Meeting with a mad elephant. Wild elephants carried out a pogrom in an Indian city, killing a sacred cow and a man (video)
We simply could not help but visit the neighboring country Cambodia. Despite the fact that the beaches in Cambodia are in no way inferior to neighboring Thailand and Vietnam, most of our compatriots still prefer to travel from Phu Quoc to Cambodia and relax in these two countries. In Cambodia a large number of temples and other attractions. This country gained enormous popularity around the world after the famous movie with Angelina Jolie, A Angkor Wat temple was advertised so much that any tourist is simply obliged to travel from Fukuoka to Cambodia.
In our case, while vacationing in Vietnam, we traveled by water, stayed at a hotel in the popular resort of Kampot and went to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Almost all of our tourists come to Cambodia (for a beach holiday or to visit attractions) through Vietnam. Tours to Cambodia from Thailand, especially Pattaya and Koh Chang, are also popular.
From Vietnam to Cambodia: how to get there
The most in a simple way getting from Phu Quoc to Cambodia, and also from Vietnam to Cambodia in general, is a connecting flight with Vietnamese airlines via. There are 5 flights a day from Phu Quoc Island to the metropolis, and from there to Cambodia up to ten, depending on where you are going. Vietnamese airlines are very good, the planes are new, the staff is helpful, they provide food, drink, and unlimited quantities of alcoholic drinks.
By bus
You can also travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Cambodia by bus. Buses depart from Ho Chi Minh City Sinh Station. Tickets can be purchased online -
The most the perfect way to get from Fukuoka to Cambodia to the southern resort part is a ferry. On it you can take a 1.5-hour journey to the Vietnamese town of Ha Tien. The ferry ticket costs just over $20.
And from there you can get to the Cambodian resorts of Kampot and Suanukville by bus for 5-10 dollars.
Border from Fukuoka to Cambodia
The border from Fukuoka to Cambodia is unique in this place. You enter each state through huge travel points, but Vietnamese is much more refined. Moreover, on the way back, you can experience all the delights of not needing a visa to enter the country, since you will have to wait for the Europeans following you on the bus, who receive a visa upon entry. Don't forget to take documents from your travel agency with you when traveling from Cambodia to confirm your tour to Vietnam and the availability of tickets back to Russia. Otherwise, there may be problems with entry back into the country!
You enter Cambodia through a huge arch - a border post, and receive a visa. All this is more reminiscent of a house for workers at a large construction site, made on a quick fix made of corrugated sheets and standing on pipe stilts. Instead of turnstiles, pipes are dug into the ground, surrounded by construction tape to organize a serpentine line (in our country, they fence off the area around houses when snow can fall from the roof to prevent people from walking there). The whole procedure does not take much time, but you will have to wait for all those who are traveling with you.
Nataya RoundHouse Coral Bay Resort in Cambodia
Having left at eight o'clock in the morning, even before lunch we arrived at a hotel called. The hotel is located 15 minutes from Kampot and has three stars. We stayed there until the evening, in order to take a night bus and go to the sights of Cambodia. The hotel is located on the first coastline, it has a nice swimming pool, a garden with green area and a small pond with lilies. We got rooms in a bungalow for several people. Many tourists were very unhappy that in travel agencies they thought they would get separate houses, but they were divided into two, for two groups of guests. But this was of little interest to us. The food at the hotel is very good and varied: many fish, meat and seafood dishes combined with herbs and, of course, rice.
Beach in Cambodia
The hotel beach is private, not very wide with white sand. The water is clear, and there is a fairly long wooden pier going into the water. It’s not entirely clear why it was made, probably for beauty, since ships don’t moor there, and even if they moored, large boats obviously wouldn’t be able to do it. In short, a typical three-star hotel. There is everything you need, no frills and quite ascetic. But this was enough for us to pass the time until the evening and get to know beach holiday in Cambodia.
Trip to Siem Reap in Cambodia
The main reason to travel to Siem Reap in Cambodia is to visit the Ankgor Wat temple complex. This complex is located near the town of Ankgor. Most tourists from Kampot, Sihanoukville and nearby islands prefer to travel there by night bus. The journey takes 10-12 hours, depending on where you are. Many people spend a day at Angkor Wat and return back. We planned to get to the place overnight and on the same day stop in Phnom Penh in the evening, spend the night in the capital of Cambodia, see the sights and return at night to be at our hotel on the island of Phu Quoc in Vietnam in the morning.
