Bkk To Angkor Wat

[andrew55]

I'm planning my 1st trip to Angkor Wat etc and would really appreciate any tips.

I intend to drive my car to the border (Poipet?).

As I still have finance on the vehicle I imagine I will need to park there and continue by bus. Is there securish parking at the border? Buses for onward leg?

I'd really appreciate any recommendations on things not to miss.

I will have my brother visiting from Oz so I really want to make everything smooth and to plan a little. We have a week.

Thanks for your time.

Reason for edit - fat fingers and small keys.

Edited October 19, 2011 by andrew55

[BigRick]

Why bother driving there is a van from Victory monument(230baht) to Poi pet then arrange a taxi/van to Saim Reap(30$us for 4 people). Its Thai style but its super quick and hassle free because this is how the Thais do it so they don't get touted out.

We stayed at a place called Mother home (#6 B&B is Asia the place is awesome!!!! 17$ a night and they can arrange transportation from Poi pet)

Get the multi day pass for Angkor because its a massive area and it takes a couple of days to really appreciate it. You already know not to fall for the "fake" border crossing and try and have 20$ US it will save you from paying 1000baht.

Edited October 20, 2011 by BigRick

[andrew55]

Thanks for replying Rick.

Plan to drive as we'll tour around a bit after Angkor. Maybe Koh Chang or Samet. Great to know we can take a van onward from Poipet.

I did know about the $20US but good reminder.

Thanks again.

[cardholder]

An idea of your budget/expectations/how many travellers/mix of group will avoid the embarrassment of someone suggesting $17 a night B & B's when you are happy to spend $35 to get a good hotel with rooftop views (or vice-versa of course).

If 2 blokes are going half a day is all you need. If you see the main Angkor Wat plus Ta Prohm and Bayon (my favourite) you will have a good flavour of the splendour of this magnificent community. You will have plenty of time for getting ratted @ 50 cents a glass for Angkor draught in Pub Street (DON'T drink Anchor it is like cats pee), drink bottles of wine @ $6 a bottle in a restaurant in an adjacent side street and go and seek out the fleshpots of Siem Reap.

If you are taking the wife and family the itinerary may need to change

[BigRick]

1/2 a day if you are drunk lout only looking for beer and bargirls but most people should try to spend more than one day in the Angkor complex(1 day small loop 2 days large loop). As far as the 17$ a night you are an idiot the place is ranked extremely high and it includes a buffet breakfast.

http://www.tripadvis...-Siem_Reap.html

By all means listen to this guy if you are looking for that "British" tourist experience Beer,bargirls, Being loud and complete disrespect for the culture(1/2 day seeing Angkor but .50 beers and fleshpots LOL WOW stay classy!)

If you are looking for a remarkable place to eat

http://www.tripadvis...Siem_Reap.html. The owner will even pick you up the food and service is the reason this place is #1. The fish is amazing and the steak was decent too.

A good place to chill is the laundry bar you can smoke shoot pool and its a mellow without a lot of the loud mouth goof balls that are so prevalent in certain parts of SE Asia.

Samed is nice especially Hai Ka Sai beach. Koh Chiang Meh! The back side with all the little islands is much nicer than that tourist trap of an island. Koh Wai Koh Kut Koh Mak are all very nice. I am not sure you can drive a car on Samed I know you can on Koh Chiang. Koh Chiang has much more petty crime than Samed so be safe with your possessions especially in the hippy part of the island.

Edited October 20, 2011 by BigRick

[cardholder]

1/2 a day if you are drunk lout only looking for beer and bargirls but most people should at least spend more than one day in the Angkor complex. As far as the 17$ a night you are an idiot the place is ranked extremely high and it includes a buffet breakfast.

http://www.tripadvis...-Siem_Reap.html

By all means listen to this guy if you are looking for that "British" tourist experience Beer, Being loud and complete disrespect for the culture(1/2 day seeing Angkor but .50 beers LOL WOW stay classy!)

If you are looking for a remarkable place to eat

http://www.tripadvis...Siem_Reap.html. The owner will even pick you up the food and service is the reason this place is #1.

A good place to chill is the laundry bar you can smoke shoot pool and its a mellow without a lot of the loud mouth goof balls that are so prevalent in certain parts of SE Asia.

Samed is nice especially Hai Ka Sai beach. Koh Chiang Meh! The back side with all the little islands is much nicer than that tourist trap of an island. Koh Wai Koh Kut Koh Mak are all very nice. I am not sure you can drive a car on Samed I know you can on Koh Chiang. Koh Chiang has much more petty crime than Samed so be safe with your possessions especially in the hippy part of the island.

i thought you wouldn't be bright enough to pick up on my point.

