the floating market. Enjoy a motorized cruise on Can Tho River to Cai Rang floating markets for an opportunity to watch the largest floating market in the delta. Afterwards, we quickly transfer to Binh Minh town for today's ride to Sadec and Cao Lanh city. The rural villages from Binh Minh to Sadec are pretty different from previous days. We learn the culture of Vietnam and Chinses along the way, explore plenty of family farms of sweet potatoes, tapioca, sugar canes, meandering on country lanes, stop at a family workshop making rice and sticky powder.
We stop off in Sadec township, enjoy lunch at Huynh Thuy Le House. The "Lover's house" in Vietnam's Mekong Delta town of Sa Dec, which well know in the film" The Lover". Marguerite Duras lived in Sa Dec between 1928 and 1932 when her mother ran a school there. In Sa Dec, Duras as a 15-year-old schoolgirl, met Huynh Thuy Le, 27, the son of a wealthy Chinese family. The two began a love affair that inspired Duras's 1984 Prix Goncourt-winning best-selling novel, The Lover (L'Amante) that has been translated into 43 languages and has sold 2.4 million copies. Following lunch, we bike to a famous flower village in Sadec, a great place for plant & flower lovers. The village offers a variety of different flowers, bonsai trees, and colourful plants. Afterwards, we cycle past rustic country and Buddhist pagoda. Finally, you will transfer to Cao Lanh city with a ferry crossing the Mekong River.
In the morning, we explore local life in the wetland, explore beautiful verdant orchards of mango, ride along the Mekong river, pass stilt houses, enjoy ferry crossing Mekong Rivers to islands. Cu Lao Gieng is considered one of the largest and oldest parishes in the Mekong Delta. This is the first Monastery building site in Indochina, established in 1874. Break for a short visit to walk around, admire the colonial building style in the area.
Dong Thap has a yearly flooded season and the last annual rice harvests before water high up. We escape the island by a new bridge and enjoy lunch in the small town, followed by 1. hour transfer to Bassac River. We ride along the Bassac River, Passing Cham Muslim villages, scenic villages, take a ferry to Chau Doc.
Chau Doc town is a small border town full of tourists every day because it is the gateway and the connecting town of travellers between Vietnam and Cambodia. You will have an early start from the hotel for Cambodia today. Have an early breakfast, and be ready to go at 7:00 am. You will transfer to the dock, get on board at 7:15 am. A local guide of Hang Chau' boat company will accompany you on a boat trip from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh. He is also helping you with visa applications at the Kaamsamnor border gate. Enjoy packed lunch on board. This is a chance you can enjoy the beautiful scenery and local life on the water on the Mekong River from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh city.
Note: travellers who haven't got the Cambodia visa before the trip! and will get a Cambodia visa at the border. Please take 3 passport photos with you on the trip.
Please keep your passport, visa photos, and other related documents on your day bag for your visa application process. Your guide will help you with exit and visa procedures at both Vietnamese and Cambodian border gates. Please don't keep your passport and its papers in your suitcase.
More Info
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta, Vietnam, has complicated rural path network systems, well-developed and maintenance by governments. The region comprises 12 provinces: Long An, Dong Thap, Tien Giang, An Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau, along with the Mekong Delta Capital of Can Tho. All country back roads are asphalt, concrete paths connecting villages to villages as it's a rural transports. The rest are dirt tracks, so do not worry about exploring the Mekong Delta by bicycle, even you are a beginner. Depending on each province's regions, lowlands, or jungles, and rural villages, our hand-picked routes are the best for your biking trips. Mekong Bike Tours
Flexible route - The most important key is to your trip
You do not have to ride the exact kilometer distance as it's showing on the daily biking of each itinerary. It will be flexible as you want. Even you could choose the longest distance that more than 80km per day if a whole day ride. You could spend more time cycling if you think the biking distance is too short! Or you can enjoy short routes and spend more time taking photos, stopping at villages/ small markets, or the home of locals to find something interesting.
