Travelling for the first time to Angkor Wat Cambodia from Chantaburi. Possible? Any tips?

This is a friend of mines website, he has a guest house in Siem Reap.

Lots of very good info on travelling to Angkor.

http://www.peaceofangkor.com/

Best to try most of the journey in Thailand. I would suggest border crossing at Poipet. The road is blacktop from Poipet to Siam Reap, which is where you should stay.

If money is no concern then fly Bkk to Siem Reap. A bit more interesting, and cheaper, would be to travel to Aranyapratet then cross over to Poipet and get a taxi from there to Siem Reap. It takes about 2 1/2 hours. Should costs around $40 but coming back it's cheaper. We paid $25 Siem Reap to Poipet in October. Unless you are really into Cambodian ruins then you should be able to cover the most interesting place (Ankor, Bayon, Ta Prom, Banteay Srei) in two days, three at most, so buy the 3 day pass for $40. The 2 day pass also costs $40 so you will have an extra day if you need it. We stayed at a hotel in town, double was $20 per nite, and decent. Easy walk to the markets and pub street. www.goldentemplevilla.com This is the high season there, so wherever you stay, best make reservations.

www.canbypublications.com is an excellent website for travel and accommodation (the best single country travel guide I have seen). See the specific section in the travel box on the left hand side of their home page and click on the 'overland to/from Laos, Vietnem and Thailand link' - maps guidance and timetables, very well presented stuff.

BKK to Siem Riep by air is stress free but you pay for the monopoly that Bangkok AIr has - could be $300 return in the high season that will last until March now. A taxi from Chantaburi to the border and from the border to Siem Reap will take about 8 hours and will be a bit cheaper and a bit faster than going up to Bangkok for an expensive flight. If you are a robust traveler a bus from Chantaburi to Arranyapratet (buses to Buriram and other Issaan towns like Ubon will go to Aranyaphratet or to towns close enough to do another short hop) plus local taxi to border plus bus from border to SIem Reap will take you all day (starting early), but will cost less than $25 one way.

If you had the time then going through the border beyond Trat and spending a couple of days in Sihanoukville, a couple of days in Phnom Penh and a couple in Siem Reap would make an excellent one week holiday and you would feel that you had seen the real Cambodia. SIem Reap town is a bit of a theme park atmosphere and not really Cambodian at all (though the temples are truly magnificent and it has to be done)