Cambodia by Bike

Inside Cambodia by Bike

Discover the back roads of Angkor and beyond on bicycle, or take a volunteer trip to a rural home with stops to see health, environmental or education projects The experience: PEPY (Protect the Earth, Protect
Yourself) organizes adventure and volunteer tours for travellers who want to give something back while they explore Cambodia. PEPY cycling tours operate during the dry season from November to March and they offer a range of trips from one to three weeks. The trips cover the highlights of Cambodia, including the majestic temples of Angkor and the enigmatic capital of Phnom Penh.

But they also cover some of the roads less travelled, including a taste of local life and some undiscovered temples. People looking for a real adventure can join one of PEPY's cross-Cambodia cycling trips, exploring the country's backroads. Others who prefer a less-challenging experience can join a volunteer trip, some of which offer the opportunity for an overnight stay in a rural home.

The trips also offer educational opportunities through visits to health, environmental and education projects in Cambodia. PEPY also offers noncycling 'voluntours' throughout the year for those that want to get more involved in helping Cambodia.

These range from building rainwater collection units at schools to health education initiatives in rural villages.
How it helps: PEPY is a non-profit organisation uniting tourism and development to improve educational opportunities in rural Cambodia. All PEPY tours include volunteer opportunities. Funds raised by the tours support PEPY's ongoing educational programmes. Participants on PEPY cycling tours include stops at rural schools to teach environmental lessons in conjunction with local teachers and PEPY staff.
PEPY's development programmes range from building schools and literacy programs to the Bike-To-School programme, providing bikes to students in rural areas in order to increase access to distant secondary schools. To date, PEPY has built a primary school in Kralanh district in Siem Reap and a secondary school in Stung Treng in northeast Cambodia. In addition to the Cambodian curriculum, PEPY supports English, computer and organic farming classes. PEPY has also introduced a library and literacy programme to encourage a thirst for reading and access to Khmer language literature.