Cambodia
 

I'm thinking of Cambodia before Christmas or just in the new yr. What are the bus connections to PP fr HCMC like? The cost & length or catch a cab fr the border?

Are toilets ok on the buses as I tend to drink lots of water in hot weather?

As well that bus to Siem Reap is 5 hrs? How best to spend the rest of the day say if you leave on the early bus fr PP(what time it is?)

Then fr Siem Reap to Bgk on a bus or fly - yr recommendations? Is 4 nights in SR enough? 3 day pass to temples & 1 day to do the mkts/floating mkts?

I'd like to bus/train & stay o/night in Sukothai which I read is about 7 hrs? fr Bgk? rtn. Clean hostel/basic hotel personal & anythg else much appreciated. Bgk would be my final stop.

I've heard about Cambodian silk...compared to Thai silk, which is the better? I love the Jim Thompson stores in Bgk. I justlove silk, cushion covers, clothes...whatever

I'm sure the toilets will be acceptable to someone with a handle of "twilightzone".

There are other options for the route you are planning - eg boat.

I suggest you check out the FAQs at the TT for up to date info.

Personally, I can tell you that it ain't no big deal to get from Siem Rap to the Thai border and onwards. I took a taxi with others from Battembang; then a tuk tuk to the nearest bus stn. I was heading south towards Chantaburi and had no probs getting a connex. If you were heading on to BKK it would be a cinch.

Ayutthaya would be most easily visited I think from BKK.

And yes you can fly from SR to BKK.

Sounds like you should do some web crawling and/or borrow a guidebook to get a sense of what is possible.

If you have lots of time, you can take a boat all the way from HCMC to Siem Reap. It would be more comfortable (and more interesting) in My opinion. While there is an expensive cruise that does this, there are very inexpensive boats that do it as well.

From SIem Reap to Bangkok, there is a well-worn backpackers track to Bangkok. It takes all day. You can share a cab from Siem Reap to the border or take one of the crowded minibuses. From the border town, you can take a train ot a Thai bus to Bangkok, both of which are preferable to the mini busses that go to KSR.

I fear you may feel let down by seeing Sukothai after seeing Angkor. But if you want to go, you can either fly pretty inexpensively or take the train or a bus from Bangkok.

Chimani mentions Ayutthaya, which is easily accessible as a day trip from Bangkok.

4 days in Siem Reap is fine. You'll need three full days just to see the major temples. If you are really interested in the temples, I'd recommend a week.

From HCMC to Phnom Penh the Mekong Express bus is the best, large, comfortable, air-conditioned, toilet and with hostess. Leaves around 11am and takes about 6 hours including border formalities which are easy and helped with by the hostess. Visa can be obtained at the boarder for $20. The road is paved the entire way, except for a couple of short, rough dusty patches where new bridges are under construction in Cambodia (they may be finished by now) and of course the Neak Luong ferry crossing. Cost about $13. Or you can splurge and take a taxi from HCMC to the Moc Bai boarder crossing for around $30 (2hr trip) and from there another taxi to PP. Cost will be $30-40 depending on your negotiation skills and takes 31/2 hours.
Again from PP to SR the Mekong Express is the best bus of the lot and cost $10. The seat spacing is excellent and for the average person there is at least 6 inches of clearance from the knees to the seat in front. You are greeted by a lovely Khmer girl, shown to your seat and served pastries with a bottle of water. There is a toilet on board and you make one stop on the way for a break. Bus times are 7:30 and 12:30. They will pick you up at the hotel if you call them. Their office is opposite where the boat to Siem Reap departs on Sisowath Quay - Tel: 023-427-518. Please NOTE that the SR bus station is a disgrace and for many can be an overwhelming, unpleasant and chaotic first impression to SR. And Do Not let anyone talk you into taking overpriced boat to SR.

From SR to Bangkok the best way is to take a taxi to the Thai boarder and then a bus to Bangkok. The taxi will cost about $40 for the whole car and then around $10 each by bus to BK. Note that the road is in pretty bad shape in some places to the boarder and takes around 31/2-5 hrs. There are no hassles at the boarder in this direction.

More interesting than the bus HCMC to PP would be to take a boat up the Mekong. I did it with Delta Adventure Tours, with an overnight in the delta, but there are other companies doing the same thing. You could also do it independently, taking a boat from Can Tho. Agree that you should check the LP web site (or guidebook) for this stretch.

I also did Siem Reap to Bangkok by car and bus, which was much more interesting than flying. For the latest info on the state of the road to the Thai border (the Thai roads are fine) see talesofasia.com.

Oh I should have mentioned that I've been to Ayutthaya on a coach fr Bgk & rtn on the Chao Praya river which was interesting. Have been to Bgk twice briefly but missed the floating mkts.

Have done some reading on but just like some opinions. I heard that the boat can be very hot (no cover) & can get stuck in mud??

Which boat? If you mean Can Tho to Phnom Penh, I did it five years ago, and expect things have changed. I was on a small enclosed motor boat. I found the complete change of scenery between Vietnam and Cambodia fascinating. The amount of water will vary according to the time of year, but in the Mekong (as opposed to Tonle Sap and for the boat to Battambang) should always be adequate. Again, this is a good question to ask on Lonely Planet's thorntree.

I know LP's gd but why can't I ask the questions here?

Thurs - don't know which boat..??

Of course you can ask the question here, but posters here are more likely to fly, while LP posters are more likely to take the bus.

By "which boat" I mean which route involving a boat - you can take a boat from Can Tho to PP (recommended), from PP to Siem Reap (not recommended) and from Siem Reap to Battambang (not recommended when the water is low).

Ah gotcha..I heard it was the boat fr PP to SR that's not worth the trip

and.. you'll have no problem taking a PP on these boat ride!

Considering the cost and time it takes and harsh road, i would fly in Air Asia cheaply from BKK to Phnom Penh. Then take a 5.5 hr bus to Siem Reap and then bus/boat to HCMC.

HCMC would me my 1st stop & Bgk my last.