Idnas71

Can anyone recommend a reputable travel company or tour group originating in Hong Kong which offers short, three-night visits to Siem Reap/Angor Wat? I'm looking at going the first part of January, 2008.

Thanks very much!

Kathie

No reason to use a tour group. You can easily make you air and hotel reservations, and can engage an car and driver (and guide if you wish). Read some of the many reports on Angkor here on the board.

KimJapan

Agree with Kathie. We have booked our own air to Siem Reap from Singapore, gotten a great Stay 3 Pay 2 deal at the Hotel de la Paix, and booked a guide for our 6 days that is well recommended here, Ponheary Ly. She will meet us at the aiport when we arrive. Altogether, it took me about 20 minutes to book everything, and the total cost for 3 of us for 6 days is $1500.00 excluding food and temple passes and visas....or $500.00 each. I haven't seen a tour price that is that good and has a private guide and an awesome hotel.

rkkwan

There is one reason - cost. My parent will be joining a tour later this month from HKG. The non-stop flight to Siem Reap is very expensive if you buy it outside a tour (even if through the same tour company/agent that operates the tour).

I think it may even make sense to <b>join the tour</b> and then just use your own guide for those days at Siem Reap.

Can't remember right now which tour company they're using. May be Hong Tai or Wing On.

<b>But</b> one main problem with those tour is that outside the main HK public holiday period, they may not get enough people to join to actually operate the tour. Those crooks will promise the world that the tour will go, but then it won't.

SeeSee

I concur with other recommendations. You don't need to do a tour. All the temples are close to Siem Reap.

We stayed 3 days/2 nights at the Le Meridien d'Angkor and booked a use of the hotel car, driver and guide using the hotel concierge. Everything was impeccable. You may pay a little more with hotel car/driver than if you negotiated directly with independent drivers on the street, but this gave me peace of mind and some recourse if there's a problem.

I also highly recommend this hotel, it's the closest to the temples, makes it really convenient to get around and come back to the hotel to rest mid-day. Also nice for getting around to watch the sunrise. Our rooms included breakfast and the buffet was excellent. Rooms were absolutely fabulous as well. Would definitely stay here again.

Internet rate for hotel US$195/night/room (including breakfast)

New Mini-Van+driver US$80/day (you can choose an older model car/van for US$50/day)

Guide US$30/day (we only had him for 2 days)

Total Cost: $1,470 or $245/person
(There were 6 of us)

We booked the airfare separate via a travel agent on Silk Air (got a group discount on the airfare).

Idnas71

Thanks to everyone for your helpful replies. The airfare to Siem Reap definitely seems to be the biggest expense. Moreso than I thought it would be. I'm not sure which route to go for that yet. But the hotels recommended sound like good choices, and if they can secure a driver/guide for me, that sounds like a fine option.

Scotters

Siem Reap airlines flies from HH to SR on mondays, wednesday and fridays with wed being a direct flight and the other days through Phnom Penh. They are a subsidiary of Bangkok Airways and you therefore could use their Discovery Pass. This pass allows you to fly an international route for $107 (90+tax) and domestic routes for $67 or 72. But you must buy a minimum of 3 trips. So if you buy 2 international flights and one domestic (even if you do not use it) it will cost $281 which is well below what they want for a normal return ticket of $728. Just something you might consider

Idnas71

Scotters... thanks! That is just the type of information I was hoping to get!

I especially like the direct flight thing on Wednesday. The cheapest flight I could find in my initial search was $800+ and connected in Bangkok with a 7-hour layover.

I didn't fully understand what you were trying to tell me about that Discovery Pass, but I'm going to find out more about it.

Thanks again.

Scotters

If you go to the Bangkok Airlines web site and click Discovery Pass it will tell you all about it.
http://www.bangkokair.com/

rkkwan

For a cost comparison, here's what you get for joining a tour from Hong Kong. From Hong Tai Tour, 5 day/4 nights, departing 5/24.

Price is per person, including air, hotel, most meals, main attractions (but not other excursions). Not including tips and service charges.

About HK$5,000 (US$700)

Flights are into and out of Phnom Pehn on Dragonair. Then air to Siem Reap.

1st and 4th nights at the IC Phnom Pehn. 2nd and 3rd nights at one of the following:

Royal Angkor Wat Resort
Prince D. Angkor Wat
Century Spa &amp; Resort
Somadevi Angkor Wat

You can see the cost is really a fraction of what one will be paying if doing on yourself. If one can understand Cantonese pretty well, this can save a lot of money. For that whole day at Siem Reap, just hire your own guide if you don't want to follow the group.