Hi,

I am a 28yr male, planning to travel to Thailand and Cambodia next week (March 2007)for about 8-10 days.

I have been to Bangkok a few times, mostly in the business district (for legit business).

I am travelling alone and was wondering what other fun/safe/accessible places there are either in Bangkok or Cambodia. I am looking to relax, thus not really go off the beaten path, but keen on going to Cambodia because I have heard about Angkor Wat.

p.s. I grew up in India, thus have seen a lot of temples....so will Angkor Wat really be that different?

What else can I do apart from visit Bangkok?

Thanks,
RJ

I have seen a lot of temples/mosques/churches too - all over the place - but Angkor is special.

However there ain't no point in going for less than 3 full days, so with travel that would leave 4-6 days in Thailand.

Look you could do the standard thing and go to Chiangmai in the North (overrated imho) or you could spend the whole of the rest of your time in BKK.

That would be fine (lots to see) but you could also go to Kanchanaburi or one of the bwach places.

Or, or ... lots of choices.

Oh - I forgot, there is also Phuket, Pattays, and all that sort of stuff.

Depends on you - do some resesrch on the net if you can't put your hands on a guide book.

angkor wat is all about temples but ruined oned....it is about a lost civilization which loved art and carving...

PP is also a nice destination for about 2 days to visit the capital...

Hi,

Thanks for your replies. Can anyone suggest some good hotels around Angkor Wat and also any recommendations for a tour guide?

Thanks,
RJ

Ponheary or her brother Dara are great guides. Do a search on this forum. She can be reached by emailing her at [email protected]. If you use her, she can arrange hotels at a better price than you can get.

give us some idea of your budget...ponheavy above can also help with hotel res...at a discount..

I would like to stay for 2-3 nights to visit Angkor Wat and any other suggestions that you may have.

I am a bit confused, if I am flying in from Bangkok, do I land in PP or SR?

Is there any website which has a comprehensive/good list of hotels in either PP or SR (depending on where I need to go...whichever is closest to Angkor Wat.

I would like to spend about ~200 dollars a day, including hotel in Cambodia.

Also, I believe I need to take $1 bills to Cambodia...can my local bank issue me about 200 $1 bills? or will they get curious?

Thanks a lot,
RJ

You will need only about 50 one dollar bills for 2-3 days in CAmbodia. However, you will need many twenty dollar bills. This is the only currency that works.

You fly from BKK into SR. If you use a pre-arranged guide, e.g., Ponheary, you will be picked up at the airport.

i took all denominations of american money from $1's to $50's....i used mostly $5's and 10's....i expected to use more $1's but it never happened...

you may love the motorcycle taxis...they are very cheap

Let me suggest that you begin by buying a good Cambodia guidebook, Lonely Planet has a nice one. Next, buy yourself a guide to the temples. I always recommend Darn Rooney's book, Angkor.

Siem Reap is the town closest to the temples of Angkor. The flight from Bangkok is only on Bangkok Air, and is rather expensive. If you are also interested in visiting PP, you can use the Bangkok Air flight between Bangkok and Siem Reap one way, use ground transport between PP and SR, and fly a budget carrier between PP and Bangkok.

If you are interested in teh Angkor temples, you should know that there are dozens of accessible temples, and that it will take you three full days just to visit the so-called major temples. Many of the so-called minor temples are really lovely, and you may be the only visitor. So plan 4 nights in Siem Reap if you are interested in the temples, If you are really intersted in teh temples, you'll want a week to explore. (I had long wanted to visit Angkor, so we booked a week there and loved every minute. Even in that amount of time we were not able to see all of the temples.)

For $200 a day in Siem Reap, you can choose a nice hotel, you'll need a driver for sure, and decide whether you want a guide (if you don't know much about the temples or the Khmer civilization, you'll need a guide to make sense of it). Each a driver and guide are $20-30 a day each. It costs more to go to some of teh remote temples, like Banteay Srei. You can arrange a hotel first, and ask them to arrange a driver and guide for you, or you can arrange a guide, and let them get you a hotel. If your guide arranges the hotel, you'll need to pay cash. If you arrange your own hotel, you can pay via credit card.

Your bank can order you US$1 bills. I don't know why this would make them suspicious. As Gpanda says, you won't need 200 $1 bills for three or four days, but you will want other US currency.

Read some of the many trip reports here about Cambodia, as it will give you some idea of what to expect.

Photos to help you in your planning for Angkor: www.marlandc.com

Hi,

Thanks for your reply..I will reach out to Pon and try and schedule my visit.

I am trying to search for a list of hotels and 'ratings' in SR...can anyone help me with that information?

Thanks,
RJ