Asia - Siem Reap Airport

The last time I used this airport (a few years ago), it was nothing more than a single storey shed and the departure hall looks like something from the sixties/seventies. Considering how much tourism has picked up since and the current number of international flights operating at REP, I am now expecting the terminal to be like PNH or am I wrong ?

Has there been any improvement to the terminal ? And more importantly, is there a lounge I could use ?

A new terminal building opened within the last couple of years. All things considered, it looked fairly smart and was easy to use. Still no aerobridges, but I do think there is a small lounge for pax in premium classes. The main seating area in the departure hall was nice enough too, though it can get a little crowded when lots of flights are departing at the same time. The arrival hall is spacious, with high cielings and separate immigration desks for varioous purposes: already have visa, visa on arrival needed, no visa needed, citizen. The immigration officers, however, were not particularly efficient. They have one or two decent-sized luggage belts and luggage carts are available for arrivals and depatures. You still have to pay the depature tax immediately before going through to immigration, and I think they've started taking plastic for it, but I have seen some glitches with that really slow up a line.

From the sound of it, you had the old terminal. As I understand it, the new one is a tremendous improvement from the old one. Just don't expect KLIA (I'm sure you wouldn't).

From the sound of it, you had the old terminal. As I understand it, the new one is a tremendous improvement from the old one. Just don't expect KLIA (I'm sure you wouldn't).

Yes the new "international" terminal is quite nice with striking local architecture. Its a refreshing change from the usual steel, glass and granite found in almost every other new airport around the world. Though its small the facilities are all there (except for aerobridges) with comfortable looking seats in the common waiting area; and honestly I much prefer it over KLIA :(

There is a lounge which is quite cosy with 3 internet terminals. There were some light snacks available and the staff would serve you (not self-service). I overheard a passenger (with no invitation card) being quoted USD10 for access to this lounge. Since the common waiting area was quite comfortable, its appeared there were more passengers going for foot-massage than lounge access.

When I passed though there 1 1/2 years ago, I remember feeling that it was a nice terminal, much nicer than town. I also remember that the departure lounge was air conditioned, and that there were some local products for sale in the "duty free" store. Some of the local products were quite appealing, like the spices in small ramekin-like straw baskets.

A word to the wise: Get your Cambodian visa ahead of time here (http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/). I don't know what the old terminal was like, but when we arrived there was a huge line to get a visa. We must have saved an hour by taking care of this before we left...

A word to the wise: Get your Cambodian visa ahead of time here (http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/). I don't know what the old terminal was like, but when we arrived there was a huge line to get a visa. We must have saved an hour by taking care of this before we left...

I'll ditto that. We were the first ones off the plane, so there was no line, but if we had been at the end, we might still be waiting.

Mike

The old terminal is still used for domestic flights. We flew out of it to Phnom Penh a few days ago. Though the cafe space in it is now run by Blue Pumpkin so coffee and snacks are actually OK but no lounge for any airline as far as I could see.

When we flew in from Luang Prabang to the new terminal there was hardly any queue for visas. We knew we had to get one on arrival and were first in the queue but there were only about 4 or 5 other people joining the queue behind us when the immigration officers sent them across for not having visas already. Took no more than 5 minutes for us but might have been longer if the officers behind the desk hadn't all woken up when we arrived at the desk....

The old terminal is still used for domestic flights.

Yeah I thought I recognised that building near the new terminal. Do they still use plastic boards/slots to indicate flight departure information :cool:

Yeah I thought I recognised that building near the new terminal. Do they still use plastic boards/slots to indicate flight departure information :cool:

Yes, they did!

A word to the wise: Get your Cambodian visa ahead of time here (http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/). I don't know what the old terminal was like, but when we arrived there was a huge line to get a visa. We must have saved an hour by taking care of this before we left...

The Cambodian e-VISA is so easy that you breeze right through! It was refreshing and I wish other countries had it (like Nepal) where you wait hours in line.

The airport, I was surprised, was small but nice and clean. Here's the link for your e-VISA: http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/

Have a great trip!

UG

Hi, As USD$ seems to be the currency of choice for drivers, guides and probably restaurants, is there an ATM where I could withdraw from my VISA Debit card?

It's an Aussie Citi card. I need to know in case it's better to get USD$ here instead of at KUL airport (expensive rate I'm sure).

If REP is so touristy now, surely there would be a ATM / teller machine for local currency withdrawals - but USD$???

Thanks!

Yes, you can get ATM's in Siem Reap to dispense USD. The ANZ bank on the main drag in Siem Reap town did so for me. Based on advice from FT and other sources, I went to Siem Reap with about $100 in one-dollar bills and another $100 in five-dollar bills. That was useful for tuktuk drivers and other small expenses. But it turned out that I needed more money and larger denominations were just fine for certain things, like souvenir shopping. ANZ bank saved me.

I think the airport now accepts credit or debit cards for the airport tax, but the service may be intermittent. The Aussies in front of us in line had trouble getting the charge to go through. Much better to just have cash-- in USD.

As of May 2006 there was an ATM machine right in the terminal conveniently located right next to the visa desk (so you could withdraw your $US to purchase the visa).

