Siem Reap guide
Jun 17th, 2009, 05:25 PM
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Siem Reap guide
I have read about Ponheary on this web-site but the e-mail inquiry ([email protected]) was returned. Does anybody have a current e-mail address for Ponheary. Are there other recommended guides for Siem Reap.
Jun 17th, 2009, 05:39 PM
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Jun 18th, 2009, 05:56 AM
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We had very mixed feelings about our four days with Dara as guide in February. (I'm still struggling with how to write up the details of that experience.) On balance, would not recommend him. And he told us that Ponheary no longer takes clients inside some temples because of severe allergy to incense.
Jun 18th, 2009, 11:13 AM
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There is some controversy over hiring a guide or doing it on your own while in Siem Reap. My husband wanted to take the tuk tuks and do it on our own, but I have always enjoyed listening to a guide and learning about the places I visit. Also, I took the advise of others on this forum who warned me about the dusty road conditions and heat. On our recent trip we hired a nice man named Tek and used him as well as his driver for 3 days. This was a guide I had read wonderful reviews about on another forum. While Tek was well educated, spoke English fluently and was extremely polite, I regretted hiring him as I felt he droned on with information I would never remember and I would have preferred to wander myself, taking in the beauty and history at my own pace. After the first day, I had a change of heart and was ready to do it on our own as my husband had originally suggested, but my husband felt we should continue with the guide and driver as it was convenient to have someone show us around who knew the way to go from one place to the other. In actuality, I think my DH felt bad to discharge our guide as he considered the level of poverty in the area and how much the guide needed the income. It was nice to have water waiting and a driver, however, both my husband and I agreed that despite the dusty conditions, we loved driving around in the tuk tuks and we would have preferred to be on our own, doing it at our own pace.
Roosevelt - I do not mean to hijack your thread, but merely am pointing out that you may consider touring on your own with a good guidebook. I know there are others here that agree that a guide is not always necessary. There are taxis and tuk tuk all over who are happy to transport you and wait while you enjoy yourself.
Roosevelt - I do not mean to hijack your thread, but merely am pointing out that you may consider touring on your own with a good guidebook. I know there are others here that agree that a guide is not always necessary. There are taxis and tuk tuk all over who are happy to transport you and wait while you enjoy yourself.
Jun 18th, 2009, 11:21 AM
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I opted not to use a guide, just a driver. But I had been reading about the temples for decades and intensively studied several books before we went. We used Dawn Rooney's book as our on-the-ground guide. It depends on your level of interest, the knowleldge you already have and how much time you are willing to devote to pre-trip prep, etc.
Jun 18th, 2009, 12:07 PM
#8
WE used guide Sam (prononced Sahm) recommended by Ponheary, and were very happy with him. He helped guide us around, but did not overwhelm us with info and was sensitive about backing off to let us wander. Spoke great English, and I loved talking to him about his life in Siem Reap, gov't corruption, and Cambodian life in general.
I find that many temples - in Cambodia, India and elsewhere- all tend to look like just another set of carved stones to me unless I have a guide to bring them alive. I try to read up on them in advance, but either I do it too early and totally forget the history or I never get around to it.
Even if you don't use a guide, I would certainly recommend a car in Siem Reap. A cool, dust free environment between wandering the hot temples gives us the ability to do a lot more each day. Tuk tuks (aren't they actually romos or something like that in Cambodia?) are a lot of fun, and dirt cheap, but they are not relaxing!
I find that many temples - in Cambodia, India and elsewhere- all tend to look like just another set of carved stones to me unless I have a guide to bring them alive. I try to read up on them in advance, but either I do it too early and totally forget the history or I never get around to it.
Even if you don't use a guide, I would certainly recommend a car in Siem Reap. A cool, dust free environment between wandering the hot temples gives us the ability to do a lot more each day. Tuk tuks (aren't they actually romos or something like that in Cambodia?) are a lot of fun, and dirt cheap, but they are not relaxing!
Jun 20th, 2009, 08:05 AM
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our guide overwhelmed us with facts until i asked my wife to speak to him about it....to tame it down...
the areas are huge....without a guide i think you might easily miss important things, vistas etc...
in any case a driver still remains my most important purchase there....the a/c car ride between spots just let you cool your body a bit for the next jaunt...
i would be very interested in your comments about dara...
the areas are huge....without a guide i think you might easily miss important things, vistas etc...
in any case a driver still remains my most important purchase there....the a/c car ride between spots just let you cool your body a bit for the next jaunt...
i would be very interested in your comments about dara...
Jun 20th, 2009, 05:15 PM
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Rhkkmk, my comments on Dara were written up in note form while we were still in Asia in February. I offer them here more or less verbatim:
We keep trying to assess our experience with Dara even days (and now, months) after leaving Siem Reap. I even checked the plf.org website again.
