Cambodia Gravel Roads

With a predominantly agricultural population, and an economy still faltering following a tragic recent history, Cambodia’s road infrastructure remains predominantly unsealed and rural. Whilst this may not be an ideal situation for many people, foreign and Khmer alike, for those amongst us who like to explore a country on traffic-free gravel roads, Cambodia offers an increasingly rare opportunity.

Cambodia’s relatively diminutive size also means that, despite being able to explore the land and meet the people far from the tourist hordes, we are never far from a town boasting accommodation usually exceeding the comfort one may expect of a nation lacking in the material luxury of the West.

And as we cycle through the beautiful flatlands of Kampuchea, meeting Khmer people, it is the cheery nature, ever-present smiles, waves, and shouted greetings that will likely leave an even more profound impression that the dramatic Angkorian era architecture. It is, however, this architecture that is, with good reason, Cambodia’s number one tourist draw and is the starting point of our adventure. And as if all of this is not enough, the French colonial legacy of fine dining and drinking, along with the local cuisine, make Cambodia perhaps the best nation in the region for hungry cyclists.

Another in PaintedRoads' growing portfolio of gravel rides, this off the beaten track journey on dusty byways and hard packed lanes is a classic Asian adventure seeing a country from a seldom viewed perspective. In between and beyond Southeast Asia's tourist highlight at Siem Reap, and the nation's capital Phnom Penh, we will be exploring a rural land of oxen-drawn carts where buffalo wallow in the shallow waters of the riverbank. We pass through villages of wooden stilted houses, beneath which shelter white cattle so tall as to look alien, and on through scenes of white egrets fishing in emerald paddies stretching to a distant horizon, and on to the Gulf of Thailand.

Highlights
We begin the tour in one of SE Asia’s most prominent attractions - the temples of Siem Reap, including Angkor Wat. We move on to the nation’s capital, Phnom Penh. From the there we head to the Gulf of Thailand, and end the trip at the characterful town of Kampot.
As with all PaintedRoads cycling tours, the real highlight is cycling through a beautiful land, and getting a real glimpse, beyond the usual tourist trail, by travelling the path less travelled - in this case, gravel.