Travel time from Kampot to Siem Reap in Cambodia
Departure from the resort Kampot took place at ten o’clock in the evening; we arrived there early in the morning, around six o’clock. The territory of Siem Reap in Cambodia is huge! Many tourists come there for two days and stay in hotels in Angkor. You can stay in Siem Reap in Cambodia longer, up to three or more days, but, in my opinion, this is only if you are very interested in archaeology. If there are not many of you traveling and your group is well organized, or you are traveling alone, then visiting everything in one full day is, of course, possible. The complex opens early in the morning at 5-6 am (for those who want to visit the temple and do beautiful pictures at sunrise) and is open to the public until 6 p.m.
Ankgor Wat: ticket prices and what they cover
It is important to decide what you want to visit in Siem Reap in Cambodia, because there are many places to visit, and the temples are located at a good distance from each other! Our company visited the main and largest temple of Ankgor Wat, Ankgor Thot, Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm (uncleared jungle temple), Koh Ker, Phnom Kulen and Beng Melia. A one-day ticket costs $20. For three days - $40 and the ticket is valid for a week. If my memory serves me correctly, there are also discounted tickets for longer stays.
Always carry your tickets with you; you will have to present them at the entrance to each temple. Temples of Koh Ker, Phnom Kulen and Beng Melia in Siem Reap in Cambodia will have to be paid separately. The cost of visiting them is 5, 10 and 20 dollars.
At Ankgor Wat you can also visit the elephant terrace and ride on them. We decided not to ride elephants with a group of 11 people, since of course there would have been enough elephants, but we simply decided to use our time more efficiently. Instead, we took to the air in a hot air balloon and enjoyed panoramic bird's eye views of the entire complex. The cost of the climb is $11 per person and the time is 30 minutes. Balloon rises on a metal rope, which ensures 100% safety of the attraction. The basket is round with a hole in the middle. You can’t walk on it, so everyone stands quietly and admires the spectacle.
If you stay more than one day in the city of Angkor, you can visit the Butterfly Garden, the French Quarter and the Royal Garden.
Getting around the Ankgor Wat complex
To get around Siem Reap in Cambodia, we hired several cars with drivers. It costs $30 for the whole day for each transport. It could have been cheaper, but we had big company and there were three to four people in each car, so we didn’t haggle over a five-dollar discount.
Motor transport is the most quick way movement around the complex and a guarantee that you can explore everything in one day. There are many scooter rental places for 5-8 dollars a day, which in my opinion is also quite fast and convenient way movement, if you confidently ride a two-wheeled motor vehicle (not for me). The cheapest and most leisurely way to get around here is to rent a bicycle. Renting this type of transport costs 2-5 dollars per day, but, of course, sightseeing will last at least 2-3 days.
What else is important
When traveling with me, I would recommend wearing comfortable shoes and comfortable clothes that will not keep you hot. You can also take a change of clothes, at least, it won’t be superfluous, especially if you’re traveling for more than one day. Sunglasses will serve everyone well, and in many ways will be irreplaceable. A hat is a must when visiting this hot place if you don’t want to get sunstroke while walking all day long under the scorching sun. And finally, a clean bottle mineral water- Necessarily!
Trip to Phnom Penh
We left the Ankgor Wat temple complex at about five o'clock in the evening, so as not to get stuck in traffic after six, when most tourists leave. We decided to go to the capital of the country, Phnom Penh, in the same cars with drivers, the cost is $50 per car, that is, about $12 per person, which was cheaper than taking the ferry and faster than taking the bus. Ferries can also be used to reach southern resort Sihanoukville.
In Phnom Penh we stayed at a hotel called H&J Apartments Hotel. The hotel is located right in the city center, close to the central market. The hotel is very small, and we only needed it to spend the night. The room costs 25 dollars.
In the evening we had enough time to walk around evening city. Check out time at the hotel, as everywhere else, is 12.00. We agreed with the owners that we would vacate the rooms early in the morning and pay extra to leave our things until five o'clock in the evening and set off to see the sights of Phnom Penh.
