A few impressions and stories from my bicycle trip from Angkor Wat to Saigon.
I bought my bicycle in Siem Reap.
I had just finished a tour guiding job in Asia when I started this trip. I was without a bike for that reason. So I decided to buy one in Siem Reap, where I managed to get a fine Giant mountain bike with a rack, for 350$. I bought it at a local bicycle shop, with a very friendly and helpful owner. He made a few little adjustments to the bike, in order to make it more suitable for a long distance trip from Angkor Wat to Saigon. I have bought bicycles several times in Southeast Asia over the years. And I have always managed to get some decent deals. So do not shy away from that if buying a bike, once you are there, is more practical for you.
First I went to Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat was built by Suryavarman II, who became king after he ambushed his uncle as a teenager. And then went to rule over the Khmer empire, where the capital Angkor was the biggest city in the world at the time. These days Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat is located, sometimes feels like the place in the world with the most tourists as well. But you can still have the temples a little to yourself if you enter as early as possible in the morning. Cycling is the best way to get around the huge temple area at Angkor, where you have more than 100 khmer temples located.
Angkor Wat is a place you should not miss if you are in this part of the world. And you can take your bicycle inside the temple area. And cycling from one temple to the other is a perfect way to get around the ancient Angkor.
Cycling from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh.
Getting out of Siem Reap is quite easy. The city is not that big and the road is of a pretty good quality. Forget about those old stories from 10 years ago, where Cambodia had the worst roads in the world. Today the road is nicely paved and very smooth for a cyclist on most stretches. There are parts where you do not have much shoulder and that can really suck as some of the drivers can be a little on the fast side. Especially the people in the big Lexus cars who are mostly corrupted government workers, who can do whatever they like without being punished. Cambodians are some of the nicest people on the planet. But unfortunately their government is the most corrupted and dysfunctional in all Southeast Asia. That is reflected on the roads by the behaviour of those who are in power. Good news is that most of the way you have a nice shoulder on the road. For animals, scooters, bicycles and pedestrians.
Meeting other tour cyclists along the way from Angkor Wat to Saigon.
On the stretch between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, I met a lot of tour cyclists from all over the world. I met cyclists from Mexico, Greece, Spain, China, France, Malaysia, USA and several other countries. Cambodia is becoming a popular place to go tour cycling. And I can understand why. The country has bicycle friendly roads and plenty of cheap accommodation along the roads, making it a joy to go tour cycling there.
Visiting a local school along the way.
One day a young clean cut american guy cycles up next to me and says hello. At first I thought he was a missionary, because he was so clean cut. And I have to admit that I am not a fan of people who travel the world in order to preach religion. But it shows out that he is a peace corp worker, who teaches English and computer skills at various Cambodian village schools. He takes me to the local village school that is set up as a project for children who are too poor to pay for the public school. The public schools are supposed to be free, but the teachers hardly ever get paid by the government. So the teachers often charge around 50 cents per week for each student. And some kids can not afford that. But this school is run by a young couple who do it all for free, while the man has a full time job beside that. Very sympathetic people and nice to see how those with very little are able to get by and take life with a smile. Even if the kids only have some old bricks from a nearby construction site, as the only toys to play with.
Drinking beer with a killer in Phnom Penh.
In Phnom Penh I take a break for a few days to relax. and I also quite like Phnom Penh. Many people are not keen on the city. And I can see why many people are scared away. Down on the main avenue by Sisowath Quay, it’s easy to get tired of all the tourists and sloppy old western guys, sitting with prostitutes. But once you get past that scene, you actually have a fairly vibrant city. Because the Cambodian government is completely useless at helping Their own citizens, many NGOs have set up operations in Cambodia. And I like staying in the part of the city where they hang out after work. Because that is the place where you can meet some very interesting people. Both foreign and locals. One night I meet a guy who is interesting in a way I am not so used to. He tells me that he migrated to America as a kid with his parents. He got into drugs as a teen in the US and ended up dealing drugs. Then one day when a guy cheated him in a drug deal, he shot him through the head and killed him. So now he has been deported to Cambodia after serving a 12 year jail sentence at San Quentin prison in California. He scrapes a living by helping out foreigners because he speaks both English and khmer. His jobs usually only last until they find out about his background and he has no work and no money when I meet him. So I bought him a couple of beers as a thank you for telling me his story.
Cycling on to the border of Vietnam.
