Cambodia
Apr 14th, 1998, 06:39 AM
#2
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Probably the cheapest way to get to Angkor Wat is to find a cheap ticket to Bangkok then fly to Phnom Penh then to Siem Reap. Phnom Penh is worth a stop if nothing more than to see the killing fields and the prison in town.
I would guess security around Siem Reap is pretty good. YOu would have to ask around about travel through the rest of the country. It's always been a little iffy. Too many ex Khmer Rouge and bandits about to suit me. But young adventurers travel through Cambodia all the time. The temples at Angkkor Wat and Angkor Thom are worth whatever it takes to get there. Not much help but it's been two years since I've been there. Hope you make it.
Larry
I would guess security around Siem Reap is pretty good. YOu would have to ask around about travel through the rest of the country. It's always been a little iffy. Too many ex Khmer Rouge and bandits about to suit me. But young adventurers travel through Cambodia all the time. The temples at Angkkor Wat and Angkor Thom are worth whatever it takes to get there. Not much help but it's been two years since I've been there. Hope you make it.
Larry
May 29th, 1998, 07:27 AM
#4
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I was in Cambodia in 1995.
The safest way to get to Cambodia is by plane from Bangkok (flights are operated daily by Cambodiana and Thai). In 1995 the road to the Thai border was dangerous as part of the area was controlled by the Kmher Rouges.
You have to reach Angkor ( the nearest airport is Siem Reap a few kms away) by plane unless you do not want to spend at least 4-5 days on the cambodian roads. Flights are operated daily and are really cheap.
The accomodations available in Siem Reap are well below the western standards. I stayed at the once 1st class "Le Grand Hotel d'Angkor".
There are a lot of good and cheap local restaurants nearby. Do not forget to visit the lake Tonle Sa while there. Spend at least 4-5 days in Angkor.
Pnom Penh too is worth an accurate visit.
Avoid visiting Cambodia during the summer:it rains a lot (the spaniards would say "!llueve a cantaros!").
The safest way to get to Cambodia is by plane from Bangkok (flights are operated daily by Cambodiana and Thai). In 1995 the road to the Thai border was dangerous as part of the area was controlled by the Kmher Rouges.
You have to reach Angkor ( the nearest airport is Siem Reap a few kms away) by plane unless you do not want to spend at least 4-5 days on the cambodian roads. Flights are operated daily and are really cheap.
The accomodations available in Siem Reap are well below the western standards. I stayed at the once 1st class "Le Grand Hotel d'Angkor".
There are a lot of good and cheap local restaurants nearby. Do not forget to visit the lake Tonle Sa while there. Spend at least 4-5 days in Angkor.
Pnom Penh too is worth an accurate visit.
Avoid visiting Cambodia during the summer:it rains a lot (the spaniards would say "!llueve a cantaros!").
Jun 22nd, 1998, 05:42 PM
#5
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I visited Angkor in October as part of a self-organized 3 1/2 week trip through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia. I flew Vietnam Air from Saigon to Phnom Penh, explored Phnom Penh, flew Royal Air Cambodge from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (the gateway to Angkor), explored Angkor, then (because at that time no international flights serviced Siem Reap) was forced to backtrack from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh on Royal Air Cambodge to catch a Thai Air flight from Phnom Penh to Bangkok. However, I read in the LonelyPlanet forum that Bangkok Air is no flying between Bangkok and Siem Reap so one should no longer have to backtrack. <BR> Although it's now possible to bypass Phnom Penh altogether when flying to Angkor (i.e. Siem Reap), I would not do so. I found the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh to be more moving than the National Palace in Bangkok and the Tuol Kauk ("Two-oh kaah") brothel village is a must see, regardless of how one feels about these things. (It's a one-mile strip solidly lined with brothels on a 2-lane road on the northern edge of Boeng Kak lake, just north of downtown Phnom Penh.) I recommend the Renakse hotel ($30) for its location across from the Royal Palace and for having retained much of its French colonial charm. You can find savory food at several Phnom Penh restaurants, including Ponlok. Further, I found surprisingly good tunes and a friendly bartender (serving a somewhat insular clientele) at the Heart of Darkness bar (which may be worth visiting just to pick up its t-shirt). <BR> I didn't have any safety problems in Cambodia, but the strength of the dollar against asian currencies (in this instance