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HANS CORVER GROUP - South tour with Reini - November 2012
Hello Bernie, Do we need more words to say we had a great adventure with the Red Raid Group: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3zxlQpNc1o Cambodia 2012 – The Belgian Riders. Don’t know if you have seen it yet. Regards, Dirk
TONY MOSS AND SONS - UK - 3 days south tour with Vut - November 2012
Hi Bernie Just a note to say thanks once again for arranging a fantastic trip. All of it was brilliant, the bikes the route and accommodation all of it. Give our regards to Vut. without him it would not have happened.he was great.Never know may be in touch in the near future. All the best to you and the rest of the team .Tony Steve and Nick
GRANT COX (5 persons)- UK (Green Lane Crew) - 3 days south tour with Vut - November 2012
Just to say we had a fantastic time, the bikes were spot on and ideal for the job.
Vut was a great guide leading at just the right pace.
We covered just about every sort of terrain possible and saw some amazing sites.
As ever dirt biking took us to places that otherwise we would never have seen.
Cambodia is an amazing place, and the people are just wonderful.
Red Raid are doing a fantastic job and we cant wait to go back.
Many thanks
Grant
MICHAEL JAMIESON, CRAIG & BADEN- AUSTRALIA 6 days tour with Vut - September 2012
We had a fantastic dirt bike experience with Red Raid. They are a professional outfit, and our guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and always helpful. We had plenty of flexibility to modify our itinerary throughout the trip and our guide’s knowledge of Cambodia ensured we explored and experienced parts of the country and culture you wouldn’t get in a regular tour. We can’t wait to come back and do it again!
GIACOMO RUSTIONI AND MARTINO 6 days South and cardamoms with thach - August 2012
Hi Bernie,
I'm back in Shanghai now, I hope you are fine.I wanted to thank you again for the warm welcome and the amazing tourI experienced.Perfect mix! I had riding training, I rode in many differentconditions, I had the opportunity to stop in the small villages in therice fields and spend time with Cambodian people. Thanks, Regards,
Giacomo
BEN LATHROP- COLORADO USA South and cardamoms with thach - April 2012
This should probably be directed more towards any number of motorcycle magazines as my amateur writing is not the memorial this trip deserves. Multiple pages of glossy professional photos, extravagant descriptions of each stop etc...but I digress. First of all, credit goes to Bernie and the staff at the headquarters. The XR250 they provided me resolved, at least for me, a debate amongst my friends in the states who all thought the 250 would be underpowered. It was the perfect mount for the trip, and the bike was in great mechanical shape sitting on better tires than my personal bike at home. I saw other rental XR's and as a serious hobbyist mechanic, take my word...they're junk. Thatch led me out of Phnom Penh and quickly into the trails. It didn't take more than 30 minutes to realize we were already somewhere I'd never find on any map. Sand, mud, rocks, water, hard pack, single track, hill climbs, and bridge crossings you must see to believe...every terrain was covered during our trip. My favorite analogy of the deep jungle trails, is for you to pick your favorite tropical bush, stick your face into the center,and pretend you're doing 40km/hr. When you pass a local in flip flops, and on a scooter you will be humbled. The food was amazing, for those of you worried I had zero stomach problems and left every meal with food still on the table or uncomfortably full. If you go hungry its your own fault. Accommodations were more than comfortable, but if you've never camped, don't expect to go to a remote temple and live in 3 star settings. Personally, the remote guest houses amongst the locals was the best adventure and next time I'll try to stay in more. They call it a homestay for a good reason. Now to dote on Mr. Thatch, better known as #10 in the racing community. A modest national motocross champion, and passionate rider he's not going to hold you up. If you ride fast, he'll just ride faster, but if you're like me, and like to look around every now and then, you'll soon find him not too far ahead waiting in the shade, or already doubled back looking for you after your latest crash. Most times arriving before I could peel myself off the ground. Guys like this should never sit behind a desk as his office IS the jungle. Fluent in English, French, and his native Khmer he will lead you far and wide with a wealth of information about any dumb thing you can think of. Friendly, energetic, professional, mechanically inclined, truly 10/10 guide rating. If you're fortunate enough to be a descent human and end up in his home town, expect a great time!! On a final note, ride the villages in second gear, and practice your wheelies now, as around every bend there is a new group of children running out to the road to cheer you on...and since they expect this even over the roughest terrain, practice some power slides too!!! "I'm not Superman...he's the one behind me!"
