Guide and Driver in Phnom Penh?
 

Ponheary recommended a guide and driver in Phnom Penh by the name of Thary. Has anyone heard of her/him?

The rate quoted is USD65 (including guide, A/C minivan and driver). Is this reasonable? I have been able to find a lot of info on Siem Reap Guides but not much on Phnom Penh. Is a guide even necessary? Is it better to just hire a car?

Any other recommendations?

I am traveling with my mother (pretty fit for 75 yrs) so I don't want to make it too tough for her.... We are in a group of 4 people.

Thanks for your input.

Unlike Angkor Wat, most of the sights in Phnom Penh are in the city. Several, like the royal palace, national museum and quay, are right next to each other and easily walked. You can easily get a taxi or tuk-tuk (even for 4 people) to the Russian Market and Toul Sleng, as well as other outlying sights.

What did you plan on seeing, and where are you staying?

We will be staying at the Le Royal for 2 nights.

Sightseeing wise we will probably just do the usual suspects, the museums, Toul Sleng etc. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Thanks for the advice!

In my opinion you do not really need a guide in Phnom Penh. You can hire a taxi all day for about $25 to take you to the sites and maybe a little extra to go to the killing fields which are out of town. The National Museum, Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and Wat Phnom are the main tourist stops. You can visit the two markets (central and russian) and the new Sorya Mall for shopping. To understand a little about what Cambodia has gone through in the past and why it is so poor visit both the Tuol Sleng Museum (Museum of Genocide) and the Choeung Ek (The killing Fields). A very sobering experience. If you need a guide at any of the above places they will be available there for a few dollars. At night have a drink or a meal at the famous Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC). Although a few years old an interesting read can be found here -http://www.edwebproject.org/susanne/phnompenh.html

Thanks for your advice and Scotters, thank you for that article link - very interesting. We are definitely visiting Tuol Sleng Museum (Museum of Genocide) and the Choeung Ek (The killing Fields) while in Phnom Penh....

Should I hire a taxi through the hotel or is there a better place to go? Do most of the drivers speak English?

What I might suggest (I have done this) is when you get a taxi from the airport to the hotel and you find that the driver can speak reasonable english and seems to be a good driver, then negotiate to hire him for one or two days. If not then the hotel can find you one although it may be a few $ more.

This post is already a few weeks old so I'm sure the OP has already made arrangements but I wanted to go ahead and give a two thumbs up recommendation on Thary. She charged two of us $50 for a car with she and a driver and her knowledge about the museums was very broad and deep. Not only that but she was able to direct us to some very good food and shops.

She also handled getting my visa extended.

We enjoyed her company very much and I recommend her highly.

Lori