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MEKONG CYCLING

TOUR CODE: MTA-CCL03

LOCATIONS: Phnom Penh / Kampong Cham / Kratie / Stung Treng / Preah Vihear / Siem Reap

TYPE: Cycling

ACCOMMODATION: Guesthouse

GROUP SIZE: 2 to 16 people

TOUR INCLUSIVE OF: Accommodation in twin sharing Cycling experienced guide Meals as mentioned per program Mountain bike and helmet Snack and bottled water during the tour All transfers as mentioned per program All entrance fees as per program Support van

TOUR EXCLUSIVE OF: International Flights Visa Fees $30 (issued on arrival) Alcoholic, and drinks during meals Tips for guides Personal travel insurance Services not mentioned in itinerary

TOUR LINK ON MERRYTRAVELASIA.COM: https://merrytravelasia.com/mekong-cycling/

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Day 1: Phnom Penh – Kampong Cham

We’ll start off at about 08:00 a.m. and depart from Phnom Penh. We’ll board on a boat that will take us along the Mekong River for about 90 minutes be-fore we arrive at Koh Dach Island. There, we’ll cycle through villages where you’ll have the opportunity to see local silk production by hand. We’ll conti-nue cycling along the Mekong River to Kampong Cham. We’ll stop for lunch on the way. Once we settle into our hotel in Kampong Cham, we’ll head out on our bikes again towards the Nokor Batchey Temple. Later, we’ll meet for dinner at a local restaurant.

Cycling: 65-70km Meals included: Lunch, dinner Accommodation: Kampong Cham at Sopheak Mongkul Saphir Hotel or simi-lar hotel

Day 2: Kampong Cham – Kratie

After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll cycle along the Mekong River and observe locals who make their living along its riverside, including fishermen and far-mers involved in the production of corn, beans, rice and tobacco. Lunch will be provided for you on the way. The rest of our trip to Kratie will be com-pleted by our private van. On arrival, you will be welcomed by the villagers to their houses, have dinner and view the sunset from the banks of the Mekong River.

Cycling: 65-70km Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Accommodation: Kratie, Homestay in Koh Trong Village

Day 3: Kratie – Stung Treng

Today we’ll be hitting the road from Kratie and cruise along the Mekong Ri-ver towards Stung Treng. We’ll be making a stop at Prek Kampei to board on a boat and have lunch on board while watching the dolphins. After lunch, we’ll continue on for another 100km. At the end of the day we’ll board our van, which will take us for the rest of the road to Stung Treng, where we’ll settle into our hotel and have dinner at a restaurant on the river bank.

Cycling: 65-80km Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Accommodation: Stung Treng, Mekong Bird Resort or similar hotel

Day 4: Stung Treng – Preah Vihear

Cycling towards Preah Vihear Province, we’ll be hitting some long but paved roads this afternoon. The surrounding scenery will include fruit plantations and jungles. After reaching the 95 kilometer mark for the day, we’ll board our van for the rest of the journey. We’ll stop over at Preah Vihea for dinner M e k o n g C y c l i n g

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and then check in to a hotel for the night.

Cycling: 80-95km Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Accommodation: Preah Vihear at Sopheak Mondkul Hotel or similar hotel

Day 5: Preah Vihear Temple – Koh Ker

We’ll be taken by our van this morning to the foot of Preah Vihea Mountain. Preah Vihear is a temple situated on top of a 525 meter cliff within the Dangrek Mountain range close to the Thai border. The temple has a quite spectacular setting and has been the subject of disputes over ownership bet-ween Thailand and Cambodia for quite a while. Control of Preah Vihear was officially granted to Cambodia in 1962 by the International Court of Justice in the Hague and has since then been lisited as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch is to be provided for us by a local restaurant, after which we’ll cycle 45 kilometers along the main road towards the Koh Ker temple complex. The Koh Ker site is dominated by Prasat Thom, a 30 meter tall temple that rises high above the plain and the surrounding forests. . Dinner will be served at a local restaurant, after which we’ll be staying in a guesthouse.

