Cambodia Overland

[mark henry]

Hi all

I'v already posted a request for information about a forth coming trip to Cambodia (where to stay/to see) and really appreciated the advice and suggestions i received. However, i'm now unsure wether to go or not the problem as i see it is: We (the wife and i) cannot afford the fare from BKK to Siam Reap (due to the hold Thai Air have over the route until 2009 i'm told) some 4500 baht one way per person!! This leaves two choices; fly to Phnom Phen travel 200 miles up to Siam Reap and then back again to return to BKK or the overland choice which is the one i quite fancy having a go at but i keep reading that it's really dodgy at the border with scams every where, mafia run taxi's and pick pockets etc not to mention a trip of some 3 to 6 hours from the boarder to Siam reap. My question is has anyone done this trip? any tips as to what to do and how to avoid the potential problems/scams. Or is it better to just fly Phnom Phen and make our way up to Siam Reap?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Mark

[Prakanong]

I did it back in 2002 and looking back it was an experience but at the time it was a bit of a hassle going there - not too much of a one but just something i could have done without.

I took a thai gf there and she had a worse time than me at the border and with the street kids.

Coming back was a doddle - just get a bus arranged by the hotel and there is not much hassle as they can not really get many of the scams off you as they do on the way there and just want to get you to BKK.

The "Tales of Asia" site always had excellent up to date info about the overland trip.

Flying one way to PP and going overland to SR then overland back to BKK might be an option.

I know what you mean about the cost of Bangkok Airways - its a bloody rip off just as some of their Samui flights - one pal reckoned it was going to be cheaper for him to go via Singapore to SR!!!

Whatever you do though go to Angkor - one of the best things I have done in SE Asia - well worth the hassle if you do have any.

[zink]

Scams are easy to avoid, as long you know what to do:

- if you are coming from Thailand, tell every tout on Thai side that you already have a visa + hotel reservation to Cambodia, then touts will leave you alone

- at the border, Cambodian official will first ask 1000B, then $20 + 100B before settling for the official rate of $20 for the visa. Just smile and tell him that you will pay only $20

- after border, there will be a free shuttle buses to the bus station nearby, touts might approach you and say that free buses will not leave soon and they will offer you motorcycle/tuk-tuk for a cost. Just say no and get in the free bus, it will leave immideately.

- don't exchange money at the border, rate is very bad and you can use dollars in Cambodia

- you will be approached by taxi touts at some stage, just say to them that you have done this trip several times before and that you have paid $40 for the whole taxi to Siem Reap. You shouldn't pay more than $40-$50 for a whole taxi to Siem Reap.

- print a map (or a list of hotels) of Siem Reap in advance. If you have made already a hotel reservation, taxi driver might pretend that he doesn't know your hotel (he wants you to go to hotels from which he will get commission), thus you will have to guide him to your hotel (or you can just leave and take $1-$2 tuk-tuk to the hotel).

In my experience overland trip is definitely worth it. In early 2007, I paid for the trip about:

~100B for taxi to the bus station in Bangkok

~200B for the bus ticket to Aranayaprathet

70B for the tuk-tuk ride to the border

~500B ($15) for the taxi drive to Siem Reap (I shared the car with two other people)

=> under 900B in total, trip took about 10 hours from hotel to hotel.

Total cost of trip by plane would have been at least 8000B IIRC and it would have taken at least 4-5 hours.

[canuckamuck]

I have traveled overland in Cambodia a few times. It's not the end of the world to travel on their roads, but it is a rough ride, and their busses are old. Also they stop frequently for nature calls and sometimes for food but they never tell the farangs why they've stopped so you have to make a guess.

I did once take the high speed boat from PP to SR on the Tonie Sap River. It was great, lots of scenery, smooth ride. The boat did start to sink at one point but they got it sorted out. Anyhow it was about 25 US last time I was on it in 2003. They even had air con. Getting out of the boat at the end is a nightmare, it will require a lot of patience as the touts are very aggressive, and it takes a long time to get your bag from the back of the boat and then leave by gangplank.

If the boats are still there, I would recommend it as superior to highway travel.

The border at Poi Pet is very low end, but it's doable. Keep your wallets and other snatchables in safe places.

[crewcut]

I travelled from BKK to SR and then on to PP in 2000 and apart from the mode of transport being uncomfortable (sitting in the back of a pick-up) the journey was not that bad, although it wasn't that good either!. The driver got taxed a few times along the road by various groups of locals blocking the road with heavy duty tomato canes but we the passengers got no hassle at all. The roads are dirt tracks but I'm used to this living in Isan.

One last thing, Cambodia didn't and still might not have ATM machines, I had to porn my camera and some jewellery to get some money to travel back to Thailand! CC.

[mark henry]

Thanks everyone for your advice, especially Zink, it's helpful to have an idea about cost. I'm still not sure what to do yet but being in full veiw of the facts will certainly help me decide. Cheers all.