Cycle Mekong Delta to Phnom Penh: 3-Day Cross-Border Adventure

5.00

(1 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed was the thick morning air as we left Ho Chi Minh City—warm, a little sweet, and buzzing with the sound of scooters. Our guide, Minh, chatted with us on the drive out, sharing stories about his childhood in the delta. Once we swapped city streets for quiet country roads, everything slowed down. We pedaled past rice paddies dotted with white egrets and waved at kids riding old bikes to school. The ferry crossings were my favorite—just us, a few locals, and the river’s slow drift. By late afternoon, we reached our homestay near Can Tho. Dinner was simple but fresh: fish straight from the pond and sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves.

Next morning started early with a boat ride through Can Tho’s floating market. It’s noisy—vendors shouting prices, engines sputtering—but you catch these moments: a woman handing over pineapples from her boat or the smell of coffee brewing somewhere nearby. Afterward, we cycled along narrow paths hugging the riverbank. Minh pointed out tiny shrines tucked under banyan trees and explained why every house faces the water here. By afternoon, we were off to Sam Mountain near Chau Doc. The view at sunset is something else—you can actually spot Cambodia in the haze if you squint just right.

On our last day, it was an early start again—bags packed before sunrise. A local van took us to Chau Doc pier for the speedboat to Phnom Penh. The border crossing felt relaxed; visas sorted right there on arrival (bring a passport photo). Watching Vietnam fade behind us as Cambodia came into view was surreal—same river, different world somehow. From Phnom Penh dock, you’re free to explore on your own or arrange your next steps.