Vietnam and Cambodia by Bike Friday 13 - Saturday 28 March 2020

15 nights

CYCLING

TOUR OVERVIEW Get up close to two Southeast Asian neighbours that have a rich and ancient heritage, as well as a more recent

turbulent history that New Zealand was involved in. Biking is the key to exploring villages and the countryside at a

pace that allows you to absorb the spectacular views, the sounds and smells, as well as interact with warm and

friendly people. Your journey across Indochina will be made easy with elegant accommodation on land and

aboard a luxurious river ship.

Your journey starts in bustling Ho Chi Minh City, once the French colonial capital Saigon. Learn about

independence struggles against the French as well as the history of the American War (you couldn't expect that

conflict to be known here as the 'Vietnam War'). And then it's out into the massive delta, made, and constantly

reshaped, by the mighty Mekong River as it concludes its 4,000 km journey through six countries from the Tibetan

plateau to the sea. Cycling is easy on the flat lands of the delta, and a great way to explore rural life in this fertile

area.

After some days in the delta it's time to change countries, flying to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Four nights based in

this pleasant town allows relaxed exploration of one of the world's great wonders; the temple complex of Angkor,

capital of the Khmer empire from about the 9th to 15th centuries. It's said to have been the largest pre-industrial

city in the world, covering at least 1,000 square kilometres, and is famous for some of the most impressive and well

-preserved ancient temples in the world. By bike and by bus, you will see some of the striking variety in

construction, from massive stone structures to small and ornately-carved places of worship.

After delving into the Khmer capital, and remnants of even earlier civilisations, it's time to board your lavish river

ship. Life on board is elegant and relaxed, but punctuated by shore visits to cycle through rural villages and

observe traditional Cambodian lifestyles. Your cruise takes you to the capital Phnom Penh, and after exploring

this vibrant city it's time to head for a former colonial seaside resort for more biking, and a day relaxing on the

beach.

The varied itinerary of this tour will leave indelible memories of optimistic and friendly people, two beautiful

countries with rich histories and cultures, and an exhilarating outdoor adventure.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• Explore two vibrant Southeast Asian

countries by bike and boat

• Mix with villagers and see rural life up

close

• Explore the massive Angkor temple

complex, one of the marvels of the

ancient world

• Easy biking through villages, across

paddy fields and alongside waterways

• Enjoy four nights aboard an elegant

river ship

• Stay in modern upmarket hotels and

restored colonial villas

• Experience the rich culture and learn

about the ancient and modern history

of Vietnam and Cambodia

You will spend four nights aboard the Heritage Line's flagship

vessel Jayavarman, which combines French art deco charm with

the romance of Indochina. With only 27 cabins and a friendly

crew, this will be a time to remember. Your main deck superior

stateroom naturally has an en suite bathroom, air conditioning,

in-room safe, desk and chairs. You can enjoy fabulous river views

through full-length windows, or sit out on your private balcony.

Ship facilities include a bar and lounge, luxury dining room, spa

and outdoor pool. On-board activities include tai chi lessons,

evening movies and expert lectures, but there will still be plenty of

time to kick back and enjoy the slow pace of river life.

TOUR PRICE Ex Auckland

Share twin per person NZD $11,840

Please contact Calder & Lawson Tours if you are interested in a single occupancy place; they are very limited.

GROUP SIZE Minimum 10, maximum 14

VARIATIONS IN TRAVEL We can make arrangements for any travel you would like to do before or after this tour, or

book business class seats for the flights. Please contact us.

