Cambodia, Feb 8-14
Dec 23rd, 2016, 10:53 AM
#1
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Cambodia, Feb 8-14
Hello:
I will be taking a break (and visa run) in the midst of my 7 week trip to Thailand by taking a week or so in Cambodia, flying to and from Bangkok (and hence I won't be losing entire days in travel)
I want to visit Ankor Wat, but know my tolerance for the site will be about two days.
My first thought is fly to Siem Reap, have 3.5 days there to explore Ankor Wat and Siem Reap, travel on to Phnom Penh, have a couple of days there to explore, and then fly back to Bangkok.
First, does this sound like a reasonable way to spend seven or eight days, inclusive of flights to and from Bangkok, to get a taste of Cambodia?
Second, if so then should I travel between SR and PP on land or by air? Or with such a short time, should I just stay based in SR and do day trips from there?
Thanks!
I will be taking a break (and visa run) in the midst of my 7 week trip to Thailand by taking a week or so in Cambodia, flying to and from Bangkok (and hence I won't be losing entire days in travel)
I want to visit Ankor Wat, but know my tolerance for the site will be about two days.
My first thought is fly to Siem Reap, have 3.5 days there to explore Ankor Wat and Siem Reap, travel on to Phnom Penh, have a couple of days there to explore, and then fly back to Bangkok.
First, does this sound like a reasonable way to spend seven or eight days, inclusive of flights to and from Bangkok, to get a taste of Cambodia?
Second, if so then should I travel between SR and PP on land or by air? Or with such a short time, should I just stay based in SR and do day trips from there?
Thanks!
Dec 23rd, 2016, 11:39 AM
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I could spend all of that time in/near Siem Reap, but then I'm a temple fanatic. You might want to pick up a copy of Dawn Rooney's book, Angkor: A Guide to Cambodia's Wondrous Temples to prepare - it will also help you decide how much time to spend there.
Look at www.theplf.org - a wonderful charity operating in and around Siem Reap - you might want to volunteer a couple of days.
Your plan is perfectly reasonable. You can travel Siem Reap to PP by air, or you might want to take a taxi if you want a more cols-up view of the countryside.
Look at www.theplf.org - a wonderful charity operating in and around Siem Reap - you might want to volunteer a couple of days.
Your plan is perfectly reasonable. You can travel Siem Reap to PP by air, or you might want to take a taxi if you want a more cols-up view of the countryside.
Dec 23rd, 2016, 12:44 PM
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Thank you, Kathie. I know Cambodia deserves much more time, but I hate to take time from Thailand. So much to see, so little time!
Should the staff at my lodging (most likely Seven Candles) in SR be able to recommend a safe and reasonably priced taxi between SR and PP? As a solo female traveler I would want to exercise due precaution, of course.
Should the staff at my lodging (most likely Seven Candles) in SR be able to recommend a safe and reasonably priced taxi between SR and PP? As a solo female traveler I would want to exercise due precaution, of course.
Dec 23rd, 2016, 10:09 PM
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Travellong by road in Cambodia csn be a thrill a minute experience. Traffic comes from all directions, and the trafgic is in many guises.
The bigger the vehicle the safer you'll feel. Have a look at Giant Ibis...
http://www.giantibis.com
The bigger the vehicle the safer you'll feel. Have a look at Giant Ibis...
http://www.giantibis.com
Dec 23rd, 2016, 10:25 PM
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As LL points out travelling by road in Cambodia is a "thrill a minute". You might get lucky and find a reasonably safe taxi driver, but the odds are against it. Big buses are generally safer, minibibuses, much less so. It is a long journey, around 8 hours, so flying is an attractive option with the time you have available. I would suggest breaking the journey with an overnight stop somewhere in the middle. Kompong Cham and Kompong Thong are nice options that don't see many visitors.
Dec 23rd, 2016, 10:35 PM
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<<<Should the staff at my lodging (most likely Seven Candles) in SR be able to recommend a safe and reasonably priced taxi between SR and PP?>>>
Me again. Sorry about any typos.
A safe taxi driver has to cope with everything that comes his way during a journey. If he's faced with an overladen lorry coming head-on then it might not end very well. Road accidents are frequent. Don't become a statistic.....use a recommened tourist bus company. Giant Ibis have 2 short comfort stops plus about a 45 minute lunch stop at a decent stop mid-trip. Most of the passengers will be like-minded tourists, and you'll be perfectly safe.
Me again. Sorry about any typos.
A safe taxi driver has to cope with everything that comes his way during a journey. If he's faced with an overladen lorry coming head-on then it might not end very well. Road accidents are frequent. Don't become a statistic.....use a recommened tourist bus company. Giant Ibis have 2 short comfort stops plus about a 45 minute lunch stop at a decent stop mid-trip. Most of the passengers will be like-minded tourists, and you'll be perfectly safe.
Dec 24th, 2016, 04:19 AM
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Thank you. Yes LancasterLad, my concern is more about road accidents, lengthy breakdowns, roadside stranding by an unscrupulous taxi drivers, etc than being with like-minded tourists. A bit like road travel in Kenya....
Travelfish has 12go.asia as a partner so that seems a good place to start looking at ground transport options.
The more I read about Cambodia ... well, now I've added a couple of more days there and struck the two Chiang Rai days from my northern Thailand plans. Sigh.
So: expand Cambodia to 9-10 days, by road between SR and PP, with a break in the middle. Back to research.
Thank you!
Travelfish has 12go.asia as a partner so that seems a good place to start looking at ground transport options.
The more I read about Cambodia ... well, now I've added a couple of more days there and struck the two Chiang Rai days from my northern Thailand plans. Sigh.
So: expand Cambodia to 9-10 days, by road between SR and PP, with a break in the middle. Back to research.
Thank you!
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