Asia - Flights from Manila to Phnom Penh and Itinerary Advice

I'm currently planning a trip to Cambodia from Manila in early January and just wanted to get people's opinion/input on flights and duration. It will be my first time to Cambodia and I'd like to go to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. I'm in the middle of reading my guide book so I'm still trying to piece together my itinerary but any insight would be appreciated.

1. Flights - the cheapest flights I've seen are with Malaysia Airlines; however, because of the flight times and connections, almost a day and a half is eaten up by travel.
- 06:50-10:35 (MNL-KUL), 2:30-3:20 (KUL-PNH)
- 11:10-2:00 (KUL-PNH), 5:30-9:20 (KUL-MNL)

Are there any other airlines which may have comparable fares (~$500 USD) and itineraries that would take less travel time (i.e. shorter connections)? I'm not too familiar with the asian carriers.

2. We currently have 5 days set aside for this trip, with the possibility of adding another day. Given the travel time to Cambodia (~1.5 days) and between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (~12 hours round-trip), is 5 total days really feasible or is 6 days the bare minimum?

a. How much time do you suggest in each place? We want to see the main attractions, do some shopping and eat local food. From what I've read in the forums so far, 1 day in Phnom Penh may be enough and we can spend most of our time in Siem Reap?

b. Any recommendations for local food?

c. I'd love to bring back home local handicrafts for house décor (i.e. paintings, ceramics, vases, kitchen items like placemats, coasters, etc.) - any recommendations for areas/stores?

3. What is the best, safest and quickest way to travel between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap? I've seen references to private cars, buses and boats. There will be 4 of us travelling together. I'd like to try to minimize our travel time.

Thank you for your help!

For 4 people Phnom Penh to Siem Reip, I'd just hire a taxi. It's a nice drive these days.

$500 for one person?????? I hope that's for two people!!

Other airline options include Air Asia through Kuala Lumpur or JetStar through Singapore. Those are budget airlines so the service is not as great as more expensive options (if that's what you're after).

If price is not an issue for you, then I recommend disregarding my reply.

Also you could fly into Phnom Penh and out from Siem Reap with the same budget airlines I listed in my previous post. That saves you a half day.

For 4 people Phnom Penh to Siem Reip, I'd just hire a taxi. It's a nice drive these days.

Agreed, $60 will get you a Toyota Camry, door to door. Travel time should be between 4-4:15.

Thanks for the advice re: the taxi between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Are there reputable taxi companies to consider and on the flip side, non-reputable taxis we should steer clear from?

For the flights, I've been doing more research on Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia and Jetstar and I haven't found much in terms of cheap flights. The best I can do is the original Malaysia Airlines itinerary from my original post at $500 per person or:

Jetstar: 04:30-08:00 (MNL-SIN), 10:30-11:25 (SIN-PNH)
Air Asia: 08:35-11:35 (REP-KUL); Malaysia Airlines: 17:30-21:20 (KUL-MNL)

This second option is ideal, since we don't have to backtrack to PNH but it's coming in at $670 CAD per person!! Can the Jetstar flights be consolidated into a single ticket and if so, could it be cheaper? I noticed that I couldn't directly book MNL-PNH.

For the flights, I've been doing more research on Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia and Jetstar and I haven't found much in terms of cheap flights. The best I can do is the original Malaysia Airlines itinerary from my original post at $500 per person or:

Jetstar: 04:30-08:00 (MNL-SIN), 10:30-11:25 (SIN-PNH)
Air Asia: 08:35-11:35 (REP-KUL); Malaysia Airlines: 17:30-21:20 (KUL-MNL)

This second option is ideal, since we don't have to backtrack to PNH but it's coming in at $670 CAD per person!! Can the Jetstar flights be consolidated into a single ticket and if so, could it be cheaper? I noticed that I couldn't directly book MNL-PNH.

It looks like flying in and out of Manilla is the expensive part. That's too bad. :(