Today head off on two wheels as you explore Battambang on a half-day cycle tour with Soksabike, a fantastic social enterprise aimed at preserving Khmer traditions through tourism activities. Soksabike offers vocational training to local youths by hiring and training them as tour guides, supports the households and small business owners who help to support the tours with fair payments which in turn allow the families to send thier children to school, cover medical bills and much more. Finally, the tours are structured to provide an educative, meaningful experience for our guests. Soksabike believes in learning through guided discovery and providing experiences to increase understanding and appreciation of local customs and culture, which is very much our mindset too. A rewarding experience that we are sure you will fully enjoy during your time in Battambang!
After adjusting the bikes, head out of town and into the countryside. on showing the ‘real’ Cambodia so there will be plenty of chances to stop and see how the local people live. Pass through rural communities and admire the cottage industries producing local items such as rice paper, (sticky rice steamed in bamboo), and (pungent Cambodian fish paste). Interact with the villagers and learn about their lives in rural Cambodia.
Between the villages, cycle through Battambang’s lovely countryside. with vibrant rice paddies and orchards growing oranges and other fruits. Tucked amid the bucolic setting is Wat Samraong Knong, a charming Buddhist temple built in 1907 in a fusion of French colonial and Khmer architectural styles. Sadly, the temple functioned as an interrogation facility during the Khmer Rouge era: a memorial for the 10,000 victims has been built on site. After observing the temple continue back to town for a well-deserved refreshment.