Ben Lathrop
Aspen, Colorado USA
8 days Southwest Tour
NG JOO KEE - SINGAPORE South tour with thach - February 2012
Hi Bernie,
What can I say? It keeps getting better. This is my second trip. The bike was good, the ride was fantastic, the country and its people were beautiful, all made possible by Red Raid and a competent guide called Thach.
He was always on the lookout for off roads that are suitable for me. He was able to match the appropriate roads and tracks to my riding skill to ensure my ride is enjoyable. Although I’m a novice, he gave me the right kind of roads to keep me challenged. He’s always on the lookout for my safety, negotiable, attentive to my needs, suggests accommodations to my likings, immersed me into Cambodia’s daily life through its food and people.
In summary, it was an enjoyable time well spent.
Thanks again.
Ng Joo Kee
Singapore
PS: please give me your contact for motorbike rides in Laos.
SAM BUCHAMAN AND MICK DOOLEY - AUSTRALIA 7 days north-east tour with Reini - January 2012
To all the team at the bike shop and especially our expert guide Reini thanks for another great ride through cambodia Siem Reap to Phnom Penh as always the people were nice even if we were ripping through there town and the tracks just as expected reini new all the best spots to ride stay and stop for lunch and keep us amused along the way Mondulkiri was the highlight of the trip for me where we stayed and the thick jungle loops we rode each day including up to the Vietnam border for a chat with the guard thanks again for an awsome trip see u next time.
Angela, ian & jarrad farnsworth - Australia 5 days temples tour with Vut - December 2011
Vut was very good and very patient and tailored the tour according to our skill levels and as we gained confidence Vut then could mix things up a bit for us. We loved the flexibility of the tour and the fact that we were not locked into anything and could change or drop or add things as we needed to. Riding is definitely a fantastic way to experience the country, the temples were pretty special and quite different to anything that we have seen before. The accommodation was good and again very happy with not being locked into set menus etc for meals.
Thanks for making this a very special experience for us!
Cheers
Ange
ANDY LEONG & FRIENDS Temple tour with thach - October 2011
Hi Bernie,
Myself, and my brother and another friend did a tour with your company last year in november with thy as our guide.
I have been meaning to get around to writing a testimonial but just kept forgetting until now.
All of us who went on the holiday agreed it was probably the best holiday we've had!
There is no better way to see the real Cambodia than on two wheels. It was excellent to be able to ride through so much different terrain and see different scenery everyday.
Also the fact that we could decide our own route was fantastic. We have to give a big shout out to our guide thy as well. He was always happy to help make the trip as enjoyable for us as he could. Top bloke!and please say hi to him for us!All in all, one of the most memorable trips we've ever had and defnately one we'll speak highly about and recommend to anyone who asks!
Many thanks!
Andy
EMMA BRADBURY - 4 PERSONS - AUSTRALIA- 7 days temples tour with Vut - Ocotber 2011
Hi Bernie and all the team at Red Raid
Well, what can I say? What a sensational time we had with Red Raid - there could be no better way to experience Cambodia than on dirt bikes, and we could have wished for no better tour that we had with your crew.
We were all delighted with how flexible the itinerary was, with yourself and Vut planning the route with us over a cold drink before departure, and leaving it open to change based on whatever we wanted to see and do, and the variable of our individual skill levels. We were also pretty rapt with the reliability of the gear - not a moment's bother anywhere.
Vut was an excellent guide, and bless him - heeded your advice implicitly "They are Australians - just make sure there is cold beer in the esky and all will be well!" Seriously though, Vut's knowledge of local temples, history, sociology, bike trails and routes, accommodation and restaurants, interesting sites and of course his expertise on and with the bikes really made the trip. We felt so comfortable and confident the whole time. He's also great company and a helluva lot of fun!
