Bike Cambodia for Families - Classic

You can arrive in Cambodia's most popular city any time before 3 pm today. At 4 pm we meet for a briefing and a chance to try out the bikes before heading out to dinner at an atmospheric and authentic restaurant. After dinner, we take in the highly acclaimed Phare Circus, an artistic acrobatic performance. Lots of color and humor make this a great show for children and adults alike and ticket purchases support a performing arts school NGO in Battambang.

See the sun rise over the triple towers at Angkor Wat. After breakfast, explore the most important and charming temples in the area by bike, along with some less visited sites, riding some fantastic back trails away from the crowds. Explore the wall of Angkor Thom and the tree covered walls of Ta Prohm before stopping for lunch at Sra Srang Reservoir, otherwise known as the Royal Baths. If any of the kids (or adults) don't want to get up for sunrise, they can join at breakfast.
You can expect to be back at the hotel mid-afternoon where some pool time might be in order. Siem Reap offers a great variety of dining options, so with this in mind, the evening is free of group activities.

Cycle the countryside tracks and trails around Siem Reap, passing tiny villages with vegetable plots and fish ponds. We stop in one of these villages and take a walk with a representative from a local NGO who has been working in the area for some time. We learn about how a typical northern Cambodian village functions and the challenges that arise. A contribution to the organization is made in thanks for their time and to assist with their project. We have lunch in the village and then drive a short distance down to the Tonle Sap Lake.

This vast lake is home to an impressive array of birds and a number of floating communities. After shuttling out some distance in a boat, we take to kayaks and paddle our way through the small houses constructed on pontoons that make up the small floating village of Meatrey. Some negativity has developed around tourism practices relating to the floating villages, but this is a less visited location and the way in which you will be introduced to the village will allow you to enjoy a friendly chat with the locals as we paddle by the equivalent of their front gate. There are no invasive or exploitative aspects to our visit here. For any children who are too young for the kayak, we will arrange a wooden rowboat with an expert rower.

Dry Season: March through July the water level in the Tonle Sap Lake can drop quite low and it is not possible to kayak as we normally do. In this instance, we will provide a local rowing boat to the village instead. If it is a particularly dry year we have suitable land-based activities available to substitute.

We are fitting in a lot today, but the following days are at a lighter pace. We disembark mid-afternoon and take a three-hour drive to reach Battambang.

Cambodia’s villages are productive on a very small scale in traditional foods, crafts and agricultural products, the art of which has been passed down through generations. Today we take a ride of the Battambang surrounds to learn more about these products and to meet the colorful characters who make them. We will be guided by a student from the local university. A contribution is made to the homes that we visit in thanks for their time.
The ride concludes late morning and after enjoying lunch nearby, we return to the hotel for some downtime. Battambang is a pleasant town with some remaining colonial-era architecture and a bustling trading district. At dusk, vendors of a variety of snacks and drinks set up along the riverfront and the residents of all age groups come out for some light exercise and socializing. There is also an option for those who are interested to see the bats leave their caves at Phnom Santuk, a nearby hill that is home to many of these nocturnal residents.

Battambang is a quiet town with a colonial style charm that traces roots back to its history as a former trading hub. Indeed the surrounding province is often referred to as the rice bowl (breadbasket) of Cambodia, as it’s the country's most fertile area for agriculture. This laid-back atmosphere and lush countryside make it an ideal location to explore by bike in the morning's cooler temperatures.
After returning to the hotel, we make the four-hour drive into Phnom Penh, stopping along the way for lunch in Pursat and to see the home of Cambodian pottery in Kampong Chhnang. We arrive into Phnom Penh late afternoon and head out for dinner by the river.

Today a variety of activities are on offer, but it is up to each family the extent to which they participate. There is an option to join at any transition or to leave at any transition and return to the hotel. Following breakfast, we have an early start on cycle rickshaws (cyclos) to explore the city. This traditional form of transportation is a fun cultural experience. We ride past Wat Phnom, the small hill in the north of the city, from which the city’s name is derived and past the Central Market, Independence Monument and back around past the National Museum and the northern end of the palace. We'll then take a walk through the fresh market before returning to the hotel to freshen up.
Next up, we have an opportunity to try our hand at net fishing which will be fun for kids and adults alike. A small wooden boat picks us up and we head out into the Tonle Sap River to cast our nets. It is a good way to get some exercise and all the more satisfying if you net a fish or two. The technique is important and by the time we return to the hotel, you will be an expert. In the afternoon we pay a visit to a music school where we can see some of the students practicing and perhaps try our hand at the traditional xylophone. We finish up with a proper visit to the palace and silver pagoda before they close. With a full day of activity under our belts, the evening is free to provide you some additional flexibility to choose your meals.

Phnom Penh is situated at the convergence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. This huge waterway is also home to various islands. Today we take an island hopping ride to see the communities living on these islands that produce an amazing variety of fruit and vegetables. They are so close to the city, yet it feels like you are nowhere urban. Fertile soil allows for farming of many different small crops and when not tending to crops, many of the local women earn additional income through weaving silk or cotton into various products. They sell these products to the markets in Phnom Penh. We will hear a little about the life of silk, from the worm to the scarf. We return to town for lunch and then a late checkout from the hotel. A car will be waiting to take you to the airport, or you may wish to stay on or head south to the coast. We can assist with any of these arrangements as required.