He is best at punctuality, scheduling, avoiding crowds, dropping us off and arranging pick-up points at temples, suggesting vantage points and routes. He seems to especially enjoy sunsets--he never offered us a sunrise experience. Some places he regarded as too crowded at certain times to be worth taking in. He tried to keep us within the 3-day Angkor Wat pass, though we were in SR for 5 days.
But he is arbitrary, doesn't really take suggestions, and our interactions with him rarely achieved the connection one would expect over 4 days. Sometimes his replies to our questions were perfunctory; at other times, excessively detailed and pedantic. Many explanations seemed to be given by rote, with little interpretation. He rarely offered options, though he could adjust somewhat within his own parameters.
Increasingly, Dara seemed disposed to leave us somewhere while he visited with the driver or other guides. Sometimes the lunch break extended to almost four hours, especially when he learned that we were not going to be engaging him for fifth day. Though we tipped him $40 on his $360 fee, I wasn’t sure that he was satisfied. He did not offer us the chance to see or to donate to their schools. (Maybe we were supposed to ask.)
Dara made no effort to orient us to the city of Siem Reap. We found our own way to the restaurants and markets. When he was with us, he was clearly in charge, yet he offered no advice or assistance when we were besieged by children selling things. When we declined the 200-km round trip to a more remote temple as a possible destination for Day 5, he offered the local museum and the cultural village as alternatives—both easily visited without a driver and guide. (We had already spent an afternoon at the silk farm and artisans' shop. They were drop-offs with no guiding involved.)
He was almost dictatorial about selecting vantage points for snapshot-style photos, and seemed put out when we chose our own instead. A belated smart move was lending him one of our point-and-shoot camera (we used the HD camcorder and the DSLR) so that he could take photos for us in his preferred style.
There's more I could say, but this is enough for now. I really feel some misgivings about this harsh review, but there you have it.
We keep trying to assess our experience with Dara even days (and now, months) after leaving Siem Reap. I even checked the plf.org website again.
He is best at punctuality, scheduling, avoiding crowds, dropping us off and arranging pick-up points at temples, suggesting vantage points and routes. He seems to especially enjoy sunsets--he never offered us a sunrise experience. Some places he regarded as too crowded at certain times to be worth taking in. He tried to keep us within the 3-day Angkor Wat pass, though we were in SR for 5 days.
But he is arbitrary, doesn't really take suggestions, and our interactions with him rarely achieved the connection one would expect over 4 days. Sometimes his replies to our questions were perfunctory; at other times, excessively detailed and pedantic. Many explanations seemed to be given by rote, with little interpretation. He rarely offered options, though he could adjust somewhat within his own parameters.
Increasingly, Dara seemed disposed to leave us somewhere while he visited with the driver or other guides. Sometimes the lunch break extended to almost four hours, especially when he learned that we were not going to be engaging him for fifth day. Though we tipped him $40 on his $360 fee, I wasn’t sure that he was satisfied. He did not offer us the chance to see or to donate to their schools. (Maybe we were supposed to ask.)
Dara made no effort to orient us to the city of Siem Reap. We found our own way to the restaurants and markets. When he was with us, he was clearly in charge, yet he offered no advice or assistance when we were besieged by children selling things. When we declined the 200-km round trip to a more remote temple as a possible destination for Day 5, he offered the local museum and the cultural village as alternatives—both easily visited without a driver and guide. (We had already spent an afternoon at the silk farm and artisans' shop. They were drop-offs with no guiding involved.)
He was almost dictatorial about selecting vantage points for snapshot-style photos, and seemed put out when we chose our own instead. A belated smart move was lending him one of our point-and-shoot camera (we used the HD camcorder and the DSLR) so that he could take photos for us in his preferred style.
There's more I could say, but this is enough for now. I really feel some misgivings about this harsh review, but there you have it.
Jun 20th, 2009, 05:45 PM
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Correction: "Though we tipped him $40 on his $260 fee, I wasn’t sure that he was satisfied."
The fee for car, guide, and driver was $60 per day. Extras were $15 for gas and $5 for airport pickup (Ponheary had told us there would be no charge for the last item, but I let it go).
The fee for car, guide, and driver was $60 per day. Extras were $15 for gas and $5 for airport pickup (Ponheary had told us there would be no charge for the last item, but I let it go).
Jun 20th, 2009, 05:54 PM
#12
Sorry to hear that you and Dara didn't seem to be a good match. I think that is often the key to having a good guide experience, even more so than their particular knowledge.
I would like to comment on a few things, though.
1) Sunrise - Did you ask for a sunrise start time? I don't know of anyone who got started that early unless that had specifically arranged it.
2) If your silk farm and artisans' shop were the Artisians D'Angkor places, the guides only did drop offs. The guides inside are employed by the shop.
3) Children selling stuff- Our guide actually told us that he would not get involved with the children. As he put it, he had to show up here all year round. by shooing them off, he would get a reputation as being against his own people. We had a guide in India that told us the same thing there.
4) School visit- I think Ponheary and Dara are both careful to NOT offer the school visit unless you ask for it. Can you imagine how you would feel if a different guide had tried to get you to contribute to their cause without you asking first?