In one day spent in Phnom Penh, we managed to visit all the important places. Of all of them, I would recommend visiting Royal Palace, National Museum, Blooming Lotus Temple, Wat Pom Temple, Independence Monument, Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument, Killing Fields - a museum in memory of those killed during the Khmer Rouge terror. It’s hard to call it a landmark, there are a lot of remains human bodies, but we looked there.
To return on the same day, cross the border and catch the last rocket, we decided, just like from Siem Reap in Cambodia, to leave in cars with drivers. Having learned that we were going to take a taxi, the hotel owners offered us their friends, who took us for $50 per car.
If you travel anywhere from Phnom Penh by bus, remember that there is no central bus station. Intercity buses stop at city stops, and you will need to find out the stop you need from your hotel or the place where you purchased your tickets.
Thus ended our three-day journey from Phu Quoc to Cambodia. We learned what a beach holiday is in this country, met local cuisine, which we really liked, saw the temples of the most important attraction of the country, Angkor Wat, and got acquainted with the capital Phnom Penh. The time spent was quite enough, but if someone wants to combine a tourist trip with a beach holiday, then I will definitely say that the beaches and ocean in this country are simply excellent.
You can get to Siem Reap by air, land and water. This destination is in great demand, since the main attraction is located near the city South-East Asia- Angkor. Below we will look at each option in detail.
How to get to Siem Reap:
1. Airplane
There are no direct flights from Russia to Siem Reap yet, so you have to be content with connecting flights. To find the most best option for price and time, we recommend using the search engine below. It searches for all airlines, from any city in the world. All you have to do is book your ticket online and fly on the appointed day.
Siem Reap International Airport is located 7 km from the city and receives direct flights from Phnom Penh, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Seoul and other cities. The destination is served by more than a dozen airlines:
- AirAsia (departure from Kuala Lumpur)
- Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur)
- Cambodia Angkor Air (Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh)
- Asiana Airlines (Seoul)
- Bangkok Airways (Bangkok)
- China Southern Airlines (Guangzhou)
- Jetstar Asia (Singapore)
- Korean Air (Seoul)
- Lao Airlines (Luang Prabang)
- Silk Air (Danang, Singapore)
- Vietnam Airlines (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City).
IN high season Siem Reap airport is so busy that there are plans to build a new one 60 km from the city. By the way, when departing from there on a domestic flight you must pay an airport tax of $12. This does not apply to international flights.
You can only get from the airport to the city by taxi; travel costs from $8. When booking a hotel, ask them about the transfer, in some cases it is free.
2. Bus
You can get to Siem Reap by bus not only from all cities of Cambodia, but also from neighboring countries– , Laos and Vietnam. There are even direct buses from Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City. Minivans run from Pattaya and Koh Chang. You can get there on your own or use the services of travel agencies, which include full transfer from your hotel to your destination.
We want to say right away: forget about bus stations. You will spend a lot of time finding out where they are, getting to them, finding the ticket office, buying a ticket, and waiting for departure. And this is just the beginning! Buses from bus stations also arrive at bus stations, from which you still have to get to the city center and the hotel - which means extra money and time. For example, if you travel from Thai Pattaya (one of the most popular destinations), then first you need to come to the bus station (which is on North Street), buy a ticket to the Mo Chit bus station in Bangkok. There, buy a ticket to Aranyaprathet, from the Aranyaprathet bus station find a tuk-tuk to the border. After crossing the Cambodian border, find someone who will take you to the Poipet bus station, where you can buy a bus ticket to Siem Reap. He will take you to the bus station, from where you can take a tuk-tuk to the hotel. Just a crazy option with ten transfers! You can't even get there in a day using this route. But this is exactly what will happen if you drive independently from bus stations, as recommended on some websites. Fortunately, they recently launched a direct bus from Mochit to Siem Reap, which simplifies the task.
But we still recommend using travel agencies and only them, no matter where you are coming from - from the Thai Pattaya and Koh Chang, the Cambodian cities of Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, the Vietnamese Ho Chi Minh City and Mui Ne, the Laotian Pakse. With the help of an agency, you will be freed from all problems, save a lot of time, and often money. All you need to do is walk from the hotel to the nearest tour desk and buy a bus ticket to Siem Reap there. All! After that, everything else will be done for you - they will pick you up from the hotel, take you to the bus, take you to the border, help you cross it (in the sense that they will indicate where the window is to get a visa and put a stamp), then put you on a bus to Siem Reap, which most likely he will come to the city center, to one of the travel agencies. And since almost all hotels and inexpensive guest houses are located in the central part of this small town, you can reach your hotel on foot. The authors of the site are independent travelers who have been traveling around Asia for many years, and yet we use the services of street travel agencies so as not to waste extra money and time searching for bus stations.