Thanks Megatoplover and DarkHelmetII!
My friend who returned a couple of days ago noted the need for lots of SMALL denominations.

So to test your memory - what is the minimum denomination USD$ 'dollar bills' that can be requested from the ATM?

As a price guide my friend advised these indicative costs:
Car/driver $20, Angkor day passes $20ea, Kulen $20ea, guide ~$25/day, tuk tuk (eg to Silk farm) ~$6-8. IIRC recent threads quoted guides approx $45/day.

So aside from maybe 30x $1, 20x $5, 10x $10, what else whould you get? :)

[edit to add: plus $50 for the $25ea departure tax - hopefully on credit card but otherwise from ATM or any remaining cash]

Yes, it is easy to find/use the ATMs in Siem Reap, and yes, they allow you to get your withdrawal in USD, but you don't get to pick "I want xx $1 bills, xx $5 bills and xx $20 bills" -- no more than you can do that at home (which, where I live, is none).

Thanks Megatoplover and DarkHelmetII!
My friend who returned a couple of days ago noted the need for lots of SMALL denominations.

So to test your memory - what is the minimum denomination USD$ 'dollar bills' that can be requested from the ATM?

As a price guide my friend advised these indicative costs:
Car/driver $20, Angkor day passes $20ea, Kulen $20ea, guide ~$25/day, tuk tuk (eg to Silk farm) ~$6-8. IIRC recent threads quoted guides approx $45/day.

So aside from maybe 30x $1, 20x $5, 10x $10, what else whould you get? :)

[edit to add: plus $50 for the $25ea departure tax - hopefully on credit card but otherwise from ATM or any remaining cash]

Thanks Megatoplover and DarkHelmetII!
My friend who returned a couple of days ago noted the need for lots of SMALL denominations.

So to test your memory - what is the minimum denomination USD$ 'dollar bills' that can be requested from the ATM?

As a price guide my friend advised these indicative costs:
Car/driver $20, Angkor day passes $20ea, Kulen $20ea, guide ~$25/day, tuk tuk (eg to Silk farm) ~$6-8. IIRC recent threads quoted guides approx $45/day.

So aside from maybe 30x $1, 20x $5, 10x $10, what else whould you get? :)

[edit to add: plus $50 for the $25ea departure tax - hopefully on credit card but otherwise from ATM or any remaining cash]

I think the ANZ ATM I used dispensed $10 bills. I'm pretty sure I took out $150, so it must have had something other than twenties. I'd also venture to say that a lot of advice about having exact change in small denominations is overdone: vendors will be able to make change from tens and twenties. Just don't try passing a lot of hundreds.

I would say this is enough for your basic needs. But I'd also say it leaves little for souvenirs and suchlike. After a bit of hunting, I found some nice silk pieces I wanted to bring home, and some stone carvings, and some silverware. That pushed my expenses up quite a bit. I know it's easy for me as an American to recommend bringing more USD, while that's a conversion hassle for an Aussie. But I think you'd be happier having an extra $200 or so in your pocket in case you find something you really like. A few places in Siem Reap town take plastic, but not many.

When you get change from dollars in shops and restaurants it is in local currency. This is why you want small denomination bills. We used this for tips. I bet tuk tuk drivers would make USD change if you insisted, but they are fussy about the state of the bills (no tears, and they don't like them faded). Your hotel may change down larger bills. $5s are pretty useful, with a g & t costing $1.50 and a meal around $3/ 4.

I can confirm that the hotel (Le Meridien Siem Reap ^) front desk was great for changing to $1 or $5 bills. This was great when we needed to get extra change for our tuk tuk driver.

I'm very unhappy with ANZ-Royal's additional $2/transaction charge for foreigner ATM withdrawals.
The local banks (Canadia at least) did not impose the charge and gave smaller denominations.

Every ANZ transaction for an even amount gave me $50 notes which meant I had to arrange a change at the hotel.

Tip for Siem Reap departure tax ($25): credit cards are also taken. ^^

Canadia gave smaller notes when I did a similar size withdrawal. Much better!

Tip for Siem Reap departure tax ($25): credit cards are also taken. ^^
Don't rely on this -- the last time I was there, the credit card facility was down and had been so for several days, leaving the cashless couple next to us in a bit of a pickle.

Good to know!

Departing REP: note the ANZ Royal ATM outside, on your way into the departures terminal doors.

The Canadia (IIRC) ATM is at arrivals but I did not see one near the departures area.

This week's mini REPort:
Morning departure REP-KUL on Air Asia was trouble-free.
No queues; arrived approx 7.30AM instead of the -2hrs time recommended by the LM front desk staff.
08:35 AM time was handy (compared to our 07:00 dep KUL LCCT -> REP!).
Our guide (Darith Touch ^) recommended an hour pre-board arrival and this worked out well.
If you are considering flying KUL-REP: The Air Asia-touted shuttle bus KUL LCT-Sentral (MYR$9) was fast and departs twice per hour (99% full, though :eek:) and was cool and fairly scenic. We had no traffic delays or stop lights. :D