I normally stay in $60 a night hotels, I have no desire to stay in B & B's at $11/15/17 - as comfortable as they might be. Your recommendation for budget accommodation is no use to me - it might be for the OP. My, obviously too subtle, point was that we need more information about the travel group and their tastes before providing specific advice.

Just because the OP has a car on finance does not mean that he can't afford a decent hotel.

[andrew55]

Sorry not to have been more specific in my OP.

$70 a night a little dear/ $35 no problem. I must say that I have often had the best fun and a more 'local' experience staying at pretty 'rough and ready' places (250-300 baht). We don't need aircon or hot water. I don't have it at home. Love a pool every so often - also don't have it at home

The group will consist of my brother, my Thai wife and her 15yo son -oh, and me!

Plan 3 full days around Angkor Wat.

Edited October 20, 2011 by andrew55

[Dag]

Is it worth driving yourself...or the hassle just not worth it ?

[cardholder]

Sorry not to have been more specific in my OP.

$70 a night a little dear/ $35 no problem. I must say that I have often had the best fun and a more 'local' experience staying at pretty 'rough and ready' places (250-300 baht). We don't need aircon or hot water. I don't have it at home. Love a pool every so often - also don't have it at home

The group will consist of my brother, my Thai wife and her 15yo son -oh, and me!

Plan 3 full days around Angkor Wat.

I am sure that your family group will love Angkor Wat (and Siem Reap).

I would recommend that you include Banteay Srei which is a bit further out but included in the Angkor estate.

Siem reap is hugely cosmopolitan and comprises 90% tourists - the rest are local workers and tuk-tuk drivers. Many things to see and a vast array of restaurants and bars.

Do a bit of research before and try Trip Advisor.

The City River hotel (ranked 62/166) and Central Boutique Angkor hotel (ranked 41/166 hotels). Down the scale the 89 Hotel (ranked 24/166) and My Home are both OK. There are, as Big Rik suggested. loads of perfectly adequate places in the $15/22 range - bear in mind it is now high season and some hotels do have a seasonal increase.

[andrew55]

1/2 a day if you are drunk lout only looking for beer and bargirls but most people should try to spend more than one day in the Angkor complex(1 day small loop 2 days large loop). As far as the 17$ a night you are an idiot the place is ranked extremely high and it includes a buffet breakfast.

http://www.tripadvis...-Siem_Reap.html

By all means listen to this guy if you are looking for that "British" tourist experience Beer,bargirls, Being loud and complete disrespect for the culture(1/2 day seeing Angkor but .50 beers and fleshpots LOL WOW stay classy!)

If you are looking for a remarkable place to eat

http://www.tripadvis...Siem_Reap.html. The owner will even pick you up the food and service is the reason this place is #1. The fish is amazing and the steak was decent too.

A good place to chill is the laundry bar you can smoke shoot pool and its a mellow without a lot of the loud mouth goof balls that are so prevalent in certain parts of SE Asia.

Samed is nice especially Hai Ka Sai beach. Koh Chiang Meh! The back side with all the little islands is much nicer than that tourist trap of an island. Koh Wai Koh Kut Koh Mak are all very nice. I am not sure you can drive a car on Samed I know you can on Koh Chiang. Koh Chiang has much more petty crime than Samed so be safe with your possessions especially in the hippy part of the island.

Hey Rick.

Thanks for the links.

Thought you were a bit harsh on Cardholder. I didn't give sufficient info in my OP and he/she assumed wrongly. I've been guilty of that more than once.

I've had a dozen or so short stays on Samet and love it. You can't drive a car but bikes and quads can be rented. Also baht-buses everywhere.

Been to Koh Chang once during Songkran. Didn't like it so much but maybe not fair to judge during the festival.

[andrew55]

Is it worth driving yourself...or the hassle just not worth it ?

I like driving. Don't really find it a hassle. Clocked 120,000 on my 3yo pick-up already. And then there's the bikes...

[Dag]

I mean driving to AW...into Cambo.....my pickup has 110,000 after 2.5 years.

[andrew55]

I mean driving to AW...into Cambo.....my pickup has 110,000 after 2.5 years.

I won't be able to drive over the border as I have finance on vehicle.