By the way, at any travel agency in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City and Mui Ne) you can purchase a tour to Angkor for several days. It will, of course, be more expensive than independent trip, but you will be spared from choosing a hotel in Siem Reap, from searching for transport and ways to get from the hotel to Angkor and explore its main temples, and then return back to the point of departure.
From Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville
In Cambodia, there will definitely be no problems getting from one city to another. The network of local travel agencies is much more developed than in Thailand and you only need to take a few steps from the hotel to buy not only a bus ticket from Phnomephn and Sihanoukville to Siem Reap, but also to the main resorts of Thailand and Vietnam.
We just have to name the average prices for transport and travel time. So, it takes 8 hours to travel from Phnom Penh, the ticket costs $10-12. From Sihanoukville – 11-12 hours and $18-20.
Also on Lake Tonle Sap there is water communication. High-speed boats (speedboats) between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh take 6-7 hours and cost $35. Departures from the pier in Phnom Penh daily at 7:30. Tickets must be purchased from travel agencies. This is not a very common option, and in April-May boats are generally canceled as the lake becomes shallow. In Siem Reap, boats arrive at a pier 15 kilometers from the city, from there you can get to the center by tuk-tuk for $4-5.
From Thailand to Siem Reap
This is the most popular route among tourists. Most come here from Pattaya and Koh Chang.
The best option is, again, to contact local agencies. They even offer round trip tickets with an open return date, but it is better to buy one way and buy a return ticket in Siem Reap. The route is something like this: you are picked up from your hotel, taken by minibus (less often by bus) to the Aranyapatet/Poipet border crossing (sometimes to a travel agency next to it, where you transfer to a free tuk-tuk to the border), then cross the border, you are put on another bus that goes directly to Siem Reap. Sometimes they take you from the border to the Poipet bus station, where you change to a regular bus going to the place.
From Pattaya to Poipet it takes 4-5 hours, from Koh Chang it takes half an hour by ferry and 2.5-3 hours by land to the border. It takes 3 hours to travel from the Cambodian border to Siem Reap. Prices for complex tickets from Pattaya and Koh Chang are almost the same and amount to 400-500 baht (about $15).
The only thing bad about a trip from an agency is that they can start sending you to the border to obtain a visa. For example, they will say that for $50 they will do it in 10 minutes and that you cannot do without them and that the bus will not wait for you if you arrange it yourself. All this is nonsense! Buses run very often as tourists arrive. And since this crossing is very popular, there are a lot of people and there is transport every half hour. In any case, the bus from Thailand to Siem Reap changes at the border, i.e. you will arrive in Aranyapatet in one (Thai) and leave Poipet in another (Cambodian).
We described how to cross the border on your own in a separate article. Officially, a visa costs $30 (since October 1, 2014), but for several years now there has been a piece of paper hanging on the immigration window in Poipet stating that Russians must pay an additional 100 baht. If there is no photo, then another 100 baht. This is true for photos, but not for being Russian. But it is useless to argue with them - you will have to give a “nationality tax”.
The person who takes your group to the crossing and then puts you on the bus to Siem Reap will also ask you to give him 100 baht as a tip. To give or not to give is your business, it is not necessary. You can give 50 baht or whatever is in your pocket.
From Pattaya on your own
Minivans depart from the intersection of Sukhumvit Highway and South Road. The ticket costs 300-350 baht. They arrive at the Aranyaprathet bus station (less often directly to the border). From the bus station by tuk-tuk for 20-30 baht (if only one person is traveling, they may ask for 50-60). Then cross the border without any “help”. If you have a group of several people, you can hire a taxi after the crossing for $40 (then it will be $10-13 for each person). There are also travel agencies at the border where you can buy a bus ticket to Siem Reap for $11-13. The third option is to get to the Poipeta bus station in 10 minutes, from where you can get to the city we need for $10.
Finally, you can get to the border crossing from Pattaya by taxi for 2200-2500 baht.
