Starting with a pickup from your Bangkok hotel at 8am, there is a 2.5 hour transfer to the south, bypassing the minor cities of Chonburi and Pattaya and starting our ride from a secluded buddhist temple. Here we get fitted with the bikes and start out at a gentle pace on undulating minor roads through small farming communities. As the day wears on, we make a stop at a roadside restaurant serving everyone’s favorite light Thai meal, Pad Thai!

The ride brings us to the door of our accommodation, sitting on a headland looking out over the Gulf of Thailand. There are some nice walks from the resort down into the nearby town where an aquarium is located. From the resort we can see Koh Samet island, one of the most popular weekend holiday escapes for Bangkokers and we will be able to see the boats shuttling people back and forwards to the island.

An early start in this climate is a good idea, so we do that and after a short drive, we get out on the bikes and ride the gently undulating road along the coast where food vendors and cafes with hammocks are placed at perfect intervals. We make a stop at one of these for lunch and have an opportunity for a swim before we continue on to the minor city of Chanthaburi and our comfortable resort, located on the outskirts of town on one of the key irrigation channels.

Today we take a morning ride to explore Chanthaburi town and the farming areas surrounding it. The Catholic quarter is our first stop, then the morning market where we can sample the freshly made snacks and a traditional style tea before heading out of town. The fruit orchards through which we will ride on lightly used roads, include mangosteen, rambutan and longkon, as well as the fruit that some love and others love to hate, durian. In fact, we will visit a shrine to the fruit in the form of Durian Land, where we can see how the fruit is grown, sample the real thing and then peruse the quirky durian souvenirs and packaged product.

The afternoon is free for you to enjoy the resort, or to explore the alleyways of Chanthaburi some more.

Departing Chanthaburi by car, we make the drive up to a remote border outpost and after some formalities, it’s time to farewell the Thai crew and be welcomed by the Cambodian crew. Just a little bit more driving and lunch kills some time and allows for the sun to start its descent. We then set up and take an afternoon ride into the town of Battambang.

The ride covers some unpaved roads through the villages and you will see immediately that Cambodia is a lot less developed, but no less welcoming. Friendly locals who will be entertained by your presence will be calling out to welcome you and we might just stop in at a local home for a cup of tea and to hear about the lifestyle out here in the remote rural areas of Cambodia.

Time permitting, we make a stop at an Angkorean temple on the outskirts of town and then we roll into our gorgeous accommodation for the night, a converted colonial-era villa.

This morning we will take a tour led by students of Kinyei: a local vocational training NGO that has created a cycling
program called Soksabike. With this cycling tour we will discover the various village industries of Battambang, most of which are food related, so be prepared to see that food baby emerge! Our exploration provides a great insight into how the locals live and get by here. We will see the production of rice wine, dried bananas, and a local snack called Kralanh (bamboo sticky rice) before we return to town to eat once again.

The afternoon is yours to explore the town or to enjoy some time by the pool.

Leaving Battambang behind, we make the three hour drive to Siem Reap where a delicious lunch of freshly made noodles known as knom ban chok awais. Today we will ride the trails and paths through the Angkor archeological park, visiting some of the major temples, Preah Khan, Ta Prom and the Elephant Terrace. These are connected by a network of shaded trails through the beautiful forest that forms one of the best protected national parks in Cambodia.

Occasionally we pop out of our secret route to find busloads of tourists being herded through the main highlights, but we will avoid the crowds and instead time our visits to take advantage of the quieter periods and the hidden highlights of these vast ancient structures. The ride will conclude just before sunset, so it stands to reason that we should see out the day with a sundowner in hand before we make our way to one of Siem Reap’s best restaurants where tightly held family recipes have been lovingly preserved for our benefit.

Bright and early we’ll be a the most significant religious sites in Cambodia, watching the sunrise over the towers of Angkor Wat. Once the crowd subsides, enjoy a memorable walk through the temple, where the morning glow and low temperatures make for an optimal visit.

We return to the hotel with ample time for you to enjoy the breakfast buffet. You’ll have plenty of time to spare before the noon check out time and we will be ready to take you to the airport for your departing flight. Unless of course, you plan on spending more time exploring and enjoying this terrific town and its many great arts, culinary and active experiences.