Cycling Phnom Penh to Kampot

Arrive into Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital, set at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers and once considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Orient. Wide, tree-lined boulevards and colonial-era buildings still reflect the city's glory days, where Asian and Western traditions meet in a fascinating way. Transfer around 35 minutes to your hotel, then enjoy lunch along the riverfront before setting out on a short city tour by cyclo, a favoured mode of transport here. Visit the nineteenth-century Royal Palace and its Silver Pagoda, named for the more than 5,000 silver tiles covering its floor and home to a remarkable collection of Buddha statues cast in gold, silver, crystal and bronze. Continue to the nearby National Museum, built in traditional Khmer style and home to the world's foremost collection of ancient Khmer art, archaeology and religious artefacts dating from the fourth to the thirteenth centuries, alongside a rather unexpected resident population of bats in its roof. Return to your hotel to rest, before dinner this evening on the rooftop, with views over the capital. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Begin the day with a visit to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, a sobering but important look at Cambodia's recent history, with an audio guide, available in fifteen languages, sharing accounts from survivors and liberators. From here, transfer to a local temple to begin cycling toward Tonle Bati, a recreation area popular with Cambodians and home to a well-preserved Angkorian-era temple. Continue cycling on to Phnom Chisor, climbing to the summit to explore the ruins of a tenth-century Angkorian temple, with sweeping views over the surrounding countryside. Finish the day's ride into Takeo, a small town that feels thoroughly and unmistakably Cambodian, its markets, transport and everyday business unfolding in ways that defy easy explanation. Expect a chorus of children's hellos along the last few kilometres. Dinner tonight is at a local restaurant. Around 72 kilometres of cycling today, rated easy. Overnight in Takeo.

Transfer around an hour into the countryside to begin the day's ride toward Kep, Cambodia's prestigious seaside resort of the 1960s, now steadily returning to its former glory. The small town carries plenty of reminders of its past, alongside a growing choice of things to do, from island trips to a national park and the town's famous crab market. On the approach into Kep, look out for the decaying villas and former royal residence that recall the town's heyday as a high-society retreat, abandoned during the Khmer Rouge years. Arrive at your hotel in time for a plate of fresh local seafood and a well-earned rest. Around 60 kilometres of cycling today, rated easy. Overnight in Kep.

Set an easy pace today for the ride to Kampot, stopping along the way at one of the region's many pepper farms; Kampot pepper was once considered essential to French kitchens back in the 1960s and remains prized today. Cycle on toward Phnom Chhnork, a limestone mountain with a seventh-century temple hidden inside its cave, then continue alongside the Steung Keo River into Kampot itself, a charming riverside town still shaped by French colonial architecture and known for the warmth of its people. This evening, stroll through town and choose from one of the many local restaurants, or settle in at a riverside bar for a drink. Around 45 kilometres of cycling today, rated easy. Overnight in Kampot.

Transfer this morning to Bokor Mountain, a former French hill station now largely abandoned, home to a scatter of colonial-era ruins. While modern development has crept into parts of the park, the views from the top, out over the ocean and toward Vietnam, remain striking, with a noticeably cooler climate to match. Begin cycling from the Yeay Mao statues toward the summit, around 11 kilometres, to a small waterfall popular with locals, a good spot to cool off before turning back for the highlight of the day: a breezy descent back down to the statues. Riders with experience on technical descents can continue a further 22 kilometres to the bottom of the mountain. After lunch, transfer back to Phnom Penh. Around 22 to 44 kilometres of cycling today, rated easy to medium. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Enjoy a final morning in Phnom Penh at your own pace before transferring around 35 minutes to the airport for your onward flight, bringing your journey through Cambodia to a close.