the Cambodian riel) and the collapse of tourism in Cambodia allowed me to afford certain precautions: I hired a car and driver during my time in Phnom Penh. I arranged this through the Diethelm travel agency, the current location of which is shown on the map in each edition of the Phnom Penh Post (which you can buy from newsboys in front of the airport terminal). I'd guess, though, that I could have arranged a car and English-speaking driver through other local travel agencies or through my hotel. Because of the Renakse's location, I walked to the Royal Palace, the National Museum (shabby but worth touring if for no reason other than to let one of the well-trained but almost customerless museum guides earn $3), the Foreign Correspondents' Club and Ponlok restaurant. I did, however, use the car to get to the brothel village, the Heart of Darkness, Wat Phnom (look for trees filled with bats outside the wat), a market, an excellent but not centrally-located restaurant, and the airport. <BR> Angkor, though, was by far the historic site highlight of my trip through Indochina. These ruins are so impressive that they should be crawling with tourists. The coup by Cambodia's second prime minister, though, has scared away most foreigners and I found that -- other than at Angkor Wat -- I often had the Angkor ruins to myself. Best bet for touring the ruins -- which are quite spread out -- is to hire a guide to take you around on the back of his motorcycle so you can spend your time walking in the ruins rather than between them. Remember, the lack of tourists has made it a buyers' market, so although you may feel sorry for the guy who wants to be your guide but doesn't fluently speak English (or whatever your native tongue), you're cheating yourself if you settle for a guide with whom you cannot easily communicate. <BR> There's much more I can tell you about Cambodia and the other places I visited in Indochina, but I'm running out of steam. Some of the other highlights of my trip were scuba diving with sharks and into a wreck off Phuket (Thailand), taking a speed boat down the Mekhong from Ban Huay Sai to Luang Prabang (Laos), checking out hilltribes and markets in northern Vietnam, and luxuriating in Thai massage parlors. Perhaps I'll write more in response to further postings. <BR>
Jun 28th, 1998, 07:02 AM
#6
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Cambodia and the temples of Angkor are a must for <BR>all visitors to Indochina. I spent two weeks in <BR>Cambodia in March - it was my 4th visit in as many <BR>years - and it was magical. The Khmers are a <BR>remarkable and friendly people despite the suffering <BR>they've endured over the last 30 years. The capital <BR>Phnom Penh has lots of recent history (ie. killing fields, <BR>Royal Palace, etc) whilst Angkor has a beauty and <BR>magnetism that I can't begin to describe here. <BR> <BR>A direct route to Angkor has now opened up from <BR>Bangkok but I've only ever flown from Phnom Penh. <BR>More adventurous travellers use the fast boats via <BR>the Tonle Sap lake. <BR> <BR>Reports suggest the main tourist routes are now safe for all <BR>and my experiences concur. However, areas off the <BR>beaten track are a different matter. Also exercise caution <BR>at night in PPenh, know where you're going and <BR>don't detour. <BR> <BR>Siem Reap (the gateway to Angkor) is a relaxing spot <BR>after the bustle of the capital. Lots of accomodation <BR>and small restaurants; try the Bayon & Arun for food <BR>and the Stung Siem Reap or Freedom hotels. My fave <BR>temples are the Bayon, Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm & Banteay <BR>Srei. Use a moto & guide for easy touring and make time <BR>to talk to the locals - you'll love it & so will they. <BR> <BR>I recommend you visit the web sites at;- <BR>http://www.slip.net/~georgem <BR>http://www.slip.net/~laary <BR>http://www.cambodia.org/ <BR>http://www.cambodia-web.net/ <BR>Also get the '96 Lonely Planet guide & Dawn Rooney's <BR>Angkor: An introduction to the Temples. <BR> <BR>Happy travelling, <BR>Andy Brouwer <BR>(Gloucester, UK)
Jul 28th, 1998, 01:54 PM
#7
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I was in Cambodia briefly in late May, 1998, having gone in spite of a U.S. State Dept. warning. I flew the Bangkok Airways flight from Bangkok to Siem Reap and, later, Air Cambodia from S.R. to P.P. Cambodians are happy to see visitors, for their economy is in shambles. It is easy to arrange for a car and driver, with guide additional, through whatever hotel you select (there is a wide range of accommodation). I stayed at the Bayon Hotel and was pleased with it. Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat require at least two days and you could spend a third day just enjoying Siem Reap. Because of the extreme heat, you need to pace yourself. P