The Temples are exquisite - and we have all agreed that we would like to come back next year to do one of the other tours you offer. I really would (and DO!!) recommend you guys to anyone - a great outfit to suit the Aussie tourist looking for more that the usual boxes to tick!
All in all, It was awesome!! Many thanks to all the crew and we hope to see
you again in 2012.
Emma Bradbury
Carl Taylor 4 Persons - 6 days temples tour with Vut - October 2011
Bernie
We didn’t have a chance to thank you before we left, so thank you for a very enjoyable tour.
We had a great time. It feels so surreal to be back at work now after having had such a good experience. Vut is an excellent guide, very patient and skilled, we all enjoyed his company.
I think we would all like to do it again next year. The Cardamoun Mountains and Sihanoukville Tour. Hope Cambodia holds up well with the floods and that not too much damage is incurred.
Regards
David Ostertrom & Karin Karlsson - 2 days tour around Phnom Penh with Vut - August 2011
Hi
Thanks for a good trip around Phnom Penh and Kiriom National Park last weekend! We enjoyed Vut's successful efforts of delivering a great mix of awesome trail riding and scenic cruising, which was just what we wanted. We really appreciated Vut's ability to adjust the level of difficulty to our driving skills.
Do you have availability for 5 people on 21-22 October?
Best regards
David & Karin
Yann Poirier & friends - France 3 day tour South with Reini - May 2011
Cher Bernard, Un immense merci à toi et à notre guide Reinhart pour l'organisation exemplaire de notre périple. Grace à vous 2, mes potes et moi avons passé une semaine inoubliable. Alternant des beaux paysages, des chemins enduro de toute nature, des villages typiques et un repos bien mérité au bord de l'eau. Malgrés de multiples rallyes-raid, des traversées de désert et d'innombrables périples sur tous les continents, je ne suis pas prêt d'oublier la chaleur et le sourire du peuple Khmer. Merci mille fois et surtout à tres vite! Yann de Shanghai
Dean Wallace - Vietnam - 5 persons + 2 kids + support vehicle 3 days south tour with Vuth and Peov - May 2011
We had an absolute blast with Red Raid! Our group consisted of beginner and novice riders, both men and women. Our tour guides Vut and Peuv were extremely professional and accommodating to our skill levels. Not only was it a chance for to us to see the trails of Cambodia, but we also gained a ton of dirt biking skills. Red Raid Tours is extremely professional and the equipment is top notch! Congratulations, Bernie, on all your success and we will definitely be coming back to Cambodia the next chance we get! By the way, Rabbit Island is a must for everybody. It is exactly what people come to visit Southeast Asia for.
Theo Leung - USA 3 day Temple Tour with Reini - October 2010
Bernie / Reini
Sorry for the late response but we wanted to thank you for and Reini for showing us an awesome time in Cambodia in October and putting up with our beginner skill level!We recently went riding in Baja and the terrain was a lot more difficult than what we were riding in Cambodia so we were lucky to have 3 days of ridingin before heading out to Baja. I have attached some pictures from the trip for your records. Please let us know if you need another testimonial for your website and I’d be more than happy to draft something up. I recommended you guys to my friends Doug Cassey and Dean Wallace in Vietnam who told me they were planning on doing a 500 KM tour from Phnom Penh soon. Also I have a bunch of friends who want to ride in Cambodia so hopefully I will be back! Let us know if you are ever in the States and we can meet up and have a couple of drinks. Thanks!
Lance Reinhardt - Singapore 5 days South tour with Vut - April 2011
Bernie,
The tour through southern Cambodia exceed my expectation in every regard the scenery, food, and riding were all incredible. Vut was the perfect guide he navigated us through every rice patty and ox chart trail with ease. He provided the perfect trail / ride depending on the mood and energy level of the day and after a hard day of riding he tuned the bikes and found the best resturants around.
