Cambodia report travel.

  

At the Vientiane Back Packers Hostel, located in Norkeokoummarn Street, I book the direct bus between Vientiane and Phnom Penh at a cost of 420,000 Kips (of course, you can also pay in American Dollars or Thai Baht). In ticket it is sold to you as a direct journey lasting 22 hours but in truth it takes place in stages and lasts over 28 hours:

1. Travel by tuc - tuc from the hostel mentioned above to North Bus Station, located 8 km northwest of the center of Vientiane;

2. Travel by Sleeping Bus, equipped with comfortable double beds departing at 19.30 from the North Bus Station in Vientiane and arriving at 7.00 A.M. the next day at the Pakse Bus Station, in southern Laos;

3. Here there is a chaotic sorting of passengers headed to various locations and a minibus takes you to a Travel Agency located in the center of Pakse which changes the ticket you have;

4. We wait for about an hour for other passengers arriving from other locations and then we leave for the Nong Khiang border in Laos.

5. A few kilometers before the border you change minibus again to reach the border post of Nong Khiang - Trapaeng Kriel, located between southern Laos and northwestern Cambodia;

6. Then you have to pay the 2 USD fee to get the Laos exit stamp. Logically they also accept Kips. Then you have to walk for over 500 meters, on the paved road, to reach the Cambodian border. Here you have to fill out the appropriate form, pay the amount of 1 USD (Logically they also accept Kips and Baht) and have a fever tested to get the yellow fever certificate. Then you have to change the counter, fill in the form, give a photograph and pay 25 Dollars (Logically they also accept Kips and Baht) to get a visa at the border, which is issued quite quickly. Then you have to change the counter to fill in another form to get the entry stamp in Cambodia.

7. Then 100 mt. beyond the Cambodian border a bus awaits you that leaves at around 13.00 and in any case when everyone has completed the customs operations and continues at very low speeds on ugly roads full of holes towards the capital of Cambodia Phnom Penh. The same stops several times to take breaks.

8. At about 9.00 pm those going to Siem Reap get off and change buses; they will arrive at 3.30 at night, while I continue to Phnom Penh. The same breaks a suspension but in less than an hour it is repaired and at about 11.40 pm, after 28 hours of travel, I am in the capital, about 2 km from the center.

In Phnom Penh, the tuc tuc are waiting for you asking you 5 USD to go to the center. Some tourists accept others do not and then in the end I sleep in a Guesthouse that I reach in 5 minutes on foot. It is clean and comfortable and each double room costs 12 USD. Singles don't exist.

Then I stocked a ride on a moped for a Guesthouse employee who took me to downtown Phnom Penh for the price of 2 USD.

Rent a Citybike from Grasshopper Adventures located on road 144 in the center of Phnom Penh, at a price of 4 USD per day, without helmet, 5 USD (of course they also accept RIELs) with helmet, 8 USD for MTB without helmet, 10 USD the MTB with the helmet. The padlock is included in the price. You must leave your passport as a deposit. They do not accept photocopies.

Admission to Wat Phnom Temple costs 1 USD. Logically, they also accept RIELs.

Admission to the Royal Palace costs 25,000 RIEL. Of course they also accept USD.

At one of the many agencies located in the center I book the Minibus to Siem Reap for the price of 9 USD. Logically, they also accept RIELs. There are also a lot of Big Bus a day and the cost is the same only that the Minibus takes 5 hours and 30 'but it is slightly more uncomfortable, while the Big Bus takes 6 hours but it is more comfortable. The pick up is still in front of the agency.

Siem Reap is another world than the rest of Cambodia. It is full of tourists, pubs, restaurants and hotels.

I pay 1 USD for a ride in tuk tuk, 2 km in the center, sharing the same with another tourist.

 

The hotels are all full but I find a place at The Boomerang Guest House, in the center, at the price of 5 USD, for almost 2 nights (the second I left at 1 am), including free internet. Logically, they also accept RIELs.

Here I also rent a bike for 1 USD per day. Logically, they also accept RIELs.

The next day I cycle on Charles de Gaulle Blvd the 8 km that separate Siem Reap from the Temples of Angkor.

About 1 km from the Angkor Wat Temple, the most important, is the ticket office. The ticket office is open from 5.30 in the morning to 17.30. The ticket valid for one day costs 20 USD. They take your picture and give you a pass, which you must show at the frequent checks that are carried out in the vast Area of ​​the Temples of Angkor.

Moving around by bicycle I can see the most important Temples as well as Elephants (15 USD for 1 ride on the Elephant) and monkeys.

I return to Siem Reap in the evening and at 1.30 am I take the bus to Bangkok. I booked it the day before at The Boomerang Guest House for 10 USD (of course they also accept RIELs). The same stops in front of all the hotels concerned and therefore also in front of mine. At 6.00 we are in front of the Popet border between Cambodia and Thailand but it opens at 7.00 and then we wait an hour by bus.

My complete travel report with map, photographs and videos is available at this link:

http://vivendosalendo.blogspot.com/2016/12/viaggio-in-indocina-myanmar-vietnam.html