Throughout the Mekong Delta and its rivers with thousand branches! You will ride on various roads; flat trails, paths, rural roads, and country back roads where they are too small for vehicles. However, the Mekong Delta River network has natural creeks and canals that small ferry boats are such essential ways of travelling in the countryside, and riders have no choice!
Cycling routes
We tailor-make unique bike trips depend on the specific route and terrain of your tour. Vietnam Backroads is the first cycle tour operator to explore and build up many adventure trips to Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, Rach Gia, Vi Thanh, Cao Lanh, and Sadec and remote villages. Our top cycle tour operator and the pathfinder are Mr Van, nicknamed "Van the man" Each cycling route has to be meticulously well-scouted, investigated, scouted out, and mapped out beforehand by Mr. Van the man. Our guides are licensed, well trained in bike maintenance and navigation and know all routes as they are on their hands. All bike guides can tailor a custom route suitable to your wish and levels of cycling skills.
How were the backup vehicles support cyclists on the trip?
Most routes are small, narrow, just wide enough for two bicycles OR mopeds. There are vehicles to support riders on the entire trip (van/minibus to take up all cyclists and truck to carry all bikes and spare bikes), but they are too big to drive on, follow riders along through the countryside. Do remember! All support vehicles are permanently closed and not far from the group. Where are the support vehicles during the trip? Depends on routes, vehicles sometimes move along the high roads, second highways, or country roads as close to riders as possible. If one of the riders wants to relax on A/C vehicle, the tour leaders will find the shortest route that leads he/she to the support vehicles that are always on standby. That is very easy and also the way Vietnam Backroads organized.
- The weather in Mekong Delta has two distinct seasons. Rainy season from May to last November, and the dry season from May to last April. The weather will be more relaxed from November to February. In general, the preferred travel time is from August to April in both the dry and wet seasons. It will be more humid, a little bit hot from May to July, and farmers start to make rice crops this time of the year. Travellers can take bicycle tours in the wettest months from the last of May to August because the rains usually come in short, heavy showers, mainly in the afternoon, and only lasts for an hour, then sunshine turns back to normal.
Private Support Vehicles
2 to 4 riders in a group
There is only one A/C 16 seater van to take up all riders, luggage & suitcases, and bikes. There are four rows of seating for passengers on the A/C 16 seater van. Two people sit on each row. The third row is for luggage and suitcases. The last row of seats will be folded up, so all bikes will be uploaded here.
A medium group tour: from 5 to 7 people
There will be two vehicles to support riders on the entire trip. One 16 seater van to take up all riders, luggage & suitcases. Another truck to carry all bikes, spare bikes, tool kits, icebox to keep cold drinks, and so on
A large group tour: 8 to 14 people
One minibus to take up all riders, including luggage & suitcases, and one truck to carry all bikes, spare bikes, water, cold drinks, and snacks...Iceboxes
A group has more than 15 riders and more than 20 people
We provide two vans and one minibus, and one truck to escort large groups of riders and help ensure their safety. Our pro guide will motivate a team with support vehicles to bring the best services to riders.
27.5 Giant MTB bikes & Trek Hybrid Touring Bikes
1. There are 60 pro MTB bikes and hybrid MTB bikes and available in store and they are ready for all cycling tours
MTB Bikes for kids: wheel size 20", 24" with suspension seatpost. Kid heights: 120cm, 130cm, 145cm
Pro Giant Mountain Bike - 650B/ 27.5" wheel size
27.5" Pro mountain bikes are use for off-road cycling; on dirt track and hilly single track narrow paths and also country back roads.
27.5" wheel size and MTB tires 27.5" x 1.95 is the best choice and suitable and good for challenge and technical mountain biking.