From Bangkok on your own
It’s easier, but also more expensive, by plane. With this option, everything is clear - buy a ticket online, come to the airport in Bangkok and fly.
It's cheaper to take the bus to Siem Reap. There are two options: from Mochit bus station or Khaosan street.
In the first option, you come to Mochit and buy tickets to Siem Reap (600-700 baht). If they are sold out today, then you will have to take a transfer - a bus to Aranyaprathet (about 300 baht), cross the border and then search for transport to your destination.
In Khao San, tickets are sold at travel agencies. Cost on average 500 baht. It takes about 5 hours to get to the border.
From Suvarnabhumi Airport
In the mornings there are buses from Suvarnabhumi to the Cambodian border. Usually flights are at 7:30 and 9:30, but there may be changes. First, you need to take the free shuttle to the Public Transportation Center airport bus terminal, where you transfer to bus No. 390. A ticket to the border costs about 200 baht.
A taxi to Aranyaprathet costs about 2,000 baht.
From Vietnam and Laos
From Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap you can take a bus for $18. The drive is very long, about 15-17 hours. The bus does not change at the border, as is the case with Thailand, but most likely you will have to change trains in Phnom Penh, since many buses go through the capital of Cambodia. Tickets can only be purchased at travel agencies in Ho Chi Minh City in the Ben Thanh market area. There is no transport from the bus stations. If you come from the resort of Mui Ne, the bus will first take you to Ho Chi Minh City, where you will have to make a transfer.
There are also buses from the Laotian city of Pakse. But almost no one uses this option.
I traveled from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, then from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap.
The cost is about 8 dollars for the first plot, 6 dollars for the second.
Travel time depends greatly on traffic- everything moves along the highways there, including oxen and other horse-drawn vehicles. We managed to get to Phnom Penh in 8 hours, including the border, the journey from there to Siep Reap took about six hours.
Tickets for the first section are sold at Ho Chi Minh City travel agencies. You can buy tickets for the second section at the Phnom Penh bus station, which is next to the central market.
There is no danger.
Siem Reap-Phnom Penh:
1. about 10 dollars (depending on the specific bus company)
2. approximately 6 hours
3. In any hotel, guesthouse, travel agency...
4. zero
Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville:
1. from 4 to 7 dollars
24 hours
3. see above.
4. see above.
My recommendation is to choose Mekong Express. I have traveled many hundreds of hours across Cambodia on various bus companies over the past five years. My opinion is clear - Mekong Express has the best buses, the best drivers and overall service.
For example, just this morning my daughter and I were returning home to Phnom Penh from Sihanoukville. 7 dollars off the top of my head. Travel time is three and a half hours. Comfortable seats, clean toilet, no stops along the way, a nice flight attendant delivers free buns and water:)
What about seats in buses in general? For example, we flew to Phnom Penh, do we need to go to Sihanoukville, can we really leave on the same day? It’s just that friends traveled like this before, but they had an organized tour, they were met and given the tickets they had bought in advance, they said that the bus was full, there were not only tourists but also locals! What if it happens that there are not enough places, can this happen?
Hope,
1. tickets will most likely be available
2. Perhaps. 20 dollars and one passport size photo.
3. There is a single bus station in Phnom Penh. There are several points that can roughly be called bus stations.
In general, getting out of Phnom Penh airport is extremely easy. There are two stands right at the exit:
Knock-knock - 7 dollars
Taxi - 9 dollars.
This is a fixed price for a trip to anywhere in the city.
There are competent guys working at the counters, they can tell you what and how.
Do you want to immediately take a bus after your flight and leave Phnom Penh? If I were you, I would stay in the city at least for a day...
Hope, listen to Copain. I suggest the KHMER ROYAL HOTEL for an overnight stay, it is good because it is located on the embankment, the windows of the rooms overlook the royal palace. In the morning, when the rays rising sun An indescribable spectacle falls on the palace. Beautiful!! In the evening, ask the reception desk to book your bus tickets. 3-4 hours is enough to see the queens' palace, pagoda and museum, so you'll have time to see everything perfectly.
Thanks a lot.
I initially planned to go straight away, but now I’m also thinking about staying. The plane arrives in Phnom Penh at 16.30.
I have another question: can I book boat tickets to Siem Reap at the reception desk?
