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)

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Bernie,

It' Russel from Vietnam. We had an awesome trip with Reini. We can't wait ti get back and do another ride. Just wanted to say thanks and shout you some pics from our trip.

Take it easy.

Russel

Thank you so much for a wonderful time. I spent four days in May 08 riding through remote North Cambodia. Bernard organised everything for me, all I did was turn up and have a fantastic time. My guide was Vut and when I go back I plan to ask for him again as he is a terrific person to ride with. I have rode bikes in Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, 6 states of America including Alaska and 3 provinces of Canada and riding with Red Raid in Cambodia is as good as it gets. It was so good I am hoping to get back there again this year and do some more riding with Vut.
If you are into motorbikes and riding off road you will not be disappointed.

Great riding, great company. 

Thanks guys.

Hi Bernard!

I write the text for your Guestbook in German so the customers from Germany can read in the motherlanguage. It was really a perfect tour with Vuth and your organsiation. We will come back . Next year we are in Equador with Enduros but 2010 could be that we are in Cambodia.

Lieber Bernard!
Vielen Dank für die tolle Enduro Tour Februar 2008. Wir hatten mit Vuth einen
perfekten Guide der uns langsam aber sicher an das Gelände und das Klima
gewöhnt hat. Wir hatten mit den Hondas einfach perfektes Material für jedes
Gelände .Bei vollem Tempo durchs Gelände war die Up-Side Down Gabel nicht am
Limit und die 250ccm reichen mehr als aus! Die Tour ging durch Sand ;
Dschungel ; Wasser ; Berge und am Abend gabs immer eine gute Unterkunft.
Wünsche Euch weiterhin alles Gute und wir kommen wieder.
MOSES aus Österreich und FRISCO aus Deutschland!

Thank you for all!

Great! A very nice day. I was not expecting a so good quality of service because I have already been several times disappointed by services with guide. But this time, I must say that Red Raid did great! Everything has been nicely organized: different levels of riding, different kind of roads/ways, different sceneries, ... and some breaks in order to keep going during the whole day. I asked for Enduro and I got Enduro!

The XR 250 was perfect for me and I have nothing to claim about.
The guides did a very good job! They really adapted the circuit according to my level of riding and, very important, it is very easy to communicate with them.... And they are really cool but don't try to follow them ...
I will recommend Red Raid to all my friends and I am already waiting for my next ride with them.

Cheers

My text in French for french customers:

Salut Bernard,
Très franchement, je ne m'attendais pas a cette qualité de service ayant été bien souvent déçu par des excursions avec guides auparavant...Red Raid a fait un sans faute!!! Je partais pour faire de l'Enduro et j'ai vraiment fait de l'Enduro. Les guides ont su parfaitement s'adapter à mon niveau et ont vraiment très bien temporisé la journée en alternant des niveaux différents de difficultés et des pauses tout à fait nécessaires afin de vraiment profiter de la journée entière.
La 250 XR etait parfaitement adaptée et aucun soucis de ce coté la.
Pour finir: Paysages magnifiques et diversifiés, différents niveaux de conduite, très bons guides, aucun probleme technique... comme ecrit ci-dessus: un sans faute!!
PS: je pense remettre ca ce Dimanche, est-ce possible de faire le meme genre de circuit avec le(s) meme(s) guide(s)? Si possible, je devrai pouvoir confirmer mercredi ou jeudi... tout depend de mon boulot.

A+,
Romain Lalouette

I recently went on a two day bike ride with Red Raid whilst on a trip to Phnom Penh. My guide Vuth took me through lots of interesting and scenic countryside on our way to Kep.
Vuth was good company and is a great rider who really knows his way around the trails that criss cross the country. He showed me many interesting sights and explained the local culture and customs very well.
Everywhere we went we were greeted by friendly smiling faces who love the roar of motor bikes, especially the young boys who ran out to wave as we rode through their villages.
Cambodia is a fascinating country with wonderful people who always make you feel welcome. The food is great and very cheap and a dirt bike is the best way to see the sights.
I recommend that you take this great adventure with the crew from Red Raid.

Ian Oakes
Eudlo Queensland Australia.

Bernard

A quick note to thanks very much for the tour – I think’s fair to say this was one trip that is going to stick in the mind a very long time. The country is fantastic and a bike is the ideal way to see it. I can hardly believe we covered so much ground in so little time and got to some fantastic and spectacular places that would have been really difficult to get to by any other means. Vut really made the tour with great riding tips, knowledge of the sights, he clearly knows his way around and is one great rider (keep doing the slides – forget how quickly you get through rear tyres!) – top bloke as well. I’ll be back next year for a tour of the south.

To anyone else contemplating a trip with Bernard and his team, we can’t recommend this highly enough. We were both highly inexperienced novice riders but had a great time. The bikes are maintained to a very high standard and are easy to ride. Vut selected a mixture of dirt roads, paths and trails that enabled us to build confidence and yet provided a real challenge enabling us to really improve our riding quickly. You really can do this as a complete novice. Cambodia is just perfect for this kind of trip with plenty so see and an opportunity to get away from the usual tourist places and really get to know the country.

