Phnom Kulen Elephant Forest Cycling

At 8.30 am, we leave the hotel on our bikes and head to Kulen Elephant Forest, a natural lake north of Siem Reap. We enjoy the scenic ride on back roads through Chrev and Bakong Villages, where we stop to ride an ox-cart, visit a primary school, a pagoda, and some hidden temples (Chaw Srei Vibo and Banteay Ampil). We have a picnic lunch at the Kulen Forest Elephant camp and join others for the afternoon tour to observe the elephants. We help prepare healthy snacks, walk with them in the forest, and swim with them in the lake. This is a great way to have fun with these gentle giants. As the sun begins to set, have a picnic in the wild and say goodbye to the elephants before heading we are transferring by the support vehicle to Krav Kod Lake for overnight.

Dinner and overnight at a hotel in Trav Kod Lake

Breakfast at the hotel.

Today will be a bit challenging for us to ride from the hill of Phnom Kulen. Siem Reap gets its water from the Phnom Kulen Mountain range, which towers over the flat lands around it. Although the highest peak of the mountain range lies at only 487m, Phnom Kulen has much to offer visitors. The site is considered by the Cambodian people to be the origin of the old Khmer Empire. King Jayavarman II claimed independence from Java there in 802 A.D.

Get ready and ride on the paved road for 30km to reach the Phnom Kulen checkpoint, take a little rest for snacks, and then ride to climb up to the top of Phnom Kulen Hill. We will get lunch boxes at Peung Chronh and then ride on to see the 1000 Lingas and the waterfall. Then we cycle further to our campsite for dinner and overnight in a tent.

Breakfast at the campsite.

From the hill, we bike further to Anglong Veng, a town 125 kilometers north of Siem Reap on the N67. Anglong Veng has a history as a frontier, a crossroads, a border, and the last stronghold and burial place of the Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot. It is also very peaceful. We can bike as long as we can, but 60-70km should suffice, as we also want to see some historical sites like Tam Mok’s house and the Thailand border before we head to Saem for the night.

Breakfast at the hotel.

We start to ride our bikes from the hotel to the checkpoint of Preah Vihear Temple, 30km. The road is paved and fewer villages but it will be more about jungle and farmland. When we get there, we take the 4WD to the peak of Phnom Dangrek and see Preah Vihear temple. Preah Vihear was built in the early 11th century. It dominates the plain from its prominent position in the Dangrek Mountains at an altitude of over 700m. The Thais used to occupy the temple, which is close to the Thai border. It has recently been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Explore this historic temple and take in the sweeping views from the summit over Thailand and Cambodia. Picnic lunch will be provided on the site.

We go back down the hill to the checkpoint and bike for another 30km before we move to Koh Ker. Dinner and overnight in Koh Ker

An early amazing riding day, we start early from the resort to the Koh Ker temple complex 10km, then our driver will prepare the breakfast picnic for us somewhere near one of the temples. After breakfast, we continue to ride bikes to visit different temples. Visiting the Koh Ker temples before the crowds gives us a serene and jungle-like feeling. Koh Ker was the Khmer Empire’s short-lived capital from 928 to 944 A.D. and dates back to the 10th century. Its temple has a unique style that looks more like the old pyramids of Egypt than any other Cambodian temple. The temple and its surroundings, partly covered by the forest and home to only birds, offer a remarkable experience.

We bike back towards Siem Reap and complete our 70km goal, then have lunch at a local restaurant in Svay Leu before going to Siem Reap. We reach Siem Reap around 5 pm, get dropped off, and end of service. Dinner and accommodation are not included.