Banlung to Sihanukville (via Phnom Penh)

Banlung to Sihanukville route map go to -  http://goo.gl/maps/Mc4Na
(NB - It only seems to work on my laptop & not my phone)

26/06/14 – Banlung to Strung Treng – 146km

A 9am start for what I knew would be a long day in the saddle,probably hammered it too much in the morning & suffered in the afternoon. Gentle inclines & declines all day, although it did seem more inclines than declines – but perhaps I’m just running out of energy!! A good road although the compacted chippings take their toll on ones arse fairly quickly. It was actually fairly boring with long straight roads, no rivers & not particularly spectacular scenery. Everywhere, including Stung Treng town water was suddenly 25cents a bottle instead of the usual 12 cents. There were services available most of the way although there was a stretch of 30 to 40 Km where noting was available.

I was making good time & reckoned I’d get to Stung Treng around 5 to 5.30Pm when around 3PM a puncture struck. Despite local advice (who told me I’d have to backtrack 15Km), I pushed the bike forward & after around 2KM found a motorbike repair shop. As usual they made a right mess of trying to patch a bike tyre & thankfully I’d bought a spare tube in Banlung. Still wasted about 45 minutes as they pissed around determined they could fix the puncture. That said they were a couple of really friendly, helpful guys – it’s just they didn’t have a clue about what they were trying to do.

Suddenly time was pressing if I was to make Stung Treng by dark & my legs & especially my backside were wearying badly. At the crossroads I suddenly gained 10Km ie I expected 25Km to go but suddenly the road sigh said 15Km to Stung Treng – Nicest surprise I’d had in a long time.

I finally arrived in Stung Treng at 6pm but spent another hour looking for a room. They all seemed to want $13 to $20 for an A/C room when all I wanted was a cheap fan room. Finally & in desperation (ie I needed some beer) I settled for a fairly grotty GH room @ $7.50. Rice soup with chicken, barbequed pork & lots of beers. – Not looking forward to tomorrow & another long ride. 

27/06/14 – Stung Treng to Kratie – 138km

Really wasn’t looking forward to another 100km+ ride & managed to get off shortly after 9am. The road to the T junction with Banlung was OK but about 20km outside Stung Treng the roadworks started & continued for most of the day. I say roadworks but for 100km there’s no one actually working on it. It’s just loose chippings with no top coat – bloody hard on an already tender backside.

I really didn’t enjoy this stretch at all. It was agony on my backside, my legs were getting tired & I had to watch out for potholes all day such that you can’t look up & take in any scenery. One of those days when I wondered what the hell I was doing & where the pleasure in this cycling lark is!! Services available all the way & as everywhere in Cambodia so far, everyone was honest & friendly. It was also good to find water was back to 12 cents a bottle.

I arrived in Kratie around 6pm & found lots of the hotels were full (including the Heng Heng which I’d been looking forward to). I don’t know if it was a festival or wedding but there were lots of dressed up Khmers bustling around all the local hotels. Once again ended up in a bit of a doss house – can’t complain at only $4/ night but no water, no TV & a noisy fan. I’d wanted to spend more & have a comfortable night. That said the bed was fine & it was quiet – even in the morning.

Determined to have something other than rice, I went to You Hong restaurant, not least as they had big Beerlaos for $2 & Anchor for $0.75 with a craving for either pizza or something with chips. Once inside I discovered the Beerlao was $2.50 & Anchor $1 & got the old “the menu displayed outside is the old menu, the one inside is the updated prices” – I refused to pay for the Beer (opened but not touched) & walked out, although I did regret it as I’d really fancied that pizza or burger & chips.

NOTE -(added June 2015). Latest reports are most of this road is now resurfaced & in good condition.

28/06/14 – Kratie to Chulong – 35km

Ah joy! At last an enjoyable, pleasant days cycling, when I could take it easy, enjoy the scenery & interact with the kids. I’d thought of spending an extra night in Kratie but knew I’d get bored & although my legs & arse desperately needed a rest, 35km was just stretching my legs nowadays.