I continue towards the border of Vietnam and stop in the pleasant little town Takeo. I stop in Takeo for the night before heading to the border. The road in this part of Cambodia is really good for cycling. Getting out of Phnom Penh by bicycle is quite easy. And the road towards Takeo does not have a lot of heavy traffic. So I can happily continue my journey from Angkor Wat to Saigon by bicycle. Next day at the border I meet one of those custom officials who take pride in being an annoying jerk. He sits with my passport for over an hour and goes through every page with a magnifying glass to see if he can find anything that is not correct. When that fails he starts all over again and after two hours he let me in to Vietnam very reluctantly. I have to say that I have crossed into Vietnam 26 times over the past 14 years and this is the only time I have had this experience. But I really managed to come across the biggest jerk in uniform that day.
Cycling up to Saigon.
I have crossed the border near the town of Chau Doc in Vietnam. Chau Doc is a busy Mekong Delta town with a nice vibe. It’s the center of the Vietnamese fish farm industry. So there are hundreds of floating houses with fish in the basement as I cycle along the Mekong River. Fish farming is massive in the Mekong Delta. Vietnam has very busy traffic. But it’s slow and it’s surprisingly safe to be a cyclist in Vietnam these days. This is a big change from 2002 when I first came there and the country was a nightmare to cycle in. But these days things are quite good there. Strong speed limits have been enforced in Vietnam. And that has slowed the heavy traffic down to a point where I feel totally safe cycling there. And food wise it’s one of the best countries in the world for a tour cyclist. Street kitchens are everywhere. And they cook tasty and nutritious food. The Mekong Delta is the big money maker in Vietnam, because of the sunny weather and abundance of water in the Mekong Delta. Allowing the people to harvest rice three times a year, while they can still go fishing in the river at the same time. The place is extremely busy in a very fascinating way.
Really enjoyed your cycling story…as a biker in the USA…I can appreciate your enthusiasm and adventurous nature…your always invited to Pennsylvania to experience our cycling experiences…of course we are in the winter season, so now it’s x-c skiing/downhill skiing on the numerous mountain trails and resorts. We did a short bike run on December 30, 2015 up to the local reservoir and picked wild watercress with temperatures in the 50’s! Just email if you find yourself in our hemisphere…would love to show you our beautiful wilderness and local culture…with of course some of the the greatest food and nicest people! As always, I enjoy your world wide exploits and adventures! Joan
Good to hear your journey continues. We met up in Oaxaca maybe six years ago. Still traveling lightly without VT but still with my bike though I’ve never gone more than a days ride in Mexico, South America and Asia – the places I’ve lived since meeting up with you for the requisite beer. Heading to Siem Reap the end of the month. Living in Da Lat, VN now, waking up singing the song from a 60s movie, Oklahoma. “Oh, what a beautiful morning, Oh, what a beautiful day…”
Happy trails, Claus
Thanks for your comment mate. Good to hear that you are still rocking and rolling around the world. I have been to Dalat many times myself over the past 5 years as I have taken some tour groups there. Right now I am mainly working in Portugal though.
Do come to Penang , Malaysia one day and be my guest. I am a warmshower host, welcoming cyclist like you to explore this part of the city through cyling touring.
Cheers,
God bless.
Winson Gan
Thank you mate. I will sure be back in Penang one day, as this is what i consider my home when I am in Southeast Asia.
Hey Claus, great post! Thanks for sharing! Could you share your itinerary, for example through google maps or by just writing down some places? Or was it just along the river? Could not exactly figure it out from your post. We are planning to do the same the other way.
Thanks in advance, Chrissa
Hi’ Chrissa.
I cycled from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh along the main road. It’s pretty straight forward and takes 3-4 days. From Phnom Penh I cycled to Takeo and then from there towards the border crossing at Chau Doc. You do not have a proper road the last bit along the river, so it’s better to cycle via Takeo, where you also have some smaller hotels where it’s possible to stay overnight.
Thanks for your reply! That helps a lot. Greetings from Saigon!
Beautiful narration. While going through it I felt like cycling through the Combodia to Vietnam. I been to Ankor Wat and Saigon in 2018, while I found people of Siam Reap simple and happy go lucky, my experience of Huchi Min was a bit different. Yea, Hanoi has all to gather had different culture/attitude, I liked the city and enjoyed. As regard your journey, I feel envy. Wish I could undertake such a trip, it defenitely needs guts, endurance and a strong will. Congratulations and best of luck for your next journey
I still remember the guy who park his bicycle in my office for few years. Hope to see him again with cycling tour throughout Vietnam
I really hope to see you soon as well An Bui. It was always a realpleasure to work and hang out with you. Will return to Vietnam when things open up again.