A LIFE CHANGING ADVENTURE AWAITS...

Cycle Vietnam toCambodia

12-22 . 03. 2020WWW.CAFT.CO.UK/CHALLENGES

KEY INFORMATION

DURATION: 11 DAYSCYCLING DISTANCE: 350 KMCHALLENGE GRADE:LOCATIONS: HO CHI MINH, VIETNAM - ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA

THIS CHALLENGE TAKES YOU THROUGH TWO VERY SPECIAL AND VERYDIFFERENT COUNTRIES; ALONG NARROW JUNGLE PATHS AND HARD-PACKEDCOUNTRY ROADS, THROUGH HECTIC CITIES AND TRANQUIL RICE FIELDS. IT

WILL BE HOT AND HUMID, IT MAY BE TOUGH BUT THE REWARDS WILL BE SOWORTH IT. THE ROUTE TAKES US TO AREAS THAT TOURISTS RARELY VISIT,

WHERE LOCAL CHILDREN RUN TO WAVE HELLO AND BUFFALOES PLOUGH THEFIELDS. THE SPECTACULAR FINISH IS THE ICONIC TEMPLE COMPLEX OF

ANGKOR WAT.

Day 1

Flight from UK to Ho ChiMinh City

Day 2

Arrive in Ho Chi Minh Cityand transfer to hotel (30

minutes), rest of the day isat leisure to rest or

explore. In the evening wewill do the briefing and

bike fitting and transfer todowntown for a welcome

dinner.

Day 3

We leave early from yourhotel for an easy hour

drive out of busy Ho Chiminh City to Mytho, thegateway to the MekongDelta, where we start to

ride. The ride will lead youon narrow concrete paths

through coconutplantations (the home land

of coconuts) withthousands of high

coconuts on both sides ofthe path - it's fabulous!

Later in the afternoon wetake a local ferry acrossthe Upper Mekong River

to Travinh Town forovernight in Tra Vinh.

Day 4

Starting the bike ride fromthe hotel, we cycle 4 kmand stop briefly at Baom

Pond. This is a localtourist attraction famous in

Travinh Province withmany 100 year old treesnear one of the oldestKhmer Pagodas in theMekong Delta. We also

visit Khmer PagodaSchool to learn about the

life of Khmer students.Then we continue cyclingthrough Khmer villages

along concrete paths ontothe largest rice growing

area in the Mekong Delta.

Day 5

We take an early morningboat trip to the Cairang

floating market, theremarkable "Great

Supermarket" is thebiggest floating market in

Mekong Delta and themost important destinationfor tourists in Can tho City.

Later that morning westart our ride on the

concrete path along theriverside. The path has

many bridges whichconnect the small villages.Transfer by bus to ChauDoc border town, where

we will have our last mealin Vietnam.

Day 6

Leave Chau Doc by boatup the Mekong River to

Phnom Penh. After lunchwe spend time at theinfamous Killing Fields

and S21 prison before wecheck in to the hotel in

Phnom Penh.

Day 7

This morning we leave thecity, crossing the Mekong,then cycle on along a river

bank trail. We passthrough traditional villages

with wooden houses onstilts, stopping to visit atraditional silk weavingcommunity. The smallquiet roads are a real

pleasure to cycle on andlocal children will race togreet us. After 50km, we

transfer to a localrestaurant for lunch; you

can try the local specialty -roast tarantula! We

transfer on to KampongThom.

Day 8

We start by transfer thismorning about 2 hours,then we saddle up for abeautiful ride throughpaddy fields and smallvillages to our hotel in

Siem Reap. Look out forthe stone masons by theside of the road as we

approach, carving hugestatues of Buddha.

Day 9

Our last day in the saddle- and it is amazing! Departfrom the hotel on the main

road and cycle throughAngkor pass check point.Cycling through the shadyroads, we will begin to seeKravan temple, Banteay

Kdei, and stop at thefamous Ta Phrom,

embraced by the roots ofenormous fig trees and

gigantic creepers. We willleave the bikes at the

entrance to visit Ta Phrom(45 minutes-1 hour). Itwas built in the 12th

century by the famousKing Jayavaraman VII

dedicated to his mother.While clearing back theforest archaeologistsdecided to leave the

vegetation of

Day 10

Our last day inCambodia is free to

explore and take photos,before taking our evening

flight back to the UK.

Day 11

Arrive back in theUK...and time to plan our

next adventure!

FAQ'sWhat's included?

Flights UK to Ho Chi Minh, return from Siem Reap to UKIn country transfers and support in air-conditioned vehicles8 nights half board twin share hotel accommodation (£250 single suppl.)6 days quality cycle hireEnglish speaking cycle guidesEntrance fees, boat trips, ferry and speedboat ticket to CambodiaLunches as picnics or in local restaurantsWater and snack stops

What's not included?Travel InsuranceVisas (Vietnam and Cambodia)Drinks other than drinking waterPersonal expenses e.g. souvenirsTipsAirport tax and fuel surcharges (£150)

Ta Phrom in place toserve as a reminder of

how the originaldiscoverers found it and

the other Angkor temples.Continue cycling through

a small circuit, passingother small temples before

reaching Angkor Thomcity. There you will see theTerrace of the Leper King,the Terrace of Elephants,Baphoun, and Phimean

Akas. Stop at Bayontemple (45 minutes-1

hour). Finally, cycle to thefinish line, at Angkor Wat

Temple itself. What afinish to an amazing ride!Tonight we celebrate our

achievements withsomething rather special...

How fit do I need to be?

This challenge is designed to be suitable for all abilities, however...The more you train, the more you will enjoy the cycling!Training support will be providedIt will be hot and humid - drink plenty

What about food and accommodation?

We will stay in good quality hotels often with the air-conditioning Meals at the local restaurants and picnic spots will be of localorigins and of good qualityAllergies and specific nutritional needs can all be catered for - but you needto tell us in advanceDrinking water will always be available

What kit do i need?

You need to bring a cycle helmet - you will not be allowed to cycle withoutone You may bring your own saddle and pedals if you prefer You will need to bring at least one water bottle or camelback bladder Your main luggage will be taken to each accommodation but you mayalso take a small day bag, which will be available at water stops andlunch stops

COSTS REGISTRATION FEE - £250Payable upon registration This registration fee secures your place and is non-refundable.

MINIMUM SPONSORSHIP - £280065% to be raised 10 weeks beforedeparture, 35% 4 weeks after thechallenge.

AIRPORT TAXES AND FUEL SURCHARGE - £150Payable 8 weeks before departure

SELF-FUNDING - £1450Invoice due 10 weeks beforedeparture. Raise sponsorship forCAFT without pressure of a target.