Again, it sounds like you were not a good fit with Dara, and having not been there, I have no idea if he was otherwise a good guide or not. I am glad you posted this though, as it is a good reminder of how some expectations and the reality do not always meet when traveling. Would a request for a different guide after day one have been a possibility, or were you sort of hoping it would get better? Those things are always so awkward....
I would like to comment on a few things, though.
1) Sunrise - Did you ask for a sunrise start time? I don't know of anyone who got started that early unless that had specifically arranged it.
2) If your silk farm and artisans' shop were the Artisians D'Angkor places, the guides only did drop offs. The guides inside are employed by the shop.
3) Children selling stuff- Our guide actually told us that he would not get involved with the children. As he put it, he had to show up here all year round. by shooing them off, he would get a reputation as being against his own people. We had a guide in India that told us the same thing there.
4) School visit- I think Ponheary and Dara are both careful to NOT offer the school visit unless you ask for it. Can you imagine how you would feel if a different guide had tried to get you to contribute to their cause without you asking first?
Again, it sounds like you were not a good fit with Dara, and having not been there, I have no idea if he was otherwise a good guide or not. I am glad you posted this though, as it is a good reminder of how some expectations and the reality do not always meet when traveling. Would a request for a different guide after day one have been a possibility, or were you sort of hoping it would get better? Those things are always so awkward....
Jun 20th, 2009, 06:20 PM
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Making sure expectations match up is so important. And usually, people who haven't employed private guides much have a hard time figuring out what is or isn't reasonable. People are often hesitant to ask for particular things, not knowing whether this is a reasonable request or not. In my experience of hiring drivers and the occasional guide world-wide, I've found that being very explicit about what you want/don't want can make all of the difference.
The guides one hires in Siem Reap are guides for the temples. While they will often take you to Tonele Sap, they don't guide there and they really don't give tours (or even orientation) to Siem Reap.
Will, I do appreciate you sharing your experience with us in spite of the fact that you worried that you might offend. As Lcuy said, it sounds like you weren't a "match." But I think others can also learn from your experience.
The guides one hires in Siem Reap are guides for the temples. While they will often take you to Tonele Sap, they don't guide there and they really don't give tours (or even orientation) to Siem Reap.
Will, I do appreciate you sharing your experience with us in spite of the fact that you worried that you might offend. As Lcuy said, it sounds like you weren't a "match." But I think others can also learn from your experience.
Jun 20th, 2009, 06:56 PM
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Lcuy thanks for making the point about the school visits. Both Ponheary and Dara have been ridiculed before about pushing too hard on that and so now they're quite gun shy, I guess to the other extreme~!
Will thanks for the feedback. Very valuable to both future travelers and for the guides themselves.
Will thanks for the feedback. Very valuable to both future travelers and for the guides themselves.
Jun 20th, 2009, 07:38 PM
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thanks for explaining, because without this we would have been left with a more negetive feeling i feel...
our guide talked in a rote way....i think it is how they are taught...remember english is a 2nd language for them and getting it right is very difficult, even for us sometimes...
our guide talked in a rote way....i think it is how they are taught...remember english is a 2nd language for them and getting it right is very difficult, even for us sometimes...
Jun 21st, 2009, 09:54 PM
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It is hard for guides and/or drivers to speak English for long periods of time. Therefore they often prefer to have lunch together, not with their tourists. 4 hours does seem excessive though.
I've used the same tuk tuk driver for three years in Siem Reap and he usually eats with me but he does say that "I am family". He knows my daughter and she uses him for all her friends who visit from Australia. While I may be unusual I prefer tuk tuks to air conditioned cars as I do not have the abrupt change from hot to cold but thats only me..... Crazy Australian and all that.
I've used the same tuk tuk driver for three years in Siem Reap and he usually eats with me but he does say that "I am family". He knows my daughter and she uses him for all her friends who visit from Australia. While I may be unusual I prefer tuk tuks to air conditioned cars as I do not have the abrupt change from hot to cold but thats only me..... Crazy Australian and all that.
Jun 26th, 2009, 07:12 PM
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We booked Kim San as our guide (also written as Kimsan by some on Fodors) based on a few recommendations we saw here on Fodors. We were NOT satisified, in fact Kim San didn't even show up even though we booked him 6 months in advance, he told us he was personally available, and we reconfirmed several times before our trip. But when we got to Siem Reap, instead he sent some young student in his place. The young man spoke some English, but was very difficult to understand. We had booked his services for several days, and Kim San didn't show up himself one single day. And the young man refused to take us to see the famous sunrise over Angkor, he didn't want to get up so early. Upon reviewing Fodors forums after our return, I must conclude that the plugs on here for Kim San are just that, either he himself or his friends are posting these recommendations, because none of them have any detail or include a trip report, just "I highly recommend him" such as the post by Upec above. Well, I don't recommend Kim San at all. I wish I'd gone with Ponheary, everyone seems to speak very highly of her, with enough detail to believe.
