Cambodia cycling tours can be both a rewarding and emotional experience. Today, Cambodia is emerging from its past as a country of ancient kingdoms. Explore spectacular temple complexes, remote forests, little-known beaches, and mighty rivers. Ride across a landscape of rolling low-lying plains. Meet a culture of people with broad smiles and warm hospitality. Sample the contrasts of tasty Khmer dishes; from sweet and bitter, to salty and sour.
No trip to Cambodia is complete without a stop-off at Angkor Archaeological Park. The sprawling UNESCO World Heritage site is peppered with hundreds of ancient temples, religious structures and crumbling relics dating back to the Khmer Empire. Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm are the main draws, with tens of thousands of tourists flocking to them daily.
However, their allure comes with the downside that is mass tourism. These three sites are overcrowded, to the point of being unbearable at times during peak season. However, a simple shake-up to your itinerary can ease this. For example, the typical trail starts with sunrise at Angkor Wat, spending a few hours exploring before moving onto Bayon and then Ta Prohm. Do things a little differently and you may be able to find a slice of peace.
This is one of our favorite DIY trails for hiking in Cambodia, perfect for a sunny day when you’re feeling some light adventure. Nestled in the center of the Kep peninsula is the luscious and dense forest that is Kep National Park, and with dense forest comes great biking and hiking trails! With quirky yellow signs pointing the way, you’ll find yourself winding through the thick forest, passing charming wats and breathtaking viewpoints along the way. The highlight of the hike is the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ trail that forks off this route. Leading uphill to a towering pagoda, a nunnery, and the worthwhile Sunset Rock Viewpoint. There’s nothing like an amazing vantage point high above the clouds!
We love exploring a place this way! From weaving busy streets to gliding through local villages, or doing some serious off-road biking through rice paddies and jungle tracks, you can discover areas that you wouldn’t have ventured to and cover a lot of ground quickly.
The trails in Cambodia can be quite challenging, but trust me when I say, that when you break through the trees to reveal a breathtaking waterfall where you can sit and have your lunch, any effort you exert will be more than worth it! If you opt to explore the cities instead, places like Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are ideal to explore using two wheels.
For a truly crazy day with a ton of adventure, try your hand at riding a dirt-bike! Again, riding is a completely different way to experience a country, plus you get the challenge and thrill of the activity itself! Cambodia offers a huge amount of biking packages, where cool and experienced guides take you out for a couple of hours to a couple of days for an adventure that will last you a lifetime!
Whether a beginner or experienced rider, it’s easy to learn and you’ll ride on a variety of terrain from fine sand and grass to dirt climbs and jungle bush. Let’s just say you’ll come away from this adventure a must better rider, and most likely with a big grin on your face!
If you love to explore a country differently but don’t want the physical exertion of mountain biking or hiking, quad biking is a perfect alternative; you get your hit of adventure with zero effort! Full of excitement and discovery, you can spend a few hours or the whole day kicking up some dust with some serious off-roading.
Depending on what package you opt for, you can ride through beautiful countryside and rice paddies or villages and temples.
You can even choose between a variety of adventure types from a relaxing 1-hour sunset tour to a more hardcore 8 hour day package. Whatever your ideal activity, you can be sure to get a unique insight into Cambodia and for some, your adrenaline pumping!
A 2-hour drive from the center of Phnom Penh, you will enter the lush, elevated park of Kirirom. Known for its unique high elevation pine forest which forms the headwaters for numerous streams feeding Kampong Speu Town, this national park has some really interesting hiking trails. Whether by bike or on foot, you can explore the winding trails of the park that lead you through pine forests until you break through to cascading waterfalls and cliffs with amazing views of the Cardamom Mountains. Kirirom Mountain is actually known to the locals as the “mountain of Joy” as the King of Cambodia named it appropriately to how the area makes people feel. Sounds cool right? So if you want to be filled with joy, plus maybe being able to spot a pileated gibbon or two along the way, this national park is calling for you.
One of the largest protected areas in Cambodia, Virachey National Park is another doozy for hiking and trekking till your heart's content! Stretching 3325 sq km to Vietnam in the east, Laos in the north and the Stung Treng Province in the west, the park has never been fully explored; this makes a great hiking environment as the area offers everything from undiscovered trails to easy walking routes. Named an Asean Heritage Park in 2003, this national park is home to so many rare mammals, so keep your eyes peeled for elephants, gibbons, clouded leopards, tigers, and sun bears to name a few!