TOUR EXCLUSIONS

• Airline taxes

• Personal expenses

• Travel insurance

• Visa costs

• Beverages during included meals, unless

specified

• Other meals not specified in the itinerary

• Hotel porterage

• E-bike hire - NZD$94 for Vietnam and

NZD$685 for Cambodia

TOUR INCLUSIONS

• The services of an experienced New Zealand based

Calder & Lawson Tours tour manager

• Economy class airfares

• 14 nights accommodation in Vietnam and Cambodia,

including four aboard a river ship

• Breakfast daily, other meals as specified in the itinerary

• Bottled water during sightseeing and cycling

• Snacks and fruit on cycling days

• All group transfers as specified in the itinerary

• Admissions as detailed in the itinerary

• Sightseeing tours with experienced, English-speaking

local guides as detailed in the itinerary

• All tips for local guides and other service providers

• Comfortable mountain bikes, including helmet (you

might prefer to bring your own helmet)

• Support vehicle and mechanic on biking days

• Shore excursions and the full services of the

Jayavarman crew

• Pre-tour material

IS THIS TOUR FOR ME? This is an active adventure, centred on

biking. You must have recent experience

of riding the distances covered by this tour,

as detailed in the itinerary. Some of the

biking is on public roads, so you should

have recent experience of biking in traffic.

March is considered one of the best

months to bike here, with the temperatures

around 30 degrees. The rides are classed

as easy to moderate. A limited number of

e-bikes are available at an extra cost, and

these really do take the strain. Before

using an e-bike on the tour be sure to

borrow or hire one in New Zealand to try it

out. E-bikes require some different skills

from conventional bikes, and it's best not

to try and learn these while in a tour party.

Apart from the cycling, this tour involves

walking on uneven surfaces, climbing steps

and clambering around archaeological

sites, so you will need to be reasonably fit

and confident with walking.

DAILY ITINERARY

A late morning departure from Auckland for Singapore. After a short

stopover you will connect with your fight to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly

Saigon). After transferring to your hotel, the remainder of the day is at leisure.

Explore the famous Cu Chi tunnels, an immense underground network

started in 1948 to protect Viet Cong from French forces, and expanded

during the American War. Touring the underground compounds will illustrate

the hardship of life in the tunnels and Vietnamese resilience during combat.

After returning to Ho Chi Minh City, a half-day tour will highlight key landmarks

in this bustling city of more than 8 million people (and nearly as many

motorbikes). The former presidential palace and the War Remnants Museum

provide a vivid perspective on the American War from a Vietnamese

perspective.

A shuttle transfer out of the city enables you to avoid the crazy Ho Chi Minh

City traffic. At My Tho, gateway to the mighty Mekong delta, collect your

bikes and enjoy the first day in saddle. The ride offers peaceful country lanes

and quiet roads that pass through local villages and alongside canals. Stop at

Cai Be for lunch in a French colonial styled villa. Then continue for a relaxing

ride over easy, level terrain along narrow village lanes, past fruit orchards and

local cottage industries - a very rustic Mekong experience.

Cycle to Can Tho along country lanes, through paddy fields and bamboo

villages, with a picnic lunch along the way. At Can Tho check in to your

hotel, and in the late afternoon transfer to Ba Lang hamlet to begin another

bike ride. On this leisurely ride you'll explore peaceful rice fields and fruit

gardens up close. Highlights include crossing over wooden bridges and

taking a local ferry ride with other commuters. While only a few kilometres

from the bustling city of Can Tho, the area around Ba Lang has retained its

bucolic beauty, typical of the countryside villages of the Mekong Delta where

life is simple and slow with people living close to nature.

Take a morning boat ride to explore the bustling Cai Rang floating market,

where hundreds of local people trade on the river. After also exploring the

small canals around Can Tho, stop at a local orchard to taste juicy tropical

fruit then pedal along the river bank. The scenery is peaceful and dotted with

banana trees and fruit orchards, and you can also visit other local markets

along the way to watch how the local vendors do business. Return to your

hotel and then transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City airport for a flight to Siem

Reap in Cambodia. Transfer to your hotel where you’ll stay for four nights.