I have lived and traveled all over the world and Cambodia is by far the best value with the friendliest people that I have ever experieinced. Make sure sure your fitness is good to get the most out of the trip. The guides will never tire and there is always more to see...
Lance
Michael Limtiaco 5 day Temple tour with Reini - Mid March 2011
Thanks to Red Raid for putting on a very memorable tour. The five of us thank you for great bikes, even better tour guides, and memories that will last forever. We are looking forward to our next trip to Cambodia and our next Red Raid Tour.
Willy Braichet -Switzerland Tours : 9 days Remote Temple and NorthEast tour with Vuth - February 2011
Salut Bernie
Merci encore pour le tour moto,je regarde les photos et je garde un très bon souvenir de ce voyage.
nous sommes très bien rentré
La reprise du travail a été très dur.
Salutation à Vut, guide exeptionnel ,très sympa, compétent, ponctuel ,il est une perle pour les tours moto
salutation à Poev, plus réservé mais tout aussi sympa, et la technique de donner sa moto pendant qu'il répare celle du client, extra
Titou, garçon extra remplaçera facilement Daniel en cas de problème (il fait déjà pas mal, Daniel sait très bien lui délèguer des tâches)
Encore merci et peux-ètre !!!
Willy
Ng Joo Kee -Singapore Tours : 6 days North-east tour with Nick - February 2011
Hi Bernie,
What a way to see Cambodia, the north-east to be exact. Even though it's been more than a month since the trip, the memories are still there to talk about.
The ride, the bike, the journey and Nick the guide, everything was what I expected, if not, more. It's the best Chinese New Year holidays I have ever had. Thanks for the adventure.
Cheers,
Ng Joo Kee
Singapore
Tim and Dirk - Germany Tours : 7 days Custom tour with Reini - February 2011
Hello Bernard,
sorry for the delayed mail, but we are very busy and we are back in our daily routine.Last week it was very cold in Schleswig-Holstein -10 degrees. So we had to wear lot of clothes and it was very hard for us. Here is our report:
With our guide Reini we got the first prize. Together with him we made the tour plan across Cambodia in your bike shop one day before. The journey began very simple, so Reini could see our level. And the next days we could improve our driving level. So we made a trip through the cardamom mountains. Our enthusiasm got better each day, and at the begin of our trip we had not the faintest idea what kind of adventure we should have. We have seen so much and very hidden places. And Reini had all time a joke for the locals and us too, so that we are the whole time in high spirits. It was a very good and perfect trip. The guest houses are better than we expected.An especially thank-you to your mechanic's. The bikes were perfect and in very good conditions.May be it's possible that we are coming back in the next years.Thank you very much for the good Organisation and the very special trip.
Tim and Dirk
Chris Burns and the Beer Killers Team - Australia Tours : Northern Temples and the South with Reiny and Nick - January 2011
Bernard,
I just wanted to thank you and your team for a fantastic trip around Cambodia.
The tour guides, Reinhardt and Nick were an excellent combination and their local knowledge made our trip bloody awesome.Their language skills and track knowledge made all the difference on this trip and we got to sites rarely seen by other visitors to Cambodia and this made for some really special moments.
The guides excellent knowledge saw us spending time in some quality hotels at very reasonable prices and the entire beer killer team enjoyed the "off road" as much as the "in pub".
For some of the team, it was their first ever experience in Asia and thanks to the support and assistance from Nick and Reinhardt has ensured it will not be their last trip either.
The hotels chosen are awesome, comfortable and clean and I highly recommend the guides and your tour company to anyone that wants to truly see the real Cambodia.
I would also like to mention the fact that the bikes were very well maintained and a pleasure to ride.
We will be back
cheers from
CJ, Angie Mae and the Beer Killer Tour Team
Michael Johnson - USA Tours : 5 days temples tour - January 2011
Thanks for a great tour. Rainy is an exceptional guide and we really got to some out of the way places. But everywhere we went they knew Rainy. The mix of highway, gravel, local roads and tracks was great and I felt challenged often, in a good way. I was just getting the knack of riding deep Cambodian sand by the end!
