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Getting
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Siemreap: Home To Angkor Wat
By Boat: Fast boats to and from Siem Reap leave every morning between
6.30 and 7am. They cost $25 one-way for foreigners, although many guesthouses
and hotels can now obtain tickets for you for as little as $22. Khmers pay 60,000
riel. Rooftop tickets cost the same as inside tickets, and although many people
consider the roof of often overcrowded boats safer, the Cambodian sun is merciless
and there is no shade on the roof. The trip takes approximately five hours and
the scenery is beautiful.
By Road: A taxi will set a foreigner back 35,000
riel. Khmers pay around 30,000 riel. Taxis leave Psar Thmei from 5am to 2pm, and
(allegedly) from 2pm to as late as 9pm, although this is rare. Pick-up trucks
cost 25,000 riel for a seat in the cabin, or 10,000 riel for a seat in the back.
The trip takes approximately eight hours. The road is reasonable as far as Kampong
Thom, and has reportedly been upgraded recently from Kampong Thom on.
Motorbike:
The same as for road travelers. The road is generally good enough for most competent
riders and considered secure. A recent edict forbade foreign tourists from hiring
bikes in town, but this does not seem to have been enforced.
Helicopter rides:
Flights can easily be booked. Call (855) 23 213 133 or email tours@reddotcam.com
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Sihanoukville: Surf 'n' Seafood
By Road: Widely considered to be the best road in Cambodia, air-conditioned
buses run Route 4 between Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh daily between 6.55am and
2pm. There are three bus companies plying this route and they leave from terminals
along the main road in Sihanoukville, or from well-marked terminals at the south-western
corner of Central Market in Phnom Penh. Tickets cost 12,000 riel. The trip takes
just four hours. Taxis, minibuses and pick-ups also leave from Psar Thmei. Taxis
cost 10,000 riel, minibuses 7,000 riel and pickups 7,000 riel for the cabin and
5,000 riel for the back. These vehicles take between two and a half and three
and a half hours, depending on the individual driver's regard for life and limb.
Be warned a good road can reduce insanity in some Cambodian drivers! For a less
crowded trip, a whole taxi can be yours for about $20 to $25 one way.
By
Train: The train leaves Phnom Penh from the Royal Cambodian Train Station on Monivong
Boulevard on alternate days as there is only one and the journey takes a whole
day. When it reaches the end of the line it returns the following day. Although
many embassies still officially advise against it, train travel in Cambodia is
now considered secure by expatriates and locals and the trip is far more scenic
than the road route. Foreigners pay 45 riel and Khmers pay 15 riel per kilometer.
By Motorbike: You can hire trail bikes in both Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.
But a warning Sihanoukville town has a very high rate of accidents due to the
relatively good condition of the roads combined with blind corners and sharply
turning streets. Many a foreigner has ridden a motorbike down there only to come
back to Phnom Penh by ambulance. Medical facilities in Sihanoukville are better
than in many places but certainly not state-of-the-art. | |
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Koh Kong: Gateway to Thailand
By Boat: The boat from Sihanoukville costs foreigners 600 baht and departs
at 11am daily. The trip takes about three hours. You can also board the boat at
Sre Ambel in Kampong Speu province and tickets from here are slightly cheaper.
The boat is actually designed for river trips and not open water and the trip
can be quite rough, especially during wet season.
By Road and Motorbike:
There are several road routes to Koh Kong province. The route to Sihanoukville
is under repair and nearing completion. All the others are in poor or very poor
condition and impassable in wet season. When the new road is completed, this is
expected to be a more convenient and comfortable way to travel than the boat.
Until then, this is a motorbike trip for experienced riders only and should only
be attempted in groups.
By Air: More than one domestic airline flies to Koh
Kong. Tickets cost about $45 plus $10 domestic departure tax and the trip takes
just 40 minutes. A highly recommended alternative. | |
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Suite B8, Regency
Square, InterContinental Hotel, 294 Mao Tse Toung Boulevard,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom
of Cambodia.
Tel: (855) 23 213 133 Fax: (855) 23 213 033 E-mail:
editor@leisurecambodia.com | | |
