The day has finally arrived! Any last-minute nerves will turn to excitement as the plane touches down in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) after an overnight flight from London.
On arrival, a local Charity Challenge representative will accompany your group to a centrally-located hotel. You will check in and have lunch (own expense), followed by a full trip briefing and bike fitting. In the evening, you will be able to enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant, providing you with the perfect opportunity to get to know your fellow team mates.
Accommodation: Hotel
After breakfast you will transfer to My Tho, the gateway to the Mekong Delta. Your cycling adventure begins after a ferry journey across the Tien Giang river. A varied section of biking follows - off-road, gravel and dirt lanes, weaving around hamlets, across water channels and through dense vegetation. The final ferry of the day sees you cross the Co Chien river to the tree-lined town of Tra Vinh, which will be your home for the night.
Accommodation: Hotel
The road may be long, but the atmosphere is calm and peaceful as you head along narrow and pretty roads to Can Tho. There’s plenty to see along the way, including the magnificent lotus flowers floating on Ba Om Pond. The route also takes in the contrasting architectural styles of ethnic Khmer homes and Khmer temples, as well as fascinating river scenes as you cycle across countless wooden bridges. You will be offered the unique chance to learn about the life of students at a local Khmer Temple School before you reach your final destination for the day. Get a good night’s sleep in Can Tho in preparation for tomorrow’s early start.
Accommodation: Hotel
After an early breakfast, take a ride along the narrow-paved road beside the river and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Cai Rang floating market. Weave through the morning traders, and absorb the sights of everyday morning life – from the coconut shredders to the timber merchants. After visiting the An Binh Market, you will continue on to Phong Dien Village and stop for lunch. There’s a 30-minute transfer to the town of Long Xuyen where you will spend the evening.
Accommodation: Hotel
After a short, early morning transfer to Tri Ton, the cycling starts to undulate as you ride closer to Chau Doc and Cambodia. The afternoon is spent at the killing fields of Vietnam at Ba Chuc, where Pol Pot’s regime massacred an entire village in 1978. The haunting, ‘skull pagoda’ and small museum stand as a memorial to the villages 3,000 victims and its one, solitary survivor. The route then loops around to Chau Doc and along the border where you will spend your final night in Vietnam.
Accommodation: Hotel
It's time to leave Vietnam behind and continue your expedition by heading into Cambodia. Rise early to take a boat journey up the Mekong River to Phnom Penh. It’s five hours upstream to the Cambodian capital, where you’ll meet your Cambodian guides and be fitted with your new bike. Lunch will be spent soaking in the town’s colonial atmosphere and buzzing local life. After lunch, you will travel to Cambodia’s harrowing killing fields. In the evening, you will be welcomed to Cambodia with a delicious Khmer dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Hotel
Cycle from our hotel through the rapidly developing capital city to a ferry that takes you across the Mekong. Stop at a small family run silk farm, learn about this fascinating and venerable process. Pedal on amongst smaller settlements alongside the river, including towns settled by the Cham ethnic minority, ancient waterway traders who had resided in this area for nearly 2000 years, yet have closer historical and cultural ties to Malaysia and Indonesia. Enjoy a packed lunch whilst resting at a Khmer temple and witness the ever-present scenes of daily life that occur in these important cultural and social institutions. This afternoon head north via the ancient Japenese bridge, to visit the famous Cambodian town of Skun where your cycle will end for the day. Feel free to try the local cuisine here of fried tarantula! Transfer to Kampong Thom, on the banks of the Stung Saen river. A well-deserved evening meal awaits you, giving you the opportunity to rest your legs before your final day of cycling.
Accommodation: Hotel
It’s the final day! After a transfer to the village of Domdek, you will begin your 66km ride to the incredible Angkor Wat. The route into the site is lined with temples, creating a truly spectacular final leg of your journey. You will reach the finish line as the sun sets over the Angkor temples, providing the perfect finish to a successful challenge. The celebrations continue tonight at your traditional Khmer dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel
Shake off the heavy legs by watching an incredible sunrise over Angkor Wat (optional). With plenty of time to explore the entire complex, it is well worth taking the time to climb the steep and narrow steps of the central spire of Angkor Wat. From the top, you will be rewarded with remarkable views over the temples and the surrounding jungle. Be sure to spend some time at Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. Another highlight is Ta Prohm, a site that has been reclaimed by nature and features tree routes breaking through the stone carvings and walls. After a long day of exploring, it will be time to head to the airport for your overnight flight back to the UK.
Accommodation: In the air
Armed with a sense of achievement, you can feel proud as you touch down into the UK. Don’t forget to exchange contact details with your fellow cyclists before heading home to share your journey with family and friends.
BELIEVE >> ACHIEVE >> INSPIRE
We hold an Air Travel Organiser's Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 6546. Many of the flight-inclusive challenges on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. This ATOL protection only covers challenges that include flights booked by Charity Challenge and that originate in the UK. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLcertificate
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