Angkor Wat is the most amazing place on Earth! Period!
It is truly mind-boggling that ancient man was able to construct such
a myriad number of majestic architectural masterpieces by hand. And equally astounding
is how Angkor lay untouched and slumbering for more than half a millennia.
Needless to say, riding a motorcycle through the ruins is by far the best
way to visit them. On this mixed on-road / off-road motorcycle tour we will visit the
hardest to reach and least frequented of these great temple complexes,
as well as the most famous ones. And each afternoon we'll return to the
stylish town of Siem Reap for spas and massages, fine dining, and evenings
full of entertainment. Action
adventure travel doesn't get any better, or posher, than this.
This is a very special Asian Motorcycle Adventure motorcycle tour despite it having the least driving distance of any of the other tours on our itinerary. There is only one destination on this motorcycle trip--Angkor Wat--and simply put, Angkor is one of the greatest wonders on earth and must be seen to be believed.
Think about that for a moment--one of the greatest wonders on earth. Don't you owe it to yourself to experience such a place? And with A.M.A you'll be getting there by motorcycle, and once there we will explor every Angkor Wat nook and cranny by motorcycle as well.
The motorcycle ride into Angkor Wat from the Thailand border is over a road so bad
it has a lot of nerve even calling itself a road. But what can you expect
from a thousand-year old thoroughfare built for elephants and ox carts
and which had fallen into total disuse for the last 500 years. This Royal
Khmer Road has only recently been opened to foreigners, and it leads us
directly into the center of Angkor Wat.
In all the world, Angkor Wat is the most exceptional
historical and architectural site created by human beings.
What the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans left behind pales in comparison
to the antiquities of the ancient people called the Khmers.
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with larger and more elaborate temples and cities dedicated to their Gods and ancestors. Some of the earliest temples were constructed of bricks. But the great majority of buildings were erected from large stone blocks, with scenes of Khmer history, culture, their wars and their God, carved into every single surface, inside and out, in the minutest of detail.
The Khmers became rich beyond compare because they were the first civilization
to control one of earth’s fundamental elements—water. They developed the
technology to store and move water where it was needed, when it was needed,
thus sparing themselves the twin ravages of floods and famines.
Using their great wealth, the Khmers conquered all the other
surrounding kingdoms. Their booty, which included untold thousands of
slaves, quarried the stones, moved them down the rivers, and erected and
carved the magnificent temples and statuary. Some scholars think
this building frenzy was the cause of their eventual demise, by sapping
the energy and resources of the kingdom. By the late 1400’s, the game
was over for the Khmers. Their enemies drove them out of Angkor and down
to Phnom Penh, the present-day Cambodian capital. For the next 500 years,
nature went back to work, the rainforest and jungle covering up the lands
the Khmer kings wrested from it.
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Angkor was long forgotten by the outside world until “rediscovered”
by a Frenchman in the mid-1800’s. But it was not until the early-20th
century that Angkor Wat become known again to the world. Cambodia’s
isolation kept all but the most intrepid travelers away. In the
1960’s, just when air travel became somewhat practical, Cambodia was
plunged into decades of civil and external warfare. The fighting
finally ended for good only in
1997. Now peace reigns, and one of mankind’s supreme achievement
is open once again, and open for motorcyclists as well. |
different
levels that it is hard to walk 50 feet in any direction without
being hit with a scene so powerful and exotic, so mesmerizing, that
you have to stop dead in your tracks to try to digest what your
eyes are registering.
Different aspects of Angkor fascinates its visitors differently. Some can’t get over how an ancient people could design and build such huge and exquisite structures made solely of solid stone. Others marvel at the magnificent carvings and statuary that cover and decorate these edifices. For many, what amazes most strongly is the silent but powerful struggle of nature re-claiming the antiquities themselves.
Some of the temple complexes are almost completely restored.
Several others are in different stages of restoration. The majority of
the temples, however, are still in the same state of ruin as when they
were rediscovered. And in these temples, it is possible to explore on
your own, at your own pace, the many hidden delights still covered by
the detritus of time.
Our lodgings are in the adjoining town of Siem Reap, a cowboy town far
from the capital’s central control, and the more common Asian vices operate
fairly openly. Siem Reap is a town full of contradictions: wagon wheel
makers and blacksmiths are still integral industries, yet internet cafes
abound and satellite TV is ubiquitous. The food is excellent—local Cambodian
fare, along with Western, French, Indian, and Asian cuisines. Wine shops
are fully stocked. Lively nightspots do a thriving business into the early
hours. And the shopping is terrific at prices bordering on the absurd
(but don’t tell the sellers that).
