Ride Cambodia Motorcycle Tours -- The Road Less Ridden

SIHANOUKVILLE, CAMBODIA, November 12, 2012

I had never been to Cambodia or even Asia until after finishing Uni and deciding it needed a visit from yours truly. My knowledge of Cambodia (in fact the only reason I had heard of it) was entirely based on the stories I had read in trashy magazines about Angelina Jolie adopting her son from there. I'm afraid to say that Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge had not even crossed my radar.

Being the sensible kind, thorough preparation had been undertaken by way of buying Boots entire range of bug repellent, Dioralyte and anti-bacterial hand wash and watching Tomb Raider -some scenes were apparently filmed in the Temples at Angkor. I was ready to go!

After a long (14hours to be exact but who's counting?) bus journey from Bangkok to Phnom Penh I was in dire need of an alternative way to see the beautiful countryside Cambodia has to offer. It's a lot harder to appreciate the jungles, rivers and countryside when the bus driver has Khmer Karaoke videos playing on a loop.

The idea of travelling by Dirt Bike had always appealed (Ewan McGregor is only one of the reasons it appealed, honest) so when someone recommended Ride Cambodia Motorcycle Tours I was sold. Not having had much experience of off-roading I was a bit uneasy about making it through alive let alone in one piece but the guides and mechanics were very helpful and encouraging I soon realised there was no need to worry (having a medic bringing up the rear also puts your mind at rest). The surroundings were amazing varying from paddy fields to jungles to local villages where the kids would always come out and wave. If you ever needed a place to stop for lunch the locals were more than welcoming, inviting you in to their home to share their food with you. Once I was even lucky enough to find a chicken foot in amongst my lunch, which is apparently is the best bit and a great honour.

One of the highlights of the trip for me has got to be swimming in the volcanic lake in Banlung while monkeys hung out in the tree tops around you. Another would be when we crossed a fast flowing, waist high river blocking our path (the bridge was a work in progress) and the whole group and I had to carry our bikes across with one hand whilst holding on for dear life to a piece of rope which had been strung up across the river. Great fun!

So for those of you who are yet to experience the wonder of such things as bum guns (you'll grow to love them I swear), struggling to understand the cost of something using either riel or dollars - sometimes requiring both in a clear attempt to make you fell even more stupid, or seeing whole families travelling on one Moto (including extended family and other distant relatives too) then this trip is certainly for you.

I would definitely recommend Ride Cambodia to anyone looking to experience the country first hand and can't wait to come back for more next year! Even if you don't have 2weeks to spare, they also tailor make trips of any length and skill level.
10 days of off road biking through jungles, up Mountains, visiting Temples, crossing rivers , staying in tree top lodges and BBQs on the beach - what's not to love? Apart from finding a surprise chicken foot in your soup of course...

Here are Ride Cambodia's contact details if you'd like to book your own Motorcycle Adventure:

Serendipity Beach Road
Sihanoukville
Cambodia
UK: +44 208 1441 769
KH: +855 69 383 606 / +855 889 38 35 36
AU: +02 8003 4022
info@ridecambodia.com
http://ridecambodia.com
http://www.facebook.com/ridecambodia.com
http://www.youtube.com/ridecambodia