A good road, lots of time to take it really slow & easy. Following the Mekong all the way – really a joy & reminded me of the pleasures of cycling. Services were available all the way enroute & I got into Chulong around 3pm & that was leaving Kratie at 12am & taking it really easy. Chulong is a fair sized town with 5 basic guesthouses that I spotted. All but one were rustic wooden stilted buildings, I chose the new looking concrete building on the riverside street. I forget the name but at 25,000 Riel ($6) for nice room with a few cable channels & Wi-fi, I was more that happy. The Mekong Guesthouse looked nice if you like river views & prefer the more ethnic experience of a stilted wooden house.

Chulong proved to be a friendly wee place although it did shut down about 8pm & I had to rush to buy some cold beers before everyone hit the sack. Luckily the place I went for my evening meal (pork & cabbage soup) fixed me up with 7 beers & a bag of ice. So, alls well tonight!!

29/06/14 – Chulong to Kampong Cham – 100km (approx)

I’d read somewhere this was a 90km stretch but I recon it was more like 100km. Good to be back on a decent road & I enjoyed today's cycling. Followed the Mekong river much of the way picturesque stilted villages, mosques & women with headscarfs gave a Muslim feeling to the day. I thought I’d got a second wind but was to find out otherwise tomorrow. A good breakfast of 2 fried eggs & baguette set me up well early on then around 1 to 2pm just as I was giving up on finding some food & about to break into my emergency tin of tuna I found a nice transport cafe & really enjoyed a dish of chicken, beansprouts & liver (7,000 Riel or $1.75 inc unlimited rice) + gallons of free tea. A perfect filler for the rest of the journey & it was great to feel my appetite coming back.

Coming into Kampong Cham was picturesque but also a bit hairy & crossing the bridge with high winds & heavy traffic was no fun whatsoever. Arrived with lots of time to look for a room & found a nice room for $7/ night – forgot to take the name of it unfortunately.

Checked out the travellers restaurants but as usual they screw you $1 for a beer on top of relatively expensive food. Back to beer from the small shops & some delicious grilled chicken, a hand of banana’s & kilo of mangosteen.

Went to bed looking forward to what I thought was a 105km cycle to Phnom Penh especially with the 2^nd wind I’d experienced today – I was in for a rude awakening!!!

30/06/14 – Kampong Cham to Phnom Penh – 120km

I’d thought of resting up in Kampong Cham an extra day but decided to push on to Phnom Penh, I’d read it was 105km but this turned out to be more like 124km. Bad start as I missed the sandwich vendors & ended up going more than an hour looking for breakfast. I eventually found a vendor with chicken, liver & tomatoes & it was absolutely delicious. The rest of the day was a nightmare with roadworks pretty much all the way. It wrecked havoc with my backside & tires & I expected a puncture at anytime. Thankfully the bike coped with it all – she’s tougher than she sometimes looks. At times I was cursing out loud at the state of Cambodian roads & getting a few strange looks from the bemused locals.

There was one guesthouse enroute about 30km outside Phnom Penh, just before a large bridge crosses the river. It was tempting to stop here but I decided to get things over & done with & push on the last 30km. I arrived in Phnom Penh shortly after 6pm, completely done in, starving & in a really shitty mood. I was so glad to find the Green Guesthouse had a $8 room & the elevator was a definite plus for my weary legs. Additionally I know from previous experience my bike will be safe & well looked after in the hotel foyer.

Grabbed a couple of cold beers to help me unpack & wash the red clay & grime that covered everything. I knew I probably shouldn’t hit the beer straight away but just couldn’t resist & it really did taste wonderful. Headed out to my favorite bia chaa luk lac vendor which didn’t disappoint then off to Soraya Mall for lots more beer. I was too knackered to talk to anyone but it’s great to be back in Phnom Penh & I know I can rest up & eat well for as long as I like. 

