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A group of Jersey cyclists who went on an off-the-beaten-path adventure through Vietnam and Cambodia have raised more than £50,000 for Maison des Landes to fund respite stays of islanders who couldn't normally afford an accessible holiday.
Two of the participants told Express what the adventure to the famous temples was like...
For Steve Taylor, of the Lions Club of Jersey, the 'Road to Angkor Wat' was his first charity cycling challenge – whereas Heulwyn Rothwell is a regular, having taken part in cycles in far-afield locations such as China, Tanzania and Costa Rica, as well as in Europe, supporting a number of charities.
Steve approached Heulwyn at the end of 2023 to suggest a charity cycle, and having taken part in a range of them – supporting Jersey Hospice and MacMillan – Heulwyn not only signed up, but also acted as an unofficial "influencer", talking friends and fellow cyclists into taking part.
Pictured: Cyclists of differing levels took part.
The group was made up of cyclists at a variety of levels, from newbies to more experienced riders. On the road from 7am to 6pm daily, the team's travels totalled around 460km.
A mostly-straight, flat road presented its own challenge: the cyclists never got to change position – and that's on top of 35°C heat.
"We were very lucky that the food was amazing," recalled Heulwyn, who said some of the best meals were at "very local" cafés and establishments.
Steve added: "It was all freshly prepared – a lot of fresh vegetables, which is great, and the fresh fruit the guys provided for us at pitstops, the mangoes... you would just die for."
"Scenically, there are parts of it that were just stunningly beautiful, because you're going through areas of Vietnam and Cambodia that you would never see as a regular tourist," he added.
"You're off the beaten track."
Pictured: The 464 km route taken by the Jersey group.
The cycle took them through weddings and factories and along the waterways of the Mekong Delta.
When they arrived at Angkor Wat, the group had a "stunning" day exploring the temples by bike – even if the cycling was "challenging", according to Heulwyn, taking them through forests.
In total, the ride raised around £53,000 for Maison des Landes, which specialises in holidays for people with disabilities and has more recently started hosting respite stays for islanders. Often, this would be couples where one partner is a carer for the other.
"My mum was a carer for my dad. I saw the impact of having a week off had on my mum a week's break," Steve explained.
Pictured: The group had a "stunning" day exploring the temples by bike.
This led him to look for something similar in Jersey – "and that led to this whole idea of respite breaks for Jersey caregivers", he said.
"There are wealthy people in Jersey, but there's a lot of people caring for others in Jersey who are very, very hard up and they could not afford a break in Maison des Landes, or certainly could not afford to pay for all of it," he noted.
The money raised is equivalent to about 10% of the charity's income from overseas customers, and could support over 100 couples to stay for three nights with dinner, bed and breakfast included.
Islanders who are interested in a subsidised stay can get in contact with the hotel on 01534 481683, or by email at reservations@maisondeslandes.co.uk.
And with a 2026 cycle in the works (destination still to be decided), anyone interested can get in touch at fundraising@maisondeslandes.co.uk.
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