joanne806

Hi everyone,

I'm a total newbie to this site and am looking for help! I am flying into Phnom Penh for two weeks (late November/early December). While I travel frequently, this will be my first trip outside of North America. I am visiting a family member who recently moved to Phnom Penh and am looking for itinerary ideas/things for us to do. I am up for visiting other countries as well, such as Thailand or Vietnam. I am fit and am up for hiking and also love spending time on the beach. Of course, I want to keep expenses relatively low, but at the same time am flexible and don't mind paying for additional flights to make the most of my limited time.

Any tips, suggestions or advice would be greatly welcomed.

Kathie

My first piece of advice is to go slow. The biggest error first-time travelers to this region make is trying to go too many places. So I'd suggest you choose maybe three places - you may want them all in Cambodia. Count how many nights you have on the ground in SE Asia. You say you have 2 weeks, but that could be anywhere from a full 14 nights on the ground to as little as maybe 11 nights on the ground.

Start by getting a guidebook for Cambodia. If you will be going to Siem Reap to visit the temples of Angkor, get a copy of Dawn Rooney's book, Angkor: A Guide to Cambodia's Wondrous Temples. It is out of print, but you library likely has a copy or look for a used copy. This will help you prepare for visiting one of the wonders of the world. It will help you decide how much time to spend in Siem Reap. Dawn's guideline is that it takes three full days just to see the major temples. That would mean staying in Siem Reap for four nights to get three full days. But you can certainly spend much more time there - we spent a week in Siem Reap and would have enjoyed even more time.

Obviously, you will spend some time in PP - indeed, you will want to return to PP at least the day before your international flight out.

It sounds like you would like to get some beach time, and Cambodia has some nice beaches.

With the time you have, you could opt to visit a nearby country - really just one location in a nearby country. Be aware that if you travel on a US passport, getting a visa for VN will cost you over $200 - even if you only stay a day or two. It's unlikely to be a good use of your money. You will need a visa for Cambodia, but you can buy it on arrival.

Give us more info about your interests and you proposed budget per night for lodging and we can be more helpful.

crellston

Two weeks is a decent amount of time to explore Cambodia. As you want to keep expenses low you will be pleased to learn that Cambodia is one of the least expensive countries in SE Asia in which to travel. Great food is exceptionally cheap and accommodation is inexpensive. A decent double room with private facilities can be had for as little as $20 pn.

Phnom Penh is one of my favourite cities in Asia and deserves a few days. The islands of the southern cost have some of the best beaches.

Kampot is worth a visit en route to the southern coast for its riverine setting and access to Kep on the beach. Koh Rong is one of the more popular islands.

Siem Reap is of course famous for Angkor Wat but is a little too jam packed with visitors these days for my taste but If temples are your thing then it is definitely worth considering. Visiting Battambang en route will provide a taste of the quieter side of Cambodia.

With two weeks I don't think you really have enough time to take in another country. Although, I assume you are flying into PP from another hub airport? If so, it would be good to spend a night or two there on the way out in order to avoid any potential problems with flight connections etc.

Some photos from our time in the country last year are on our blog at https://accidentalnomads.com/category/cambodia/

For excellent info on Cambodia and elsewhere in SE Asia, check out https://www.travelfish.org/country/cambodia

joanne806

Wow - so glad I joined this community! Thanks so much for the terrific replies!!

My itinerary so far looks like this:

Leave Canada on November 22 with connections in Toronto and Seoul (in Seoul for 14 hours) before arriving in Phnom Penh late on November 23. I then leave Phnom Penh late on December 4. So I have 11 nights and 11 days. I will for sure be spending the first and last nights in Phnom Penh.

With respect to budget, really I'm flexible just frugal by nature which I guess is why I have the luxury of being flexible...lol. I don't need anything fancy in terms of lodging, but I do prefer to have a room with a private bathroom, if possible.

In all likelihood, this will be a one-time shot for me, so I want to balance a reasonable pace with seeing as much as I can in the time that I have. It will probably be many years before I make it back to this part of the world, if ever.

Thanks again for all the advice and suggestions. And I'll definitely check out the photos on your blog crellston!

Kathie

So if you have 11 nights, you have 10 full days to see/do/experience.

In Siem Reap, I recommend the Seven Candles Guest House - has a/c which you will need, and the rooms have a private bath, for about US$20 per night. You might want to look into the charity www.theplf.org The guesthouse is owned and operated by Ponheary Ly and family.

In Siem Reap, you will use US dollars and there are ATMs that dispense US dollars.

Crellston has given you excellent suggestions for places to consider for your Cambodia trip.

Have a wonderful time!

crellston

If you do go to Siem Reap, Kathie has made an excellent suggestion of the Seven Candles Guesthouse. We stayed there for a week last year and loved it. Nice rooms with private bath, a good location, a worthy cause and some great eating places nearby.

joanne806

Thanks so much to both of you!!! I'm getting super excited. Do you think I should book accommodations in advance or just find available accommodations as I go? (Basically, how well planned does my trip have to be in advance?)

Kathie

You will be in SE Asia during high season, though you are missing the very busiest time of the year. I'd suggest you book ahead if you know where you want to stay, particularly in Siem Reap. Other places, you can probably wing it. But if there is somewhere special you want to stay, book in advance.

joanne806

Thanks again for the great advice! If we decide to visit another country, I notice that Canadians don't need visas for Thailand or Laos. Would you recommend one over the other? I must say that we do prefer quiet over touristy but I do expect to spend 3 to 4 nights in Siem Reap to do Angkor Wat. So, I guess I'm looking at (at least) 2 nights in Phnom Penh and 3 - 4 in Siem Reap which leaves me with 5 - 6 more. So, basically 1 - 2 more destinations.

crellston

I suggest spending some time in Battambang en route from PP to SR - 2 nights would be plenty to explore the temples, bat caves and bamboo railway. From PP you could make an excursion to Kampot/Kep.

Alternatively, if flying back via Seoul, do consider spending a day or two there. It is a fascinating place!

Kathie

Laos is less touristed than Thailand. But if it was my trip - and it isn't - I'd follow crellston's advice about other places to visit in Cambodia rather than adding a different country. By sticking to Cambodia you will get a more in depth view of the country and culture.

Personally, I wouldn't spend fewer than 4 nights in Siem Reap - that is just 3 full days as it takes that many days just to see the "major" temples. Pick up a copy of Dawn Rooney's book, Angkor: A Guide to Cambodia's Wondrous Temples to prepare for your time there. There are dozens of accessible temples in the Siem Reap area, and many more farther away. If you're especially interested in the temples, you may want to make an overnight trip farther afield to see some less visited temples.

joanne806

You guys are great - thank you so much!! I really am leaning more towards spending all my time in Cambodia now, it does sound like there is tons to do. As I mentioned, I'm visiting a family member (my 22yo son) who just moved there in late September, so if he wants to travel elsewhere, I will, but otherwise it sounds like we have tons to explore in Cambodia alone. I have about a 10-hour layover in Seoul on my way home to Canada and, while my travel itinerary isn't flexible, I am hoping to do some kind of day tour while I'm there!

CounterClifton

<i>I suggest spending some time in Battambang en route from PP to SR</i>

I would second that. Battambang isn't big on "attactions", bit it's a nice way to see a bit of the interior of Cambodia in a low key way.

One of our favourite stops away from the cities was Kampong Chhnang, between BB and PP. The floating Cham villages are much less touristed than those villages near SR. We were offered a boat ride around town by a young girl and her father. They usually fished. Also recommend finding some motos out to pottery villages. More for the ride through the palm groves that anything.

joanne806

Sounds amazing!! Thanks so much!