Our time in Siem Reap was one of our most memorable times. Part of what made it so was the fact that we were able to easily explore the city and the ruins of Angkor at our pace and in the way that we wanted. This would not have been possible if we had been forced to rely on tuk-tuks. Instead, we chose to use the Siem Reap White Bicycles.

Riding The Siem Reap White Bicycles

So Tired of the Tuk-tuks

So why did we settle on the White Bicycles in Siem Reap? Well…

Once we arrived at our destination of Siem Reap from Bangkok, we needed to take a tuk-tuk to our Airbnb. This was our first venture with one, despite first encountering them several months prior in Vietnam. The experience, left a bad taste in our mouth.

While it’s certainly understandable why you may want to hire a tuk-tuk – and if you can find a reputable driver and can afford one, it’s a great way to go – we didn’t want one. Our driver didn’t even want to bother taking us, took us about a mile, and said he wasn’t going any further, and giving us over to one of his friends while charging us $3.

The new guy took us to our location, but in the end, charged us $5. Our host told us, in front of the guy, that he was a bad man and was ripping us off. Welcome to unmetered, scam drivers. We didn’t want to put up with this for our two weeks in Siem Reap, so Briana came to the rescue with an alternative.

Sometimes a Bike is Better

The White Bicycles (www.thewhitebicycles.org). We decided to rent bikes for $2/day (each) that would allow us to get around town. They were wonderful, and we highly recommend it. It’s no fun trying to get a tuk-tuk every time you want to go anywhere in town, and considering that the majority of Siem Reap is located within 3-5 km of where you are (or at least where we were), it’s a pretty simple ride.

Traffic can be a little much, but probably not much worse than riding a bike on a road anywhere else. Most of the places you’ll go will have some form of bike parking for free so you don’t even need to worry about it. And as we found, when you’re riding the bikes, tuk-tuks (usually) will leave you alone, as well as any other hawkers – you’re treated just a little bit more like a local.

A Great Way to Explore

We also found that the bikes made for a wonderful way to visit the temples of Angkor. Although the ride was a little hot and could take upwards of an hour to reach the far locations such as Preah Khan, it was far more enjoyable to go at our own pace.

That was what we liked most about the bikes – it allowed us to travel at our pace, within a reasonable time (walking just takes too long). We did run into a couple small problems: I got a flat tire, which we simply swapped out for a new one free of charge; and the new bike had a loose chain, which was easy enough to repair the few times it came off, if not a bit of an annoyance.

Support a Local Charity

The White Bicycles is a non-profit charity, which provides over 50 bikes to 9 different hotels and guesthouses across Siem Reap. The money earned goes towards clean water, and educational projects.

The bikes come with a lock and basket, which are convenient, though they are starting to roll out some with lights and helmets as well. The bikes are simple one-speed bikes, but considering Siem Reap is flat as a pancake and can make even Florida seem hilly, you shouldn’t have any issues. The roads can be quite bumpy at times, though. 

Where Do I Get a Bike?

We got our bikes from the RiverGarden Guest House (we also recommend their restaurant), for $2/day per bike with a deposit of $20. While we initially rented them for just 4 days, they said we can keep them as long as we need and just pay the remainder when we return. For us, there was no remainder due to the deposits (and us renting the bikes for 2 weeks.) As well, the RiverGarden has a great restaurant, and a free pool if you eat there (there is also accommodation which looked nice). 

There are a number of other locations where you can rent the white bicycles, though. This was just the location closest to us. Be aware that policy may differ by location. Check out the options on the White Bicycle website.

A couple we met at our Airbnb said they tried to rent them from a place which asked for a $50 deposit (each), so they declined and rented bikes elsewhere. If you would like a mountain bike, you may want to check out other rentals, but we had a good experience with the white bicycles.

Siem Reap White Bicycles – Pin It!