Paleriders - Cambodia

Day 1

Owen Holcombe — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:05:35 +0000

You will be picked up from your hotel in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap in an air-conditioned mini-van and travel along National Road 6 to Kampong Thom province. Today you will enjoy the attractions of Khmer Homestay, Baray where you can take an oxcart ride to watch a spectacular sunset over the paddy fields, savour the delicious local food and sleep in traditional style housing.

There is a school and orphanage close by where you may also get to meet some of the children and speak English with the teachers. Cambodians love to practice their English with Westerners so that they can pick up the pronunciation of our words.

Day 2

Owen Holcombe — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:00:01 +0000

Our ride to Kampong Cham commences along National Road 6 to Rom Long where we will turn off through the rubber plantations of Chamkar Leu district. This area was once a Khmer Rouge stronghold and saw heavy fighting and B-52 bombing during the Cambodian Civil War. Enroute we will stop at Phnom Bpro Phnom Srey Temple (Man and Woman mountain), once a Khmer Rouge killing field but now a place of peace and serenity.

We will visit the Helping Hand Orphanage where you’ll meet some of the 30 children who live there. Pastor Meng Hong, who runs the orphanage, will show you around and may even have some work for you to help with. After leaving the orphanage, we’ll ride across an incredible bamboo bridge to visit some locals who live on an island in the Mekong River. Every year they have to rebuild their bridge after the rainy season but soon a new concrete bridge will be built which will make their life much easier. Unfortunately a piece of living history will be gone forever.

Day 3

Owen Holcombe — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:55:31 +0000

Today we will visit the children at The Mekong Kampuchea Kids Project run by the Venerable Vandong Thorn. The children learn traditional Khmer dancing, as well as how to make their dance costumes and other craft work. They will give a demonstration of their dancing and handicraft is available for purchase at reasonable prices. The traditional kramas (scarves) from here are some of the best made in Cambodia.

Later in the afternoon we will take a leisurely cruise up the river in a traditional wooden boat to visit an island farming village where the islanders live in bamboo houses on stilts. When the river floods, there can be a metre of water over the island and most of the people go and stay on the mainland. The farmers mainly produce tobacco for the large multinational tobacco companies.

Day 4

Owen Holcombe — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:50:28 +0000

A leisurely ride along the Mekong today, stopping at the pagoda on Han Chey mountain to look out over the Mekong and maybe partake of some local delicacies. Feeling a little peckish? Perhaps some sparrows on a stick would satisfy that craving? Further along the river is crossed by ferry and the road continues through Cham (Muslim) villages until eventually it brings us to Kratie.

In the afternoon a short ride will take us to Kampi pool, where you may be fortunate enough to see some rare Irrawaddy dolphins. Taking a photo is another matter. They are very difficult to capture on film as they only surface for a brief period. If the weather is warm, the boatman will take you upstream to the rapids, where the water is cleaner and safe for swimming.

Day 5

Owen Holcombe — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:45:47 +0000

Cruising along the bitumen today, our destination Stung Treng which is only 40 km from the border with Laos. On the way we will stop to see the 100 Column Pagoda. Later we will visit the Stung Treng Women’s Development Group, where the famous Mekong Blue silk is manufactured.

Day 6

Owen Holcombe — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:43:46 +0000

Now for some dirt! After crossing the Tonle San and Mekong Rivers, we hit the dirt to Thbeng Meanchey in Preah Vihear province. The condition of the road depends on the time of year of course, but it is usually fairly good. It pays to keep a good lookout for patches of loose dust though, hitting one of these at speed can get a bit exciting! We ride through open forest country where people make a living cutting timber, extracting resin from trees and hunting.

Day 7

Owen Holcombe — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:40:46 +0000

Today we visit the ancient temples of Koh Ker on our way to Siem Reap. Koh Ker was the capital of the Khmer Empire before Angkor Wat was built. Prasat Thom is an awesome pyramid shaped mountain of a temple. There are a lot less tourists here than at the temples around Siem Reap so you can make the most of the peace and solitude! There is a small market here where cold drinks, meals and handicraft can be purchased.

From here to Siem Reap the roads are mainly bitumen and in good condition. We will also stop at Beng Mealea temple on the way. It is a large, unrestored temple about 80 km from Siem Reap.

Day 8

Owen Holcombe — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:35:22 +0000

An early start today, we will ride 70 km to Phnom Kulen. There is a spectacular waterfall and a river where vast areas of the riverbed and surrounding rocks have been intricately carved back in the days of Angkor. A temple has been built atop an enormous boulder, the summit of which is carved into a reclining Buddha.

On the ride back to Siem Reap we’ll stop at the Landmine Museum. This was founded by a Cambodian man named Aki Ra, who went out of his own accord to clear landmines for the small farmers who were unable to work their land because of the danger. His efforts attracted the attention of people from Australia and the US who were able to help him become a recognised charitable organisation and able to raise money by donation for his work. As well as as the museum, he has established an orphanage on the site. A lot of the children who live there are landmine victims.

Day 9

Owen Holcombe — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:30:18 +0000

Today you will travel by tuktuk to Angkor Wat, said to be the largest religious building in the world. There are many other temples from different eras surrounding Angkor Wat including Ta Prohm, made famous in the movie “Tomb Raider”.

Day 10

Owen Holcombe — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:15:43 +0000

We have a two hour ride today from Siem Reap to Battambang, then it is sightseeing time. Today we will travel on the Bamboo Train, see the Kamping Puoy reservoir which was built in the Khmer Rouge era and visit various temples in the area. Phnom Sampov is a mountain outside Battambong with a gruesome past. The temple was used as a prison and torture centre by the Khmer Rouge, and the inmates usually met their death by being thrown into a cave through an opening in the roof. The cave is now the site of a temple.