As I understand it, the visa is issued directly at the airport?
Of course you can. At the reception there are very responsive young Khmers who will help you with tickets to any direction. Ask for a hotel with a view of the Royal Palace, they will not refuse, and you will get a lot positive emotions. We traveled to Slovakia by bus, the road is not difficult, but interesting. Visa at the airport - you hand in your passport and application form at one window, at another (nearby), pay money (dollars) and receive a passport with a visa.
Good afternoon
Please consult.
We are going to Vietnam in December. We would like to go to Siem Reap by land for a few days (3).
Upon our return we plan to spend a week in Fukuoka.
I have 2 options in my head:
1. There from Saigon to Phnom Penh, from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. The reverse is similar. Then take a plane to Phu Quoc.
Questions:
- Is the bus schedule known?
2. There from Saigon to Phnom Penh, from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Return from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, from Phnom Penh to Ha Tien, from Ha Tien by boat to Phu Quoc.
Questions:
- Is the bus/boat schedule known?
- Is it possible to move at night?
- Is it possible to buy all tickets in advance in Saigon?
What do you think about these options? Is it worth choosing a similar return route... or is it better to return back to Saigon the same way?
I will share my experience independent travel from Vietnam to Cambodia. It was in Mui Ne, where we met with friends from Novosibirsk. Our Vietnamese visa was already running out and it was time to leave Vietnam. The next place we really wanted to visit was the famous Angkor temples in Siem Reap. I didn’t have to think long about how to get there from Mui Ne.
Having entered the tourist stall closest to the hotel, we were immediately offered a prefabricated bus route. We didn’t want to stay in Ho Chi Minh City for a long time, since crazy Hanoi was more than enough for us. Therefore, the plan was as follows - departure from Mui Ne in the evening, early in the morning we arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, wait there for a couple of hours and transfer to a bus to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, where we were again waiting for a transfer to a bus to the final point - Siem Reap, in where Angkor Wat is located. The entire route takes about a day, including all transfers. The agency gave us an envelope with all the necessary tickets and business cards for communication in case of emergency. The total cost of travel per person was about $50, unfortunately, I don’t remember exactly. Below I will write approximately how much for what.
Transfer from Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh City by bus with lie-flat seats. The bus picked us up near the hotel in the evening, it takes about 6 hours and the cost is $5 - $10, depending on whether you have seats or lying down. But from experience I will say that it is better to take recumbent ones, they are much more comfortable. After saying goodbye to our friends, we boarded the bus and set off to Ho Chi Minh City.
We arrived in Saigon early in the morning; the wait for the next bus was about three hours. The cafes haven’t really opened, and there’s no local currency left, there’s a lot of bags—you can’t walk around the city with them, and you’re so tired of moving. We walked through a nearby park and fell on a bench there. As soon as I turned away for a minute, they cut off my bag, which was standing on the side of the bench. I didn’t even immediately realize that she was missing, because I was sleepy and no one was passing nearby. And in the bag there is a brand new, expensive tripod and our shoes. In fact, it won’t be realized so quickly. There was already half an hour left before the bus, I started running around the park in a daze, hoping that the thief would throw off the bag, realizing that there was nothing particularly valuable there. But, unfortunately, I didn’t find anything and had to get on the bus without one bag. So be careful in Ho Chi Minh City and watch your bags.
The bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh takes about 5 hours, plus a possible delay at the border, a maximum of half an hour, for a cost of $15-$30. In 2 and a half hours we reached the border of Vietnam and Cambodia. I don’t remember the exact details of crossing the border, but everything was very fast; at the Vietnamese border, on the bus, they collect all the passports and $30 for a visa and give it to customs officers, but on the Cambodian side you will have to stand in line a little longer. After which, another 2.5 hours to the capital of Cambodia.
We didn’t linger in Phnom Penh either, we didn’t even go anywhere, after the incident in Saigon, we sat down with our belongings and waited for the bus to Siem Reap at the bus station, where they took us.
A bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap takes 5-6 hours and costs about $5. Most Along the way, while we were driving, it began to rain, although there was nothing special to see, a clay road and water on both sides of it. By evening we finally reached Siem Reap and the Agkor temples.
We found a cheap and decent hotel in advance, which was not far from the temple complex. Here she is
After getting off the bus, we got into a tuk-tuk that was standing at the bus stop and went to the hotel to get some sleep. The next day we had a walk through all the temples of Angkor.