1 - Good quality and lightweight Alloy MTB 27.5" frames
2 - 27.5" Rockshox XC30 , 100mm travel, manual lockout
3 - SR Gel saddle - Very soft and comfortable for riding
4 - Deore Shimano Group set
5 - Shimano hydraulic disc brake
6 - Shimano Deore hubs - 32 holes
7 - 27.5" Alexrims disc brake rims - 32 holes
8 - Maxxis Cross Mark 27.5 x 1.95 - Good quality and suitable for both on road and off-road riding
9 - Soft grips
10 - FSA sealed bearing headset
11 - Cycle Track, massive MTB flat pedals with sealed bearings
12 - All bikes are well-maintained by Mr Van and his team
2. There are 25 Trek hybrid mountain bikes available in our store. Hybrid bike tires 700 x 38- Good choice for a long trip: Saigon to Hanoi and Hanoi to Saigon
Hybrid bikes are use for an off-road cycling through countryside, dirt track and but working on muddy road. Its really good for touring a long trip, it moves faster and easier. Hybrid bike gives you an easy to pedal uphills, smooth bicycle riding on quiet concrete paths and country back roads. The best choice to challenge mountain and serious hills
1 - Good quality and lightweight alloy hybrid frame
2 - 29" Rockshox XC30 , 100mm travel, manual lockout
3 - SR Gel saddle - Very soft and comfortable saddle
4 - Deore Shimano Group set
5 - Shimano hydraulic disc brake
6 - Shimano Deore hubs - 32 holes
7 - 29" Alexrims touring rims, disc brake - 32 holes
8 - Schwalbe CX Comp 700 x 38 - Good quality and suitable for both off-road cycling and touring a long trip
9 - Soft grips
10 - FSA sealed bearing headset
11 - Cycle Track, massive MTB flat pedals with sealed bearings
12 - All bikes are well-maintained by Mr Van and his team
Thanks again for an awesome trip
The videos do look really good, and we really loved the trip we took with you. In terms of specific feedback, the things we look back on and will cherish the most was the simple interactions we had with the local Vietnamese people and the places where they worked and lived. Obviously every client is going to have different desires, but for people like us I would encourage more of that interaction. It was part of our failing that we didn’t know any of the Vietnamese language, but perhaps a bit more translation with some people to allow a small amount of communications would have been helpful. Thanks again for an awesome trip, and we are also looking forward to receiving the cycling jerseys from you so we can show it off to our cycling friends! : ) 24-28 May 2013 Cameron and Libby Storm from Australia Countryside Discovery Bike Tour 5D/4N The trip has been a fun and interesting experience. The guide tailor made best route to suit us. Dat has been extraordinary; very friendly, knowledgeable and keen to show us Mekong's specialties. very good English and communication skill, and very considerate. 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 July, 2017
Hi Van
This tour has been the highlight of our holiday to Vietnam. Well organised throughout. Phuc is an excellent guide and could not have done any more to make our holiday any better. 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 May, 2017
We named our tour " HELLO 2 weddings and a funeral"
We named our tour " HELLO 2 weddings and a funeral" Our cycling trip from Ho Chi Minh City To Phnom Penh was an experience my partner and myself will cherish for the rest of our lives. We were blessed and most fortunate to have had Loc as our guide. The love and passion he has for Vietnam, its food, its people and their culture opened our hearts and enabled us to experience a country like never before. This young man of 25 years of age had us captivated the whole trip with his humble compassionate heart. We were stopped on our path and invited in to 2 weddings on the same day. Both involved doing countless shots of rice wine and food being handed to you from every direction. We were overwhelmed by their generosity, their interest in us but most of all by their acceptance and love. We also were invited to join a large group who for every year for a generation celebrate the passing of a loved one. Well this involved pretty much the same as the weddings, rice wine shots, food and packed you up with mangoes or coco nuts to take with you. For a country that has a lot to see like Halong Bay, Sapa, Cu Chi tunnels, Hoi An, Danang ......................... we did the tourist route. The four days riding through those remote villages with Loc is what we remember as the real Vietnam. Nov 28- Dec 2, 2014 Kind Regards
Thank you to Miss Quang
Hi Van, We had a wonderful tour filled with really good cycle guide Dat who was very helpful, friendly and full of an excellent knowledge and great recommendations for any and all our needs. Thank you to Miss Quang who was very helpful when we organize the booking and also thank to our driver and all the team from Vietnam Backroads. we will recommend your company and will post a good review on TripAdvisor as well. 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 June, 2014
I can not say enough about this this experience!
