Cycling through Siem Reap’s Countryside
Cycling through
Siem Reap’s Countryside
A cycling tour is a perfect way to explore the area around town with its traditional local life.
You will head along the local road on the east side of Siem Reap River and spend
half a day cycling (around 15 kilometres) through the rice paddy fields.
WHY THIS TOUR?
In search of a more leisurely way to see what lies beyond the Angkor temples? Siem Reap’s landscape, dotted with reminders of the great Kingdom that once was seen as the centre of the universe, has long been overshadowed by the popularity of its temple grandeur…and for reasons unknown.
Using well-maintained bicycles, and for a couple of hours, let us show you why nobody can miss out on the rural side of Cambodia’s most fabled tourism destination. Unlike following in the royal footsteps of renowned Kings of a bygone era, we venture over and across untrodden roads and unpaved thoroughfares to quaint little villages and little-known remains of the Angkor Era.
TRAIL ITINERARY
07:30 - 11:30
-
13:30 - 17:30
Pick will be either in the morning (around 7.30 am) or in the afternoon (from 1.30 pm) from your hotel in Siem Reap and we head out on our bikes from this point. This half-day tour will be approximately 15 kilometres in length.
Our first stop will be the Roluos Village in a south-eastern direction from Siem Reap, related to the ancient centre of the Khmer Civilization, known as the Hariharalaya. Collectively named after the town they sit outside, individually these ninth-century brick and sandstone temples are called Lolei which has intricate Sanskrit inscriptions. The Preah Ko, which is one of Angkor’s oldest temples, and the Bakong are inscribed in the history books as its first state temples. A climb of Bakong’s stone stairways flanked with lion statues reveals fantastic views over this tranquil temple complex. The Roluos Group once formed the second capital during the Angkor-era Khmer Empire.
These temples are close together and date from the late 9th century. It is considered to be the earliest site of the 600 years of the Angkor Empire. The three temples belonging to this important group have similarities of architecture, decoration materials and construction methods which combine to reveal the beginning of the “Classic Period of Khmer Art”.
On the way back, you may see local temples and when time permits, a short visit is possible. This part of Cambodia remains very traditional in its beliefs and culture, transferred over from generation to generation. The excursion is designed to give you a more extended bike ride mixed with cultural interactions and to discover the real Cambodia and that there is more to see than the Angkor temples.
After some stops to take some photographs, you will ride your bike back to your hotel. This half-day tour will take around 4 hours.