A free morning to relax or explore the small town of Siem Reap. In the

afternoon you will see the most striking temple in the Angkor complex,

Angkor Wat. This is one of the wonders of the world. You will be amazed by

the sheer size of the temple, and yet the details of intricately carved hallways

and small shrines still used by local people. If time permits, continue to visit

other temples in the area. We will have dinner at a farm-to-table restaurant

with contemporary Cambodian cuisine.

Biking is a great way to explore the many temples that make up the Angkor

Wat complex. The day starts with a ride to Ta Prohm, the jewel in this vast area

of temples. Known from an early Indiana Jones movie, this beautiful temple is

overgrown with fig trees, giving a haunting yet exotic atmosphere. The

magnificent roots of the trees have merged themselves over the centuries with

the temple’s huge stone blocks, creating a ‘forgotten city’ feeling. Continue

to Banteay Kdei, one of Angkor’s largest structures. After lunch in a local

Restaurant, visit the ancient royal city of Angkor Thom with its magnificent

Centerpiece, the Bayon. At first glance, it may seem like a shapeless mass of

stone, but further scrutiny reveals towers with enigmatic faces of former King

Jayavarman VII looking into every direction.

Friday 13 March 2020

Auckland – Singapore - Ho Chi

Minh City, Vietnam

Meals: In flight

Flight: 11 hours and 2 hours

Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City

Saturday 14 March

Cu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City

Meals: B

Coach: 2 hours each way

Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City

Sunday 15 March

Ho Chi Minh City - Cai Be, Mekong

Delta

Meals: B/L

Biking: 10-15 km

Coach: 1 hour 30 minutes

Overnight: Cai Be

Monday 16 March

Cai Be - Can Tho, Mekong Delta

Meals: B/L

Biking: 15-20 km

Overnight: Can Tho

Tuesday 17 March

Can Tho - Ho Chi Minh City - Siem

Reap, Cambodia

Meals: B

Biking: 7-10 km, easy

Coach: 4 hours 30 minutes

Flight: 1 hour 30 minutes

Overnight: Siem Reap

Wednesday 18 March

Siem Reap – Angkor Wat

Meals: B/D

Overnight: Siem Reap

Thursday 19 March

Siem Reap

Meals: B/L

Biking: 14 km, easy

Overnight Siem Reap

The day starts with an easy ride through the countryside west of Siem Reap to

the peaceful red sandstone temple Banteay Samre. Then visit Banteay Srei

Temple, whose fine carving makes it one of the most beautiful temples of the

Angkorian period. That's the end of biking for the day. After lunch transfer to

visit the tall Mebon Temple and enjoy sunset at Pro Rup Temple before

returning to your hotel.

Travel south from Siem Reap. Your first stop is to bike around Sambor Prei Kuk,

the ancient capital of the Chenla kingdom, which in the early 7th century

preceded the Khmer empire. Here are the most impressive pre-Angkorian

monuments, with more than 100 temples scattered throughout the lush forest.

After lunch at a local restaurant you will travel to Kampong Cham, a city on

the Mekong river known for its French colonial buildings. Here a visit to Wat

Hanchey will give you a 360° view of the surrounding valleys, islands and the

Mekong River. In the evening you will board your home for the next four

nights, the luxurious Jayavarman river ship.

The ship sails up towards the small Angkor Ban village on the Mekong River.

The village is famous for its unspoiled community and beautiful, traditional

houses. It feels like being transported back a hundred years into an era

unaffected by modernity. You can bike around different villages to see local

life, before hopping back on the cruise at the river bank. In the afternoon the

ship arrives at the island of Koh Oknha Tey, which is famous for the

manufacture of high-class silk products. Explore the island by tuk tuk to visit

workshops and learn how silk is produced and processed. Later the ship

passes the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle rivers, and anchors near the

marshland area of Kampong Chhnang.