This was such an incredible experience, I'm so happy we chose Vietnam Backroads Bicycle Tours. I contacted your company because of reviews on Trip Advisor and after emailing 5 - 10 different cycling tour companies. I chose Vietnam Backroads because of the exceptional customer services and dedicated attention of Quang - she is an asset to your business ! We have now finished the tour and we ave been extremely impressed by the quality & professionalism of your team. Dat is every knowledgeable and enacted . Nothing is too much trouble for him and he is a patient teacher. I'm a new cyclist still learning how to manage a bike and he has been very helpful! Cuong was very professional & friendly & always on time. I can not say enough about this this experience an d will recommend your services to friends and write a review on TripAdvisor of course! 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 June, 2014
An incredible trip across the Mekong Delta!
Thanks again for an incredible trip across the Mekong Delta! The boat ride up the river to Phnom Penh yesterday was great, and we will be continuing on up to Siem Reap tomorrow. The bicycles and gear were top notch and in very good shape. The only thing I would make sure to either recommend people bring or provide extras if they need them are cycling gloves. 25 Oct 2011
Vietnam Backroads!
Good to hear from you. We are in HCMC today and will leave for MuiNe tomorrow. We stay at the The Luxe Hotel on 261-263 le Thanh Ton St. My wife expects to be needing size S. Would be great if you'd manage to bring one to the hotel. We had a great time cycling through the Mekong Delta.
Hi Hue, We have found the shirt and short at the reception today, the are very beautiful and are a perfect memory of a very nice trip. Thank you very much. If friends of us plan to travel to Vietnam we will certainly advise them to organize a biking tour with your biking agency!! Dec, 2012
Off the tourist trail
My husband and I have just completed the most amazing 4 day cycling tour. As hypocritical as it may sound, we hate doing the usual tourist stuff and love just getting in with the local life and culture. (Having said the our tour did include some tourist stuff such as the floating market and lunch at an ancient house-the location of the French love story L’amant, which was one of our highlights of the tour). This tour hit this with perfection. Mr Van gave us the friendliest and most helpful welcome (only the start of what we were about to experience). The hotels that he booked for us where all excellent. We booked one day and left the next and (despite bing within TET celebration) we didn’t miss a beat. Everything ran to perfection. Tha was an excellent and knowledgeable guide. Not a question he couldn’t answer and was as keen to learn about us as we were about him and his countries (I say countries as we cycled in Vietnam and he is from Cambodia). Mr Lao (our van driver) was pleasant and reliable. Always waiting at the end of our rides to transfer us to our next cycle point and setting up our bikes on arrival ensuring we had water. We cycled 2-3 hours each morning and afternoon with regular refreshment stops where Tha suggested local snacks for us to try. He offered us choices of local specialities for our lunch stops and took us through a range of vistas and teraines with lots of opportunities to stop for photos or join in with local activities (helping the locals with their farming, joining in a favourite pass time of karaok-you will hear this regularly on your ride, playing football with local children or a quick cuppa with the insense stick maker, an offer we received at least once a day). Some terrains more challenging than others but all within our capabilities (we are hobby cyclists and by no means professional). The villagers are so welcoming. Always shouting “hello” and “welcome.” Even the oncoming mopeds (which you don’t see too many of) wave or high 5 you. I cannot recommend this tour highly enough. A sure way to experience local life. 30 January- 03 February 2020
We had an absolute wonderful time!
Hello
We had an absolute wonderful time! Since we live in Vietnam we already knew that it may be quiet. It gave us an opportunity to see how families gather and celebrate during this special time. Everything was perfect. We will be highly recommending this trip to our colleagues and other teacher friends in SE Asia! I will mail the comment sheet to you as I forgot to fill it out and give it to Tra on the last day.
We appreciate all of your efforts to make arrangements during the holiday.
Also, we rode bikes around Siem Reap and they were not nearly as good as yours :)
I'm wondering if you have any stickers for Vietnam Backroads? We would love a couple if you have any.
All the best, 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 January 2020