Cambodia

[tuffy]

I am planning a trip to cambodia to check out the sites and do the touristy thing.

Mainly see Angkor Wat and what ever else we can think of.

Any suggestions as to how to get there where to stay what to see and do?

[mark henry]

We are going to Cambodia too, March 08. Unless you can afford the rip-off price to fly to Angkor (thai Air have a monopoly on this) suggest go over-land, cheap and an adventure, takes best part of the day though. Wife and i will be doing the touristy bit too, Angkor for 4 days and then Phnom Pen (sorry too lazy to check how it's spelt) for 3 days. You can fly back to BKK from here also, a lot cheaper as no one airline has a monopoly. I'v heard some of the coast line is very beautiful and Tonle Sap lake is also meant to be very nice.

Have a good trip.

[mark henry]

oh sorry...as to accommodation theres seems to be no shortage of guest houses, we got one for $6. a night! As i'v not been to Cambodia before can't recommend.

[tuffy]

Thanks Mark Henry,

We will be going before you so I will let you know how our trip went. I was thinking about flying but I will have to look into driving as well.

[ngangu]

I haven't been for3 years now and the road may have improved since then, but by the horror stories I've heard about the trip overland, I wouldn't waste my vacation. I don;t understand your statement about Thai air having a monopoly? Used to be Bangkok air, President, Tiger, and a few others flying to PP and Siem Reap. Well worth the money IMO.

I'd definitely recommend the boat from PP-Siem Reap. Up the river and across Lake Tonlesap. It's a great trip in good weather. Maybe not in rain and High winds? Big lake small boat.

Definitely hire a guide for at least a day in Ankhor. You'll see and understand so much more and not expensive, I think we paid 32 dollars a day for a great guide, a driver, and a van for 3 people.

Sianoukville is a nice place to spend a week on the beach. You can also catch a boat from there to Koh Kong and minivan to Trat in Thailand. Then bus to BKK. I found that a good alternative.

Watch your things! Stealing is rampant unlike Thailand.

Good luck!!

[jingjoe]

Good research information here

[mikethevigoman]

Thanks Mark Henry,

We will be going before you so I will let you know how our trip went. I was thinking about flying but I will have to look into driving as well.

If you drive make sure its a truck, or as im doing on sunday a dirt bike ! roads are awesome for dirt bikes, not the same can be said for cars ! ,, i was once asked what the difference was in my opinion beween cambodia and thailand, i thought about this for a moment and replied, similar to the US and Mexico !. I love it but its not for everyone, , if you are going to ankor you can use pubic transport all the way, that road isnt too bad,.accomadation isnt a problem take US dollars and if you do end up with a load of riel ( the cambodian currency ) make sure you get rid of it before you leave the country as its not a recognised currency and you will not be able to exchange it, ,they dont even take for departure tax at the airports ! ,have a great time,.

[Ausladyinpatong]

Hi,

Mr Ausladyinpatong and I had a lovely five day holiday checking out Siem Reap and Ankor Wat.

We stayed at Le Residence d'Ankor which is certainly not a budget hotel but was simply divine.

Make use of the e-visa service before you go, you'll get your visa within a few days and if you have any problems their online customer service staff are extremely helpful.

Red Piano and Soup Dragon were our favourite restaurants...Soup Dragon for lunch (fresh vietnamese spring rolls were great)and drinks and dinner at the Red Piano is the way to go.

There's nothing to buy in Siem Reap apart from souvenirs and perhaps books/dvds related to Cambodia.

Wear sturdy non slip shoes for exploring the temples.

As someone else suggested, hire a guide. Ours was brilliant.

We flew in with Bangkok Air and I don't regret the cost, definitely worth it for such a short trip as ours.

Let me know if there's anything I can help with. That's all I can think of for now. Have a great holiday!

[Tinkelbell]

There is another option.

I took this inclusived tour from BK to Cambodia in 2004.

There are load of package tours in Thai newspapers. The one I took, costed 13,500 bht for four days three nights at 4 stars hotel, included r/t airfare, 3 meals a day, transfer, entrance fees for Ankor Wat and other attractions etc, also came with a guide.

The tour started at BK airport ( it was Don Muang then), we met the guide at the check-in counter, from that moment on the guide took care everything, nothing came out from our pocket again. Of course, you only spend your $$ on personal things like souveniors and gifts.

Everyone felt it was the best deal and we were all very happy.

[apex2000]

You'll need to spend several nights there if you want to take a good look at the ruins. I'd suggest at least 4 nights - 5 days. The ruins are magnificent but involve a lot of walking to see everything. Best go in December/January/February when the weather is cooler. If you want to see more of Cambodia, go by road. It takes longer but you'll see a lot more. Thai is spoken widely as well as English and other European languages. Shops, etc., accept Thai baht, so there is no need for currency exchange if you are travelling from LOS.

I plan to return there one day. Too good to miss; too difficult to describe. Must be seen to be believed.

[gentman]

My family are going there in Jan 2008. FLy into Siem Reap for 3 days. express coach to PP and layback for 2 days. Then fly out from PP. We are not book on anything. Maybe towards travel time, we will reserve a room. And all arrangement throughout will be done there. A guide would be handy.

Edited November 11, 2007 by gentman

[Girlaboutglobe]

If you don't mind getting ripped off by Bangkok Air then go for it, but otherwise you may wish to go via Phnom Penh, the road between Poipet and Siem Reap is still hel_l. It takes four hours to go 100km because the road is so bad. I had to take a taxi, which was fairly expensive compared to the busses, but my bus from Bangkok was delayed so I got into Poipet after they'd stopped running. If you go visa on arrival the cost is USD20, they will very likely try to charge you 1000THB, if you stick to your guns you can get around the 30% mark up.

There are loads of great accommodation and restaurants, try to get in early and take some time to look around. Try not to eat in the same restaurant twice because there are so many good ones that you don't want to miss out. Khmer food is really tasty. You can hire a tuk tuk to take you around both to Angkor and the other sites (there's quite a neat silk farm, and you can see the Artisans de Angkor). The one I used was great, we became friends and he ended up taking me to visit his family in the countryside, we still email. He charged $10-15/day depending on the distance travelled. He was dependable, trustworthy, and very accommodating, his name is Sovanne and if you email him ([email protected]) I'm sure he'd be happy to take you anywhere you want to go. The tuk tuk drivers in Siem Reap are pretty aggressive and often overcharge, so it helps to have one you know.

I simply bought a book that acted both as a guide to Angkor and as a souvenir. This worked well for me because the ruins are so profound that having a guide around would have seemed intrusive. Honestly, don't take too many pictures, go with people you're close to and just let them wash over you.

Another sight that I really got a kick out of was the town with the spider-eaters. If you take the first class bus between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh it'll stop there to gas up. There you will see loads of kids running around with tarantuals on their heads, shoulders, arms, etc. The people of this town are well known because they catch, cook, and eat these large spiders, which is considered strange even to most Cambodians. It's rather interesting, and the spiders taste okay, but I don't recommend eating the part that makes the web, because that bit has a really weird texture. Also the countryside is stunning so it's nice to do a bit of overland if you can. Have fun, I loved it!

[zink]

Taxi from the border to Siem Reap is not very expensive as long as you find couple others to share it. Taxis shouldn't cost more than $45 which makes only $15 per person for three people.