[BigRick]

If you and your wife are staying in your own room then the place I suggested is really good because they have a special package that includes massage, flowers on the bed and in the tub + fresh fruit every morning, We really liked the place the staff was by far the best I have seen . Far from rough and tumble even though its not within walking distance of the night market. But it is closer to Angkor Wat. The three day pass is 40$ why its better to do the three days because it cost the same as a two day and you can take your time and be lazy about it Angkor Wat is very nice but Bayon and Thom are = if not more amazing. I was not being harsh with cardholder I just know the type (Not the individual) anyone who suggests spending half a day seeing the wonders of the Angkor complex and the rest of the time drinking cheap beer and looking for BG's is just fitting a stereo type that should be discouraged(Sorry I don't buy you were joking). I have stayed in 200$ a night places that suck compared to some of the secret gems I have found for under 30$. Also remember that driving Cambodia is different they drive on the other side of the road.

Honestly I have been to Koh Chiang 3 times and never really found it that great. But on the back end is a small chain of islands that are really nice and not very crowded. My favorite island will always be Koh Tao because you can swim with sharks right out the back door of the place I like to stay.

[andrew55]

If you and your wife are staying in your own room then the place I suggested is really good because they have a special package that includes massage, flowers on the bed and in the tub + fresh fruit every morning, We really liked the place the staff was by far the best I have seen . Far from rough and tumble even though its not within walking distance of the night market. But it is closer to Angkor Wat. The three day pass is 40$ why its better to do the three days because it cost the same as a two day and you can take your time and be lazy about it Angkor Wat is very nice but Bayon and Thom are = if not more amazing. I was not being harsh with cardholder I just know the type (Not the individual) anyone who suggests spending half a day seeing the wonders of the Angkor complex and the rest of the time drinking cheap beer and looking for BG's is just fitting a stereo type that should be discouraged(Sorry I don't buy you were joking). I have stayed in 200$ a night places that suck compared to some of the secret gems I have found for under 30$. Also remember that driving Cambodia is different they drive on the other side of the road.

Honestly I have been to Koh Chiang 3 times and never really found it that great. But on the back end is a small chain of islands that are really nice and not very crowded. My favorite island will always be Koh Tao because you can swim with sharks right out the back door of the place I like to stay.

Hi again Rick.

Just looked up Motherinn. Perfect for 1st night. I'll book it. Thanks. Also for the 3-day pass price advice. I smoke and play pool - Laundry bar sounds ideal. Buddha seems to be at work here

Not a big deal about Cardholder's error - '2 blokes heading off together' - understandable. Doesn't even mean he does that himself. I'm a bit over buying girls drinks in bar-beers in exchange for them to pretend they love me and tell me how handsome and youthful I look (most of the time)... But I've still advised others on where to find what they need.

I'll look up Koh Tao now although I am very fond of Samet.

Thanks again and stay dry.

[andrew55]

I'll look up Koh Tao now although I am very fond of Samet.

Wrong part of Thailand. Maybe another time. Looks nice.

Wish I could do the quote thingy!

Edited October 21, 2011 by andrew55

[BigRick]

Yes its in the south and well worth the visit especially if you have a truck. There is a place called OK Bungalow II on Aun Hak bay (Bad spelling) where you can swim with reef and black tip sharks all day everyday. Its a shark nursery and has a ton of great sea life its very shallow in most parts so its great for the family. Samed is nice I have been there a couple times myself you are lucky since you have a truck means you have Thai ID 1/2 price park fees

[flash77]

Regarding driving and parking at the border, I did it last year and it was no problem. Left Bangkok (Rangsit) about 6am and arrived in Aranyaprathet about 9am. As you get within 100m of the border crossing (and the large market) you'll see several car parks, and maybe even a few touts trying to get you to come to their park. From memory it was 100B per day. The parks are outdoors with a fence and gate attendant. How secure? Hard to say, but I've heard from a few people that park their regularly with no problems. I would park there again.

After parking you walk through Thai immigration then have a health form to fill in and Cambodia immigration. It is here that could be daunting if you don't know what to expect. You may get a tout to direct you - we did and he was quite honest. After getting through Cambodia immigration there is a bus stop. A bus takes you a couple of km's to a transport station where you can get a taxi (or bus?) to Siem Reap. We paid about $US45 for a taxi. The tout who was with us all the way (even on the bus) asked for a few dollars at the end ... and got it. Finally, when arriving in Siem Reap the taxi stopped on the outskirts and said we had to get into tuk-tuks to go to the hotel. A hard-to-avoid scam to get you to hire the tuk-tuk driver to take you around Siem Reap and/or Angkor Wat.

If you know the procedure and the possible scams, then its not too bad. I'd do it again. Highly recommend you read through the Cambodia Overland page from Tales of Asia.