James and Darren

Hi Bernard !

Back to good old France...
I met my friends, we all have in mind good memories from our trip with Vut. We watched our pictures and the one you gave me, really that was a fantastic trip, and we are just looking forward to the next one ....we will take vut as a guide for the whole tour: north-east and north-west untill the Lao border...
And thanks a lot for all your advices, and to Vut for bringing us around, without him we wouldn't have discovered all these places.
I will send you pictures of the trip.

All the best

Didier

Hey Bernard,

Here are some of the photos we took on our tour.
I'm definitely coming back to Cambodia to do a tour of the north. As soon as I get enough money saved, Ill contact you for an itinerary.

I had the time of my life during our tour. I discovered that Cambodia via motorcycle is magically enchanting and truly unforgettable. The adventure was so amazing that I continue to have dreams in my sleep of riding over those bumpy red dirt roads even now, nearly 1 month after I've returned.

I have told all my friends about your company and what you offer. I have been continuously recruiting more riders for the next time I come to Cambodia. I hope you can arrange to provide the same tour guide, Tha, for my next tour. Tha was awesome. Give him my regards and be sure to show him these pictures also.

Thanks. Until next time.
Eric Boynak

Hi Bernard,
Just a few lines to say what a great week me and my dad had .
The off road riding was the best I have ever done. The country was made for it!
Pass on our regards to Vut........ not only a good guide but a great rider .
Also thanks to you for organising everything and your hospitality and supplying us with 2 reliable excellent well serviced bikes.
Hope to see you again in the not too distant future.
Regards

Steve Moss

I have just returned home from my Red Raid Adventure and I am still under strong influence of the wide beautiful landscape, the first-class motorcycle roads and the friendly people around there. Moving the xr 250 along those roads was worth every cent. My very special thanks go to Vuth & Bernard for the best organized tour and most excellent guided riding event I have been provided with. Looking pretty much forward to take the next possible chance riding with you again. So to all the guys out there... Get off your couch, get on your gear and come on riding! 

Hello Bernard. 

We really appreciated this 10 days trip around Cambodia.
Discovering the country with Vuth was a great pleasure. People are so
friendly and generous like our guide. We would strongly recommend anybody looking for a non-classic adventure in Cambodia to take a tour with your organization. Thanks a million and see you very soon.
BertranD

Hi Bernard . back home and just about recovered from Cambodia.
Wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed myself.
It was amazingly good ,some of the best biking I have ever done even though
I was worn out by the end of it.
Have told everybody about it .
Congrats on organising a splendid trip for me- I am well impressed .
The bike was fine and the route we covered also .
Thank Vout very much for looking after me and give
him my regards-he was excellent-good company and very good rider.
Will be in touch for next year all being well.
Thanks for everything-Good luck,

Tony

Hi Bernard, I trust everything is fine there. I would like to thank you and your staff for a great and memorable trip even though it was just a short one. I would definitely not hesitate recommending your services to anyone planning to do a Cambodian motorbike tour adventure. With a professional service, very well maintained motorcycles, and experienced guides, I can assure anyone that they are in very good hands. I showed the photos of my trip to my colleagues at work, and they are interested in putting together a similar kind of trip late this year. We will keep you posted and I hope to see you again soon.

Regards,

Norman

"Our group was very pleased with the itineraries proposed by red raid. The trails mildly difficult to difficult but never impossible. The hotels are correct and the contact with the locals is very warm. We always feel in security"

My trip with Red Raid was the time of my life. I was blazing through the
jungle with my guide Vuth riding on a top of the line motocross bike, past
Monks on pilgrimage, lily ponds, houses on stilts in the sunset, and
ancient Angkor temples. We even had to use a GPS system to navigate our
way through the jungle. Vuth, a native Cambodian, told me historical
information about the places we visited, communicated with locals to guide
the way and turned me on to the most delicious Cambodian food. I've been
riding motocycles for over 13 years and this adventure was like nothing
I've ever experienced before. Opportunities like this are exactly why I
travel.
At any moment, with any person, the direction of your life could change.
So pay attention!"

Beat Poet Allen Ginsberg

Hi guys, Just wanted to say hello and reiterate what a wonderful experience I had riding with Red Raid. I think you guys ordered up that weather just for me too, didn't you !! Thanks so much for your kindness and your fabulous service. If you have a moment, I would love to receive an email of the photo you snapped. Cheers until next time, Gerry.

Experienced off road rider, participated in the Temple Tour: " Cambodia proved to be an unusal and highly interesting place to visit .....and you won't find any better riding ........ Off road bikes proved to be the best way to get around in a developing country. And seeing another country and culture makes up for what you miss out in the pure off road tracks." Concerning the food he added: " Everywhere we travelled the food was well prepared, delicious, plentiful and cheap."

The tour offered more than I expected : everything worked out very well: the greeting in Phnom Penh, the well mantained motorcycles, the routing, the technical and cultural support, accomodation and food. Both guides - Vut and Francois - did a very professional job. I can really recommend this trip for everyone looking for exitement and adventure.