This is the only way to get to see remote Cambodia and we came across hidden temples, Mekong waterfalls, lost villages, primitive river crossings and smiling, helpful people that I would never have got to see without your tour.
The bike was great (Honda 400XR) and with Rainy's help we got through pretty much everything despite our advancing years (60 next birthday). I thoroughly enjoyed myself! Thanks again. Michael Johnson, Sydney
Didier Lorphelin - France Tours : 9 days South tour with Vut - December 2010
6 années que je fais des raids en moto au Cambodge, et toujours fidèle à Raid Red, son manager, ses motos, ses guides....
Je ne suis ni un aventurier ni un risque-tout....seulement depuis 6 ans je retourne régulièrement au Cambodge faire de la moto, j'ai commencé j'avais 55 ans, j'y pense 2 mois avant et j'en rêve 3 mois après, j'y ai emmené des copains qui sont tous devenus accros comme moi...je me suis toujours adressé à Red Raid, et puis j'ai écouté ( et suivi, même à mon corps défendant parfois !) les conseils de Bernard Merklen le patron, j'ai suivi son guide cambodgien Vuth du nord au sud et d'est en ouest dans tout le Cambodge, j'en ai parfois" bavé", j'ai roulé sur des nationales, des pistes de latérite poussiéreuses et j'ai traversé les forêts sur des pistes de 50 cm de large, j'ai dormi dans des resorts de luxe et dans des cabanes en bois sans moustiquaire dans des coins du bout du monde , j'ai été crasseux comme un porc plusieurs jours de suite et puis lustré le jour d'après ...le pied quoi !!!
Des crevaisons ? ben oui, et puis aussi la moto embourbée jusqu'au moyeux, la trouille devant des ponts de planches disloquées , des chutes, des problèmes mécaniques mineurs ( mais j'avais Vuth avec moi)
Il faut être super équipé, combine, bottes, protections, casque, gants...prudent, respecter la façon que les cambodgiens ont de conduire ou piloter ( en fait ils n'ont aucune façon, ça rend l'occidental humble !) , s'adapter aux animaux, suivre un guide si on veut faire un vrai trail et du "hard"....tout ça c'est Bernard et Vuth qui me l'ont appris...
Jamais je ne me suis senti en insécurité...
Andrew Knight group (5 persons) - Australia Tours : 6 days Northern Cambodia - October 2010
G'day Bernie
Thanks again for the awesome trip, your team were outstanding very professional and alot of fun! we're recommending you to our mates so hopefully soon you'll have to put up with more bloody aussies!
We're also trying to put together a box of more supplies to go to a underprivlaged school that we visited. Vuth and Daniel are happy to drop it off when they go past the school as long as your ok with them doing that. We can throw in a slab of beer in thanks. Or pay you if it's an incovence and we understand it might take a while to have both Vuth and Daniel heading that way. What are your thoughts?
Thanks mate
Tristan baker
Jaimie Dormer and friends - Australia Tours : 10 days Northern/Southern Cambodia - September 2010
Bernie, Reini, Peov, Danny, & Tatoo,
And all of the other guys at Red Raid,
Firstly I would like to apologise for the time it has taken to write this email, I have been very busy and have simply forgot to attend to this.
I thought that your business and it's staff were very professional, the equipment spot on and the knowledge and tolerance of the guys was excellent.
I believe that each and all of our team enjoyed almost every moment of the trip, as there were a few moments where we had differences of opinion, crashes, hangovers, sickness etc, but I reckon that is what really makes a trip a rememberable one. Bernie, you probably are proud of your business but I will again reiterate that I thought what you provided with regard to gear, advise, equipment, personal etc was a credit to all, well done and thank you.
Renee, I hope that you have had your coffee this morning, your expertise was appreciated, your attention to matters of safety, first aid, area knowledge etc was always there, a great guide & leader, except for the flattened motel near the Thailand border ??
Peel, tail end charlie, boy you are patient, I know I tested you always with my photography, pulling up taking a photo and catching up, thanks Danny, get a beer mate, your a good workhorse, you got the packing down pat, thanks Tatoo, I know this is not how to spell your name, I am sorry, but everyone knows that you are a genuine chick magnet. Thanks for filling in for Steve & Phill when they needed your help.