I've been to Angkor Wat twice: both times spent 3 nights in Siem Reap. Enough time to visit the wats (e.g. two days) and relax and maybe tour elsewhere. The silk worm centre was good.

I have some more details on my home web server but as of this morning the power, and server, are down due to flooding. Will post more if it comes back...

[andrew55]

Regarding driving and parking at the border, I did it last year and it was no problem. Left Bangkok (Rangsit) about 6am and arrived in Aranyaprathet about 9am. As you get within 100m of the border crossing (and the large market) you'll see several car parks, and maybe even a few touts trying to get you to come to their park. From memory it was 100B per day. The parks are outdoors with a fence and gate attendant. How secure? Hard to say, but I've heard from a few people that park their regularly with no problems. I would park there again.

After parking you walk through Thai immigration then have a health form to fill in and Cambodia immigration. It is here that could be daunting if you don't know what to expect. You may get a tout to direct you - we did and he was quite honest. After getting through Cambodia immigration there is a bus stop. A bus takes you a couple of km's to a transport station where you can get a taxi (or bus?) to Siem Reap. We paid about $US45 for a taxi. The tout who was with us all the way (even on the bus) asked for a few dollars at the end ... and got it. Finally, when arriving in Siem Reap the taxi stopped on the outskirts and said we had to get into tuk-tuks to go to the hotel. A hard-to-avoid scam to get you to hire the tuk-tuk driver to take you around Siem Reap and/or Angkor Wat.

If you know the procedure and the possible scams, then its not too bad. I'd do it again. Highly recommend you read through the Cambodia Overland page from Tales of Asia.

I've been to Angkor Wat twice: both times spent 3 nights in Siem Reap. Enough time to visit the wats (e.g. two days) and relax and maybe tour elsewhere. The silk worm centre was good.

I have some more details on my home web server but as of this morning the power, and server, are down due to flooding. Will post more if it comes back...

Thanks for taking the time to reply when you're being affected by the water. Hope you fare ok.

I've never done an overland border crossing so thanks for explaining the procedure.

I'll look at your link now.

[cardholder]

I would also recommend getting e-visas at Poipet.

At US$25 you are fixing your cost, avoiding a fair bit of hassle at the border and it just leaves you to fill out the Arrival/Departure form.

Also, it does not take up a page in your passport..

Just a couple of basics that you are probably aware of:-

Your wife and son are visa exempt as long as they have passports.

Not sure how your brother is travelling but I believe he will be stamped back in for 15 days as it is a land crossing.

Not sure what visa you are on but if you are staying on an extension you will need a Re-entry permit.

Take a passport photo if you do not get an e-visa in advance and a blank TM6 (if you can get them) for you and your brother on the way back - not at all vital but does save time at the border (which will give you time to buy cigarettes or viagra from the hoardes of touts!).

[phuketrichard]

have been half a dozen times to Angkor, including when they held the night show.

still not enough. Each temple is different at different times of the day and season.

Lots to do outside if your there in the rainy season take tuk tuk down to see the floating village of Chong Kneas. $24-40 will get u a boat for 4 hours out to the village. Note in dry season u dont need the boat

I have stayed at some nice GH "siem reap Riverside (about $18/night)

But my favorite in low season is the Neak Pean Hotel (about $40) and the Bopha Ankor hotel ($45)

as soon as u arrive, talk to one of the tuk tuks outside ur hotel and arrange on a per day price, ($15-20)

he will be there at 5 am to take u out for the sunrise, back to town for lunch , and back to the temples for sunset, then pick u up again fr out to dinner or sightseeing. Well worth it.

3 day ticket is the best buy at $40. First day head out for a sunset as u get in after 4pm for free.

Once i even drove my own car around which was nice.

I have had my Thia registered cars with one half of my trips to Camboida and its no big deal although passing can be somewhat dangerous. :-)

Thialanld and Samet, been there once and hated it, Never been to Koh Chang

Next Koh Tao is off Ranong in the south Koh Phayam

Edited October 22, 2011 by phuketrichard

[Dag]

I would like to drive there...so nice to know the info about crossing the border and driving inside Cambo, heard various stories about scams and cops everywhere operating them.

[phuketrichard]

out of driving around Cambodia over various trips and covering most of the country except the north east i was never stopped except in PP twice for minor infractions and both times cost me $5!

[richardemery839]

I want to drive from Bangkok to Ankor Wat next week and would like to know what paper work is required for the car to cross the border? Also is the road from the Cambodian border to Ankor passable in a Toyota Camry or should I use a jeep?