Alternative routes from Kampong Chan to Phnom Penh include the longer but much more pleasant route via Prey Veng & Neak Loeang on road 11 & highway one. For details refer to my blog entry HERE (reports dated 11 & 12/09/14)
or
David Holmes recently (Feb 2015) cycled from Kampong Cham to Phnom Penh via country lanes following the river. His report is HERE

04/07/14 – Phnom Penh to 12km outside Takeo – 85km (approx)

Good start to the day with a beautiful bacon quiche & a few cakes from the EuroAsia bakery. Everything went downhill from there as I kept taking wrong turns & couldn’t find the way to route 2. The Canby map proved misleading & not for the first time I wished I had a some form of GPS (a smartphone is definitely on my to buy list). At one point I spent a long time on a complete quagmire of a road, often struggling to draw myself out of knee high mud. Easily the worst stretch of road yet.

I eventually found myself on highway 4 heading for Kampong Speu & considered just keeping going. I decided to head back to Phnom Penh & try again tomorrow but then I stumbled on a turnoff to highway 3 & decided to put in the 75km to Takeo even although it wasn’t the road I’d planned to take. By this stage I’d wasted 2 hours & a lot of energy.

It proved to be  a decent road with light traffic & basic services available enroute. It would have been a very enjoyable ride except for a strong headwind all the way. Really sapped my energy & at a small town outside Takeo I decided to stop & cut 12km off my journey to Kampot tomorrow, a great decision as it turned out.

It turned out to be a strangely vibrant little place. Lots of guesthouses & I found an OK room for $7 – there were cheaper rooms available. Lots of basic food stalls & I was surprised to see a few foreigners kicking around.

  

05/07/14 - 12km outside Takeo to Kampot – 75km (approx)

Checked out of my room around 9am & looked around for some breakfast. Not much on offer & ended up with a local style baguette. Not my favorite food but it does in a pinch & I knew I’d get some decent food in Kampot. The road was in good condition & fairly flat. It would have been an easy, enjoyable days cycling except for another strong headwind that stayed with me all day. It made for a harder day than it should have been, services available all the way.

Arrived in Kampot around 3pm & headed straight to Kampot 2 Guesthouse with $6 fan room including cable TV. I knew from previous experience that it’s nice & quiet here & with a big ground floor room I can store the bike inside my room.

Night found me wandering around Kampot with a few beers in hand before heading to Rusty Keyhole 2 for a happy hour jug ($2.50) & today's food special of Kung Pao chicken & steamed rice. A bit expensive @ $4.00 but big portion & it was very tasty. 

06/07/14 – Kampot to Sihanukville – 110km

I’d been thinking of having an extra night in Kampot but awoke fairly early & keen to get back “home” to Sihanukville. Packed up & had a quick rice & grilled pork breakfast, which seems to be the most common breakfast for most Khmers. 10km into this leg & the heavens opened but the rain only lasted about 1 hour & nowadays I quite like cycling through the rain, it makes a great change from constant scorching heat.

This is a great cycling road with nice scenery, picturesque fishing villages, flat, smooth roads & very little traffic. Add on frequent stalls selling cold water, sugar cane juice & sundry other items – it makes for a pleasant cycle ride. I made really good time & shortly after 1pm found myself approaching Veal Renh. Knowing I only had 40km to go, all be it with a few hills & heavier traffic, I decided to slow down & enjoy the rest of the day. In that mood I stopped for a long, leisurely lunch – stir friend beef & vegetables with a chicken broth & vegetable soup & unlimited steamed rice & iced tea set me back $1.50. There were at least 4 guesthouses in Veal Renh & lots of services such that it wouldn’t be a bad place to stop going to or from Kampot or Phnom Penh.

After Veal Renh its back onto the more heavily trafficked highway 4. A bit of a change after the recent quiet roads but not too bad & generally the buses & trucks gave me plenty of room (until a few km outside Sihanukville when on two occasions overtaking 4 wheel drives forced me off the road). I was on a high having made such good time & knowing in a few hours I’d be back on Victory Hill catching up with some mates even although I knew I had some hills to tackle on the final 10km. Again services available all the way & even those hills seemed to be easy climbs & more like bumps in the road compared to the mountains of Vietnam.

4pm – my last climb – up to Victory Hill & arrived back at Romdouls restaurant, the very point I’d set off from 3 months earlier. 3,714km in the saddle or pushing & feeling pretty damn chuffed with myself.