Good Routes in Cambodia

[Slaphead]

Myself and two mates are doing about of biking in Cambodia, late June, early July.
Were leaving Phnom Phem to Sihaoukville via Takeo and Kampot.
We'll be on XR 250s, anyone been around there before, have any advice, maps, good routes etc.
Thanks

[dancingroads]

Originally Posted by Slaphead

Myself and two mates are doing about of biking in Cambodia, late June, early July.
Were leaving Phnom Phem to Sihaoukville via Takeo and Kampot.
We'll be on XR 250s, anyone been around there before, have any advice, maps, good routes etc.
Thanks

Hiya,

The route you mentioned is pretty straightforward if you have sealed roads in mind...

Head out of PP along National Route 2, visit Phnom Chisor and Tonle Bati (Phnom Da too if you it appeals) en route, then turn off just before Takeo town along route 22, until it joins up with National Route 3 at Ang Tasom town ( where you can get lunch/petrol etc)

About 10km after Ang Tasom is a fork...left takes you to Kep via Kompong Trach (very scenic road and Kep is worth a visit en route to Kampot.. ) the right takes you straight to Kampot.

From Kampot again it is very simple to Sihanoukville, over the bridge and follow route number 3 until it hits national route 4. (NB National Route 4 is known for its psychotic bus, Lexus and container truck drivers. Ride passively, keep right and expect the worst on corners!)

For a different route to Kampot away from the taxis and minibuses, a nice alternative is road number 124 (on the gecko map it runs between routes 3 and 4, but misses out Takeo). This road is a mix of red dirt and new sealed road... (you can see it on the first few images here:)

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=346445

On that link you'll also see the nice single trails around Kampot and Kep for dirtbike enthusiasts, though maps don't come in very handy for those!

For general info about riding over here, see this link:

http://www.khmer440.com/article.php?catArtId=23&id=286

For bike hire, Two Wheels Only comes highly recommended....

The Gecko map is a good one for what you have planned, and is available at Monument Books on Norodom Blvd in Phnom Penh for $10.

You can also download maps here:

http://www.cambodiamaps.blogspot.com/

The best guidebook to get is Ultimate Cambodia by Matt Jacobson, as it is written with bikers in mind...

Hope that helps!

DR

[Slaphead]

Thanks mate.That was very informative and helpful!
Well were looking for a mix of some sealed roads and some off road stuff so that is prefect.
We have arranged for bikes from Mr Bike Rental in PP.
Is it easy to pick up bike gear in PP, like googles,boots,maps etc?
Thanks

[dancingroads]

Originally Posted by Slaphead

Thanks mate.That was very informative and helpful!
Well were looking for a mix of some sealed roads and some off road stuff so that is prefect.
We have arranged for bikes from Mr Bike Rental in PP.
Is it easy to pick up bike gear in PP, like googles,boots,maps etc?
Thanks

goggles, yes (from Lucky bikes street 130 branch or Flying Bikes)
boots, no: bring your own or get some army boots from the market
maps: as above

[Slaphead]

Originally Posted by dancingroads

goggles, yes (from Lucky bikes street 130 branch or Flying Bikes)
boots, no: bring your own or get some army boots from the market
maps: as above

Thanks again.
The gecko map, is it just a driving map?
Is it possible to pick up riding clothing, jacket & pants, etc. in the markets?

[dancingroads]

Yes, the gecko map is a road map, and although most maps of Cambodia aren't that great when it comes to going off the beaten track, it does a pretty good job for most routes...

Again, as with the boots, it is hard to come by riding riding gear here, and what is available tends to be overpriced. I would recommend bringing stuff from home if you can... when we need gear we order it in from ebay etc

[Warthog]

+1 for the generous and helpful info, DancingRoads.

Its good to see a tour company offer helpful info, no strings attached. A little good will goes a long way.

A guided first trip helps a rider ramp up quickly on the good areas, food, customs/culture, trails, and provides the safety of a guide (not worried about crime - worried being stuck, or breaking a foot or something silly)

[2StrokeBloke]

I realize it's a bit late, but a nice trip from Kampot for the day is to head up to the Bokor Nat. forest/hill station. awesome road scenery, great view from the top and a couple of cool abandoned buildings to explore! Well worth the trip! Awesome on a bike.
Once you are at the top, there is a cool side road off to an amazing waterfalls area.

I did it two up on a Djebel...ran out of gas on the way down...that was a whole lot of fun!

[dancingroads]

Unfortunately the old 'river bed' road of Bokor is no more,and it is closed to all bikes as it is being 'developed' :(

[team ftb]

Great info DancingRoads!!

Yes sad to see the Kampot road being developed . I was there a year ago and it was nice riding to the top and spending the night up there with the rangers was great fun.


The rainy season had just begun and it was lush with the roads not yet being bad. Loved it.



Dancingroads I'm heading into Southern Laos in two weeks time for some offroading and my buddy and I were thinking of also hitting Cambodia. Can you give me a heads up of whether or not its too far into rainy season in Cambodia to get much fun, interesting dirt biking done?

Last time I was there I road from Preah Vihear in northern Cambodia down to Kampot and covered some off roading but not as much, and not as fun as I would of liked. Was thinking of hiring a guide to help get us into some fun areas. Prey tell, what does a guide cost per day if we have our own bikes? Is it too late for the Cardamom mountain trails?

Thanks a bunch.

[dancingroads]

Originally Posted by team ftb

Great info DancingRoads!!


Dancingroads I'm heading into Southern Laos in two weeks time for some offroading and my buddy and I were thinking of also hitting Cambodia. Can you give me a heads up of whether or not its too far into rainy season in Cambodia to get much fun, interesting dirt biking done?

Last time I was there I road from Preah Vihear in northern Cambodia down to Kampot and covered some off roading but not as much, and not as fun as I would of liked. Was thinking of hiring a guide to help get us into some fun areas. Prey tell, what does a guide cost per day if we have our own bikes? Is it too late for the Cardamom mountain trails?

Thanks a bunch.

Cardamoms is a no-no I'm afraid.... Chhep Kandal is nearlya no-no..but as you know with Cambodia, there are always good trails out there :-)

Check your PM.....

[team ftb]

Thanks for the PM .

F.Y.I. I've heard that this outfit (Dancingroads)are decent people and offer some fun adventure around their country on bikes. Looking forward to hooking up with them in the future.

DancingRoads - Thanks so much for your generosity with information on a public forum that is really quite specific and not easy to come by. Greatly appreciated and your unselfish attitude in sharing it speaks volumnes. Best of luck with things and looking forward meeting up with you guys when I cross over to Cambodia.

[dancingroads]

Gosh, I'm all shy now

Thank you for the very kind words...

[thealien]

sorry, why are the Cardomans a no-no?

Originally Posted by dancingroads

Cardamoms is a no-no I'm afraid.... Chhep Kandal is nearlya no-no..but as you know with Cambodia, there are always good trails out there :-)

Check your PM.....

[dancingroads]

Because at the time of writing, water levels left the Cardamoms impassable during the rainy season.