This distance can be covered much faster by plane from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap, but this is the least economical option.
Geographically, I am located in the city of Sinauville (Sihanoukville), this is the southwest of Cambodia. Sihanoukville is located on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand and is the only and therefore the largest port in the country. 🙂
And I will meet you at the Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport, where our journey through Cambodia will begin.
Below we describe in detail how to get to this coveted point on the map more correctly and cheaper... :)
By plane
Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport is located 6 km from the city, near the huge temple complex of Angkor Wat. Sometimes, during takeoff and landing, you can see the impressive view of these temples.
In Cambodia, everything is the largest and most majestic. The airport in Siem Reap is the largest airport in the country, and therefore some international flights arrive here. I would like to continue the phrase - “and the remaining two planes land at another airport.” 🙂
There are no direct flights from Russia, or even from Moscow, to Cambodia. You can get to Siem Reap by flight with a transfer in Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and through other Asian cities. There are very inexpensive flights to Sinh Reap with Asian low-cost airlines: AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok and Jetstar from Singapore.
Of course, a normal trait of any person is saving. That's why we always try to buy cheaper air tickets and fly on vacation inexpensively. True, then we can easily compensate for this benefit by absorbing hectliters of beer and whiskey in good company, but that’s another story. But whatever one may say, the economy must be economical. Therefore, to calculate these savings, you can use the handy little blue tablet below. With its help you can find the most cheap flights to Siem Reap and book them without leaving right hand mouse, and from the left - a mug of hot coffee (or vice versa if you are left-handed). 🙂
After landing the plane in Siem Reap and unloading your tired but happy bodies onto solid ground, you will need to do one simple thing - apply for a visa to enter the Magic Kingdom of Cambodia. Clutching the treasured crumpled 30 dollars in your sweaty palm, feel free to stomp to the “Visa on arrival” counter. The cost of the visa is paid here only in cash. You won't be able to pay with a plastic card, but you can withdraw money from a nearby ATM. If you don’t want to pay an iron box a percentage for withdrawing money, then take care of this thirty in advance. But if you managed to get an electronic visa “e-Visa” back in cold Russia, you can immediately go to passport control (Immigration). Baggage is collected after passport control. After that, put the widest and kindest smile on your face and carefully look out in the crowd for my shaved crown. 🙂 From that moment on, you automatically became a barang, this is the status of local white foreigners. 🙂 But from this very moment you find yourself in my safe hands. 🙂 The flights are over and your immersion in Cambodia begins.
By bus
It is very convenient and inexpensive to get to Siem Reap from neighboring Asian countries and from other cities in Cambodia by tourist buses. Tickets for these buses are sold everywhere at travel agencies and hotels.
Estimated prices for tickets to Siem Reap:
- Ho Chi Minh City – Siem Reap – $9-$12
- Bangkok – Siem Reap – $20-$25
- Pohn Penh - Siem Reap - $7-$10
Additionally, I would like to tell you the most convenient way to get from Bangkok to Siem Reap.
At the Bangkok MohChit bus station, take a bus ticket to Aranya Prathet for 300-400 baht ($10-15).
Flights depart from 4.00 to 18.00. The journey takes about 5 hours. You can get from the bus station to the border by tuk-tuk (50-60 baht), or you can also walk if you don’t have a lot of things. Please note that checkpoints are open from 8.00 to 20.00. You can do it at the checkpoint window for $20. tourist visa for a month in 2-3 minutes. After crossing the border, go to the bus station and take a bus for 10 dollars, or catch a taxi to Siem Reap, about 30-35 dollars, payable at the exit.
Little advice. Although the majority of buses are quite comfortable, the air conditioning in them is childish. There are ventilation holes located directly above the passengers' heads, through which the air begins to blow immediately after the bus departs. cold wind Antarctica. As a rule, there are no adjustments there, and to prevent your body from becoming covered with frost on the road, I recommend taking a roll of tape to seal the winter hole above your head. And since the road is long, you can take not only a roll, but also a bottle of Scotch scotch. This will help while away the hot miles. 🙂
Since there is no single bus station in Siem Reap, and buses arrive at different places, we will need to agree in advance on the point where our long-awaited meeting will take place. 🙂