Cycling along the Mekong river

Last weekend I booked the half day cycling trip along the Mekong River in Phnom Penh. In the morning I was picked up at my hotel. At the Grasshopper shop I met my guide Vicheka. We left the shop by bicycle southward, passed the Royal Palace and arrived the Arey Ksat Ferry Dock behind the Dreamland Park. At the shore a lot of people were waiting with motorcycles, tuk tuks and a few cars. On the other side of the Mekong river we made our first stop at a small market place. Vicheka explained in detail different exotic products and we drank a really sweet Khmer Café with ice cubes. Along our way we met a farmer which was plowing his field with his oxen. After a short introduction it was my turn to plow the field with the oxen. The next stop was at a silk weaving house, where I could see the whole production process from the rearing of the silkworm to the final skirt or scarf. Our tour continued along the river between banana and mango plantations and across two other ferries.

Our route (25 km) was mostly on small graveled roads without traffic. The tour is very diversified and provides a good feeling of the landscape and people around the capital. The advice in the Grasshoper shop was good and the mountain bikes are high quality bikes for a pleasant tour. My guide Vicheka is like a lexicon about Cambodia, because he knows a lot about various topics. During the tour there were always small stops for photos, small snacks (e.g. fresh coconuts to drink), lunch or interesting stories. If you have less time and you want to see more than the downtown, I would recommend this tour.