Cycling: 70-80km Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Accommodation: Koh Ker at basic guesthouse

Day 6: Koh Ker – Homestay

We’ll be enjoying breakfast today thanks to the courtesy of our homestay families. We’ll visit some temples of the Koh Ker complex and then continue our way through the jungle to the Beng Melea Temple. Lunch will be pro-vided there. We’ll visit the temple before heading on to Kampong Khleang Village at the Tonle Sap lake with the help of the support van. Here, we’ll have dinner and spend the night in a local home.

Cycling: 70-80km Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner Accommodation: Kampong Khleang (Tonle Sap Lake) at homestay

Day 7: Kampong Khleang – Siem Reap

We’ll embark on a local cruise in the morning, crossing Tonle Sap Lake. We’ll arrive at Kampong Phluk Village where we’ll visit local houses, pagodas and some primary schools. Next, we’ll be cycling through unpaved villages to-wards Siem Reap. Lunch will be provided for you along the way. We will con-clude our tour upon arrival at the drop off point in Siem Reap.

Cycling: 70-80km Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

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HOTEL USED FOR THIS PACKAGE: Kampong Chhnang Hotel / Sovana Phum Hotel (deluxe room) or similar

standard Kratie Hotel / Homestay in Koh Trong o similar standard Stung Treng Hotel /Mekong Bird Resort (standard room) or similar

standard Preah Vihear Hotel / Sopheak Mongkul Hotel (standard room) or similar

standard Tonle Sap Lake / Homestay in Kampong Khleang Village (stilted house) HOTEL POLICY: Check-in time: 14:00 Check-out time: 12:00 TRAVEL INSSURANCE: Travel insurance is required for all our trips. Your Travel Insurance should cover trip cancellation, medical and helicopter evacuation. Our guide will ask for a copy of your travel insurance information in case of emergency. You can also send it to us in advanced if you like to. VISA TO CAMBODIA: Most nationalities are eligible for a one-month visa on arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport, Siem Reap International Airport, and all land borders with neighboring countries. The cost is $30 for a tourist visa and $35 for a business visa. Please bring a passport photo to apply for visa. If you do not have it, customs office will take your photo on spot but charge you extra USD2 to cover their administration fee. Bring payment in cash in US dollars. Please be aware that sometimes there can be long queues at the airport when obtaining a visa on arrival, however in general the queues move fairly quickly and it takes you around 10 to 30 minutes at the queue. TIPPING: Tipping is not compulsory but it is greatly appreciated throughout Southeast Asia, especially in the tourism industry. For reference, we have provided a general guideline for tipping as below. Tour Guide/Drivers: If you are pleased with the services provided by your tour guide and driver, then a tip for their hard work will be very much appre-ciated. In general, we recommend around US$5 -10/day/traveler for guides and US$5-7/day/traveler for drivers if less than 4 people in a group. We rec-ommend around US$3-7/day/traveler for guides and US$2-5/day/traveler for drivers if there are 5 people or more. CLOTHING: Since the weather is consistently warm throughout the country, it is advisa-ble to bring comfortable lightweight, loose fitting, cotton clothing and long-sleeved items for protection from mosquitoes and the sun. During the rainy season open-toe sandals are recommended. A hat and high-factor sun block is advisable for protection against the hot sun when sightseeing. T-shirts and knee length shorts are acceptable for visiting temples or pagodas, including M e k o n g C y c l i n g

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those of Angkor Wat. Shoes are generally removed at the entrance to pago-das. For visits to the Silver Pagoda, which is within the Royal Palace grounds, visitors are advised to wear long trousers or long skirts. At the Angkor Wat complex, you’ll be on your feet and walking a lot, sometimes over rough and slippery surfaces, so choose your footwear carefully. The soles of your shoes should offer good traction.

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