Disembark to explore Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia’s 'water world' where

everything is on sticks balanced on rich soil. Bike through the rural villages of

the area, where your guides will explain local village specialties – Khmer style

pottery making and sugar palm production - before you head back to the

boat. The cruise continues with a languid meander through jungle-like

landscape along the Tonle river towards Kampong Tralach, where you will

explore on an ox cart ride. Your visit includes the 'green school', which is partly

supported by the Heritage Line. Your ship cruises on to Cambodia's capital

Phnom Penh, where you will have time in the evening to explore the city.

In the morning transfer through bustling Phnom Penh city before crossing the

mighty Mekong River by local ferry to enjoy biking round the Mekong island

known as Koh Dach. Meet the locals, who are mainly rice and vegetable

farmers and silk weavers. This is a great chance to see rural life in full swing.

After lunch at a restaurant in the city, you will explore the fascinating cultural

heritage of Phnom Penh. The golden edifice of the Royal Palace with its silver

pagoda, and the exceptional Khmer crafts at the national museum, are high-

lights. The day trip ends with a cyclo ride back to the ship through the bustling

city streets. Experience a magic evening on board, against the backdrop of

the city skyline and the gentle Tonle river, with barbeque dinner and Apsara

dance performance.

Leave Phonm Penh and head for the seaside. At Chouk you start cycling

towards the coastal town of Kep, passing through Phnom Wur mountains and

then along the foot of the mountains until reaching your hotel in Kep. During

French rule this was Cambodia's premier seaside destination, and was known

a the 'St Tropez of Southeast Asia'. Your 'barefoot luxury' boutique resort

consists of restored colonial villas by the sea.

A short boat ride into the gulf takes you to the secluded white sand beaches

at Koh Tonsai, Rabbit Island. You have free time here to relax, swim and enjoy

the picnic lunch cooked by the crew. In the late afternoon take the boat

back to Kep. Tonight a farewell dinner at our hotel.

Friday 20 March

Siem Reap

Meals: B/L

Biking: 30 km, moderate

Overnight: Siem Reap

Saturday 21 March

Siem Reap – Sambor Prei Kuk –

cruise

Meals: B/L/D

Biking 20 km, easy to moderate

Overnight: on board

Sunday 22 March

Kampong Cham – Oknha Tey –

Kampong Chhnang

Meals: B/L/D

Biking: 20 km, easy

Overnight: on board

Monday 23 March

Kampong Chhnang – Kampong

Tralach – Phnom Penh

Meals: B/L/D

Biking: 18 km, easy

Overnight: on board

Tuesday 24 March

Phonm Penh

Meals: B/L/D

Biking: 15 km, easy

Overnight: on board

Wednesday 25 March

Phnom Penh – Kep

Meals: B/L

Transfer: 3 hours

Biking: 25 km, easy to moderate

Overnight: Kep

Thursday 26 March

Rabbit Island

Meals: B/L/D

Boat: 30 min each way

Overnight: Kep

HOW TO SECURE YOUR PLACE ON THIS TOUR

A deposit of $1,000 is required to secure your place on the tour. When minimum numbers are reached, the tour

will become a ‘confirmed departure’. At that point we will advise when the tour payment will be due.

• Click here to complete the online registration form, pay the $1,000 deposit and your place in this tour is

secured.

• Or you can complete a paper registration form. You can download one from the website

www.calderandlawsontours.co.nz, or give us a call and we will email or post one to you.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Can be found on the website www.calderandlawsontours.co.nz, on the back of the paper registration form or on

the summary page when you complete an online registration.

VARIATIONS

This itinerary is Version 1 dated 29/07/2019 and is subject to change.

Exchange rate fluctuations may result in a change to the tour price.

An early departure from Kep, for the capital, to take an afternoon flight to

Singapore that connects with an overnight flight to Auckland. You’ll arrive in

Auckland around midday on Saturday 28 March.

Friday 27 March

Kep – Phnom Penh – Singapore -

Auckland

Meals: B/L/meals in flight

Transfer: 4 hours 30 minutes

Flight: 2 hours and 9 hours 30

minutes