Anyway enough said, you all did a great job, and I would be happy to refer your business on to anyone that is considering riding around Cambodia, Thanks from all of us.
PS: I am slowly uploading photos of the trip to my website, www.jdphotographics.com it will take me a while as
Macka & I am about to leave for Antarctica next Friday, so keep an eye on it as I will get them there. Feel
free to use it as a reference site for your own bike trips if you wish, cheers
Shang Tsuei - USA Tours : North Cambodia - April 2010
Bernie,
Trip of a lifetime. Totally amazing, scary at times, and most importantly real.
Sincerely,
Shang
Dirk and Bob - UK Tours : Eastern Cambodia - April 2010
Hello Bernie,
Many thanks for a great trip through eastern Cambodia, everything was perfectly organised, the XR250 is definitely a good bike and we all enjoyed ourselfs a lot. It was a great time! I can't wait to come back for another tour. Reini was clearly the best tour guide ever. I am still amazed by the absolutely impressive landscape, stunning views, incredible waterfalls and all the friendly locals. looking forward to see you guys again... -
Dirk- Mikhail and Daria -Russia Tours : Lost Temples - April 2010
Hello, Bernard!
Thank you for the amazing tour organization! Only because of it, we had enough time to see all we had planned to visit in Cambodia on our way from Vietnam to Thai. Roads were perfectly chosen for our skills: it was very fun, interesting and safe! And the places were unforgettable. Even after we saw the Angkor temples, it appears that the most impressive for me was Preah Vihear Temple, and the Thai border, that you had recommended us to visit. It was awesome! Special thanks and regards to Vuth for improving our bike skills, best teaching and guiding. He literally made us ride! :) Thank you all for these days, fun photos, Cambodia roads, vegetarian dinners and of course for the best company, that we even could imagine in bike tour! :)
Mikhail and Daria (Russia)
Shang Tsuei - USA Tours : North Cambodia - April 2010
Bernie,
Trip of a lifetime. Totally amazing, scary at times, and most importantly real.
Sincerely, Shang
Peter and Michael Dooley Singapore -Australia Tours : North and South-West of Cambodia - December 2009 and 2010
Hi Bernie, Firstly, sorry for taking this long to get back to you after the trip. Catching with work and family keeps us busy and time just flies away. We had a fabulous time as you can imagine. The tour design was perfect: adventurous, fun and yet very safe. We've seen many magnificent sights on the way from SiemReap to Phnompenh which never been seen by tourists - a huge privilege. The ride was fun and our tour guide- Reini was simply the BEST. Beside a great rider, good communication with the local (he speaks the lingo) - he is very good with the camera as well. He woke up early to get some great snap shots of the sunrise and took some amazing pictures during the entire trip. He no doubt was born to do this job:=). We have a nick name for him: Tigger (as in Winnie the Pooh)- never rests. We were very lucky to have him as our guide and we would like to pass a huge thank to him. Our mates are jealous as hell seeing our pictures. We would recommend your company to any fellow riders. All the very best for the 2010. Happy riding! Cheers, Peter and Michael Dooley Singapore -Australia
Alex and Vincent - Hong Kong Tours : Lost Temples tour - September 2009
Hi Bernard, Thanks very much for our 5-day Lost Temples tour in September this year. The route had enough challenges for us both, muddy offroad sections, sand, red dirt roads, tarmac, even river crossings... Great villages, friendly locals waving everywhere we went and cold beer at night! Apart from some rain on the first and last day in Phnom Penh, we had great weather for the rest of the trip. Our guide, Vuth, was great company who knew the history of what we were seeing and of course he speaks the language too. He made it clear we could modify the trip throughout the week as we wished... This tour is a unique way to see the well known Cambodian temples plus the many others that are often inaccessible unless you're on a dirt bike. Thanks again, Alex and Vincent (Hong Kong)
Mark and Amy Roome - Australia The temple tour, October 2009 Tour : Lost temples - October 09
A way to experience Cambodia like no other – sights, smells, sounds and sensations!
