Welcome to Cambodia! Your driver will be waiting at the airport to deliver you to your comfortable hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you may have time to explore the city. In Phnom Penh, you’re never far from a bustling marketplace or a tranquil temple. The capital exudes a provincial charm that makes it much more walkable than other Asian metropolises, so it’s nice to amble along to admire the startling Angkor architecture alongside French colonial mansions. 

Today you'll meet your guide and get fitted to your bikes so you'll be ready to go tomorrow! Our vehicle will also be available at your disposal today. You may choose to pay a somber visit to the S-21 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum to understand more about the country's tragic history, there are also attractions such as the Royal Palace and National Museum. This afternoon you'll visit the AFESIP Centre to learn more about the work you're supporting. We'll enjoy a delicious dinner together this evening

Leaving Phnom Penh in the morning is quite a sight for the uninitiated. Thousands of motor scooters, vying for space among larger vehicles with all manner of cargo, often with a few passengers sitting on, or hanging off the cargo. Next thing you know you are in flat, open plains with brilliant green rice fields as far as the eye can see, punctuated by a Cambodian arboreal favorite, the Sugar Palm.

We get started with the ride from a small town and we are immediately out on small roads through villages and farmland. There are few vehicles other than motor scooters and bicycles and the most persistent sound that you will hear is that of excited children calling out to greet and encourage you. The warmth of the Cambodian people is immediately apparent.

As we approach the provincial capital of Kampong Cham, we cross onto an island in the middle of the Mekong and then ride from that island over a bamboo bridge (from January to June) that is dismantled and re-erected every year to prevent it from washing away in the monsoon (July to November) flows of the Mekong.

We will have lunch in this town and then travel by van to our beautiful accommodation for the evening."

Awaking in our charming and unique accommodation, a French colonial-era villa on the banks of the Mekong, enjoy a relaxed breakfast before we venture up along the Mekong River by bike to the town of Kratie. This modest town is the provincial capital and is home to a vibrant produce market with a dazzling array of weird and wonderful things for sale.

For lunch, we cross by ferry to an island in the middle of the Mekong River where cars do not exist and where only bicycles are used. This gives you a good perspective of the river's awesome size. On the island you'll enjoy lunch in a small family home and if we are lucky, we can sample the local produce, the Pomelo fruit. As well as being a tasty treat on its own, the fruit also makes a delicious salad when mixed with peanuts, shrimp and mint. After lunch, there is time for a refreshing dip in the river, then we take the van back to the hotel for a relaxed afternoon. Your colonial-style mansion, come hotel, has a fully equipped bar and a wonderful outdoor pool that overlooks the Mekong, the perfect place to enjoy a book or simply unwind.

Our adventure for the day starts at the Kampi river pools just north of Kratie. After an instructional session on the kayaks, we push off into the atmospheric river where we hope to be joined by some curious, endangered, yet playful creatures, the Irrawaddy Dolphins. We take this non-invasive approach by kayak so as not to stress the Dolphins.

There are only around 90 of these creatures in this stretch of the Mekong River, but larger populations can be found in India and Bangladesh, although usually in brackish water. We are guided on our paddle route by a local who has been working with and around the dolphins most of his life and who can tell us a great deal about these intriguing creatures.

We continue to paddle downstream in the direction of Kratie, passing a couple of small islands before pulling in to shore. We will have lunch in Kratie, before moving on upstream to the town of Stung Treng. This slightly larger town sits on the confluence of the Sekong, Sesan and Mekong Rivers with glorious views out over the water. A more rustic, but comfortable, guesthouse in a prime position on the banks of the river awaits.

Jump into the van as we begin the day with a drive up to the Laos border to start our adventure. This is a magical part of the country, the Mekong River has made its epic journey flowing from the Tibetan Plateau, through Yunnan in China, Myanmar, along the Thai border and through Laos, to wind up here in northern Cambodia where it will continue its journey south to Vietnam and the Mekong Delta. But it is in this unique location that the river is reoxygenated by a series of rapids and falls, resulting in a stunning area known as the flooded forests. Hundreds of small, silt islands, held together by trees with gnarled roots dot the waterway, and it is through these that we will kayak. The trees offer shade and the islands provide little channels that accelerate the current for us at times, making for a really fun paddle.

After a couple of hours kayaking downstream and lunch on a river island, spotting birds as we go, we will travel back upstream by small motor boat. This area feels different from others in Cambodia, more relaxed, less urgency, lots of time spent in hammocks, and considering that is almost a national pastime they really take it to the next level! After doing a bit of unwinding ourselves, we will return to our guesthouse in Stung Treng by vehicle.

We say goodbye to the Mekong today and head northwest to the Thai border, arriving in the mid-morning. This area is home to Preah Vihear, a temple complex constructed in the 11th century and remarkably intact. It differs from most other Angkorean temples in that it is orientated on a north/south axis. It is intended as a stylized representation of Mount Meru, home of the gods and in certain conditions, when the mist lingers in valleys below, you might agree that the creators succeeded. To discover the temple and its unique architecture, we will jump in a Jeep that will bring us up the hill.

After exploring the ruins and hearing some of the ancient and more recent history of the temple (Cambodia and Thailand have exchanged gunfire over ownership of it and there is still a military presence, albeit not a very active one), we descend in SUV’s and make our way to tonight's hotel in the tiny nearby town of Sra Em.

We leave the hotel by van and travel through the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Anlong Ven on our way south to the pink temple, Banteay Srei. This temple is unique in a number of ways. It is the only major temple constructed not under the instigation of a monarch but of the courtiers. It is also built from red sandstone, which allowed for some absolutely stunning artwork in the intricate carvings that remain to this day. You will frequently see replicas of these sandstone carvings used in restaurants and hotels throughout nearby Siem Reap. The temple is smaller than many of the others and thus a short visit still allows us to fully appreciate it.

We will lunch and then start our ride towards Siem Reap on tree lined, minor roads, with rarely a vehicle in sight, aside from motor scooters. Farmers will be out, tending to their cattle or rice fields, and will be happily surprised to see a group of two-wheeled visitors rolling through their quiet corner of the world. The area is also renowned for its superior palm sugar and if we are lucky, we may encounter a village where they are busy cooking the nectar harvested from their trees in preparation to sell it at market.

We enter Siem Reap through the Angkor archeological park and what a way to make an entrance! While we won’t be stopping at any of the temples, they and the mature trees that are protected in this area, provide a magical backdrop in the fading temperatures of the late afternoon.

You can easily spend a number of days exploring the Angkor temples, but first you need an overview of the highlights, and that is what you can expect from this morning's ride. We make an early start to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat, an experience bordering on spiritual, and after exploring this most important architectural masterpiece in the soft morning light in the absence of crowds, we pause for breakfast.

Well fueled, we take to our bikes the final time, and this is one to remember! You'll ride the secret trails and dedicated bike paths to visit some of the other highlight ruins such as the Elephant Terrace and Ta Prohm, as well as a couple of hidden gems along the way. Don't forget your camera today! We conclude our ride with lunch and transfer back to the hotel where you have some time to pack before the tour concludes. The Siem Reap airport is only a short transfer from town, but you can always stay on to enjoy more of the temples and activities in town, by now you may never wish to leave.