(The old Khymer Rouge Toul Sleng Prison regulations. Only 2 persons out of 16,000 survived their incarcination,) |
We stay in a comfortable guesthouse in the center of
town with air-con, satellite TV, and hot water. Knowledgeable guides
will accompany us all around the antiquities every day, explaining
the history of Angkor, the story
behind each temple, and point out the most spectacular artwork and
carvings. They will also take us to some temples not even listed
in guidebooks or notated on maps. |
around 4 ½ to 5 ½ hours to complete because of the decrepit surface condition. It's a hell of a lot of fun, or work, depending on your viewpoint and riding experience.
For those without off-road riding skills,
we can put your motorcycle on a 4-WD pick-up and then drive you and your
bike into Siem Reap. The dirt roads in and around Siem Reap and throughout
the Angkor antiquities pose no undue challenges, and road-riders should
not have difficulties.
Bring plenty of film or memory cards for your cameras
if you decide to come. And bring along your spirit of adventure, because
in Angkor Wat it will get a tremendous workout.
This ANGKOR WAT tour
will not appeal to everyone. But if you enjoy history, art, architecture,
photography, and love visiting exotic and foreign locales by motorcycle,
this is a tour that will never be forgotten.
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to view map of ANGKOR WAT ».
Click to view map of CAMBODIA ».
ANGKOR WAT Motorcycle Tour » - Cambodia
Off-road riding experience MANDATORY! No pillion riding on this tour.
There might be passenger space available in the support vehicle.
Passenger in support truck: USD 1,495.
Inquire for availability. info@asianbiketour.com
2009 ANGKOR WAT MOTORCYCLE TOUR
(If the motorcycle tour dates you desire are not listed, custom tours can be arranged to fit into your time frame,
especially if you have formed your own group. Please contact info@asianbiketour.com.
November 4 through Nov. 13, 2009. USD 2,695.
November 18 through Nov. 27, 2009. USD 2,695.
December 2 through Dec. 11, 2009. USD 2,695.
December 12 through Dec. 21, 2009. High Season Price: USD2,895.
December 30, 2009 through January 8, 2010. High Season Price: USD2,895.
2010 ANGKOR WAT MOTORCYCLE TOUR
(If the motorcycle tour dates you desire are not listed, custom tours can be arranged to fit into your time frame,
especially if you have formed your own group. Please contact info@asianbiketour.com.
December 30, 2009 through January 8, 2010. High Season Price: USD2,895.
January 13 through January 22, 2010. USD 2,695.
January 27 through February 5, 2010. USD 2,695.
February 10 through February 19, 2010. USD 2,695.
February 24 through March 5, 2010. USD 2,695.
March 10 through March 19, 2010. USD 2,695.
March 24 through April 2, 2010. USD 2,695.
May 5 through May 14, 2010. USD 2,695.
(If the motorcycle tour dates you desire are not listed, custom tours can be arranged to fit into your time frame,
especially if you have formed your own group. Please contact info@asianbiketour.com.
November 3 through November 12, 2010. USD 2,695.
November 17 through November 26, 2010. USD 2,695.
December 1 through December 10, 2010. USD 2,595.
December 15 through December 24, 2010. High Season Price: USD2,895.
December 29 2010 through January 7, 2011. High Season Price: USD2,895.
2011 ANGKOR WAT MOTORCYCLE TOUR
(If the motorcycle tour dates you desire are not listed, custom tours can be arranged to fit into your time frame,
especially if you have formed your own group. Please contact info@asianbiketour.com.
December 29, 2010 through January 7, 2011. High Season Price: USD2,895.
January 12 through January 21, 2011. USD 2,695.
January 26 through February 4, 2011. USD 2,695.
February 9 through February 18, 2011. USD 2,695.
February 23 through March 4, 2011. USD 2,695.
March 9 through March 18, 2011. USD 2,695.
March 23 through April 1, 2011. USD 2,695.
April 20 through April 29, 2011. USD 2,695.
May 4 through May 13, 2011. USD 2,695.
(If the motorcycle tour dates you desire are not listed, custom tours can be arranged to fit into your time frame,
especially if you have formed your own group. Please contact info@asianbiketour.com.
November 2 through November 11, 2011. USD 2,695.
November 16 through November 25, 2011. USD 2,695.
November 30 through December 9. 2011. USD 2,695.
December 14 through December 23, 2011. High Season Price: USD2,895.
December 28, 2011 through January 6 2012. High Season Price: USD2,895.
Return to ASIAN MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURES home page ».
Questions / requests / feedback: info@asianbiketour.com