Mark and Amy were a father-daughter team – catching up in Cambodia roughly mid-way between our respective homes in Brisbane Australia and Cambridge England. Amy was our trip planner and chose a 4-day bike ride from Phnom Penh north towards Siem Reap - a good way to have some quality time together and an experience of a lifetime.
Even though we were novice riders (father having ridden many years ago in his teens and daughter some basic experience on a 100cc scooter), Bernard’s team at Red Raid tailored the trip for us.
Meeting our tour leader, Vut, the afternoon before was essential to ensure we could handle all 120kg of the Honda XR250 off-road bikes. This was also ensured we were a compatible team and offered a bit of practice riding in a quiet street at the bike shop. We then looked at route options and planned out the next four days - a round trip to Siem Reap and back via back roads where possible. It was an 875km round trip taking it slow initially via rural roads and sight-seeing. After the first day you soon became immersed in the local culture and learn to ride with the flow. Day 3 was planned to be able to catch with Carly (eldest daughter) and good friend Kim at Siem Reap (who both bussed it up).
Vut was an invaluable guide with excellent local knowledge of the people, towns and roads - adapting the trip as we went to our (improving) riding ability, traffic conditions and weather conditions. Did I forget to say it was the end of the wet season? This sure beats our Lonely Planet guide plus gave us the insurance of having someone to keep us out of trouble plus fix the occasional puncture and chain break.
Riding in October at the tail end of the wet season we managed to catch the occasional downpour as well as experiencing some excellent riding weather and slippery roads! One of the surprises was just how traffic-free some of the back roads can be where you need to mainly watch out for the animal life which has to share the road and road edges due to the fields being under water.
We visited four little used (by tourists) temple sites and it was as much fun getting there as the end destination. Our favourites rides were to Wat Phnum Santuk (forest ride, monks, monkeys and ending with a cliff-top with stunning views with a 300m elevation), Prasat Trapeang Noem (an ancient ‘mystery temple’ partly demolished by landmines during the Khmer Rouge era and covered in forest tree growth) and Kampong Phluk (a hill overlooking lake Boeng Tonle Sab, a floating fish market village and hundreds of square km of flooded flat countryside.
Some special memories for us were:
- Fishtailing on greasy wet roads dodging water filled pot-holes, some big enough to swallow a small car;
- Seeing the many farm animals roadside and at work – water buffalo, cattle, ponies, goats (while giving them all a wide berth on the road);
- While visiting Wat Phnum Santuk temple and talking to a Buddhist monk comparing life in Australia to Cambodia (photo);
- While at a rest stop in a local village, talking to two very sweet and shy young girls learning the art of fishing (photo);
- No matter where we stopped the XR250 off-road bikes drew an instant audience and admiration;
- Having our own personal temple guide at Prasat Trapeang Noem where we climbed over massive stone ruins and crouching down low to get through narrow passage ways and doors (not easy task with full riding gear and a back-pack on in 35C heat!);
- Hill climb at Kampong Phluk temple (near Siem Reap) passing a team of monks concreting sections of the hill path by hand to then watch the sun set over the vast wet lands towards lake Boeng Tonle Sab;
- Squeezing in a half day to do a sprint around some of the main temples at Angkor; and * Beating the bus back from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh!
In summary, we survived Phnom Penh traffic (twice), spoke to many local people, experienced great food and now feel we better understand that the road system in Cambodia is the country’s life-blood where Cambodians live, work and play – we got to experience some of the real Cambodia.
Mark and Amy Roome October 2009
Lee Ford - Australia Tours : The South - April 09
I have been lucky enough to do two tours with red raid in the Kampot/Sihanoukville region,The first for three days the second for four. Unfortunately my guide from the first tour Vuth had broken his leg and was unavailable for the second tour, but his replacement Reini was a great guide and a top bloke also. These tours are undeniably the best way to see the real Cambodia as many of the villages and landscapes are only accessible by bike or on foot. Both guides speak fluent Khmer so getting supplies and accommodation is never an issue.The riding is as tough or as easy as you want to make it and the tracks and trails are as enjoyable as any I have ridden. I cant wait for my next adventure with red raid and look forward to many more in the future.
Lee Ford
Declan Edge - Ireland - Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir. Kevin West Iowa, USA Tours : The South - March 09
Hi Bernie Just a note of thanks to Red Raid for what was one hell of an experience - I didn't think I could enjoy off road so much but I did. Have been road/track biking for years and perhaps Long Way Round gave me some new ideas/temptations - saw Red Raids web site and thought why not! Reini was our tour guide and what a guy - was so much fun - challenging mind you not just technically but physically - really rewarding. I spent 4 days doing a tour of the South and its not just about biking - we spent our first lunch break outside an incredible temple that no tourists know about or go to - Cambodia is littered with them - and the country side is incredible - for those who are experienced in off road this is your wet dream - the varying road surfaces were incredible and changed frequently - gravel - sand - tarmac - grass - rivers - you name it we rode it! Off course at a lesser pace as Reini very much judged us on our ability and experience and seeing as we had little we didn't do anything too crazy! To sum it all up - one hell of a time was had and a must for those wanting bike, adventure and travel off the beaten tourist track. Thanks to Red Raid and to Reini in particular All the best & best of luck, Declan. Hi Bernard, Off road riding in Cambodia was an absolutely wonderful adventure and the highlight of my recent vacation. It had been a very long time since I had ridden off road and had forgotten how nimble a dirt bike can be compared to a street bike-- but quickly got into the rhythm of the journey. The bikes were well maintained and ran perfectly. Our guide, Reiny is a first rate and really knows the trails. Reiny is a great guy who speaks good Khmer and English and is fun to hang out with. I hope to do this again in the near future.
Kevin West
Evan (Hong Kong) - John Griff (Australia) Tours : The South - March 09
Red Raid guys, Fantastic tour organised last minute and Bernie, you answered the call! Very impressed by the quality of the bikes, they didn't miss a beat. Our guide knew the history, the most spectacular destinations and the coolest tracks. Tour was very flexible, day to day and hour by hour to get the most out of it, tailored for us and...give the old man a break. Thanks heaps Zeman! Words fail to describe what we have seen and the experiences we had in just 5 days. Definitely coming back for more.
Eden Williams - UK Tours : The South - March 09
Hi Bernard,
Just want to say thanks to you and Ta for organising the trip. Was by far the best trail riding trip i have ever done. Everything was in order with regards to bikes and accommodation in a country which could have been designed for Enduro!! For anyone thinking of going....go now before the tarmac comes!! Thanks again and see you next year
Eden Williams - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz93dT-uhP0
Katya and Alex - Russia/Czech Republic Tours : North-east and The South - December 08
Hello Bernard,
Alex and myself would like to thank you and our guide Reiny for the great trip we had with Red Raid. We had really time of our lives, riding in Cambodia was both exciting and challenging for us, beginners. The country was beautiful, the bikes were reliable and well-maintained, local people nice and friendly and Cambodian roads – well, that's just what you need for the real fun. And our special thanks to Reiny – hi is a great guide and excellent company! After this trip we are really going to get our own enduros and start practicing and we will definitely repeat our Cambodian adventure sometime in the future. I will recommend exploring Cambodia with Red Raid to all my riding friends. Cheers
Paul Graff - Holland Tours : North-East - June 08
Hello Bernard,
just letting you know that we really enjoyed the tour through Cambodia. This was the third time I visited the country, but exploring it on dirtbikes is really something else! We have seen al we wanted to see and did what we wanted to do. Vuth was a good guide, a good biker and pleasant company as well. On top he was very flexible and tried his best to please us in every way (the Indian food wasn't that bad after all, he Vuth?) The bikes were easy to drive and very well maintained. If we ever get the chance to do this again we will defenitely contact you Bernard! I will recommend this to everyone who likes riding. Thanks again!
Paul Graff
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