MXS

This is my first trip to Cambodia and we will be flying into Phnom Penh (PNH)and spending 1/2 a day there before going on to Siem Reap/Angkor before we fly out (REP) to Vietnam. I have noticed that there seems to be four ways to do this.
1. Bus - inexpensive but have not read anything positive other than price on this.
2. Taxi - Would this take the same amount of time as flying - based on getting to and from airports?
3. Boat - less than flying but sounds like it takes 6 hours.
4. Fly - more expensive but takes less than an hour.

Does anyone have any thoughts on how to get between these two locations? Has anyone done the bus, taxi or the boat - is there much to see using these modes of transportation?

Thank you in advance!

zebranz

I bypassed PNH and flew from Bangkok. Easy and fairly safe.

jf123

I have done the Phnom Penh-Siem Reap road trip & back by 12-seater minivan some three years ago. It was like 6 hours one way. A bit crammed but bearable (I am of small stature.) Stopped twice for refreshments/stretch.

Will be doing similar trip Siem-Reap one way next March but it will be with Giant Ibis bus company. http://www.giantibis.com/schedule.php Will choose to ride on the big bus (50-passenger ?).

Got to say Giant Ibis would be the best company to travel with. Book direct or through the Hotel's Front Desk (same price.) They will even pick you from your hotel.

Have a nice trip.

dsquared37

If all goes smooth the ride will be 5.5-6 hours. you'll stop in Kampong Thom at the same place as every other bus/van/tour group adding 30 min to the trip unnecessarily. Tickets are cheap, seats midling, always a chance of a breakdown.

Will take 5-5.5 hours. These are share taxis so buy out the camry at ~$70-80 or just purchase seats within. Work through a hotel/travel agency. A very slim chance of getting an older crappy car but unlikely. Difficult to take care of unless on the ground. Point to point.

Haven't taken this in 10 years and there's no reason to. Long, uncomfortable, need to deal with onward transpo near Siem Reap (read middle of nowhere tuk tuk negotiation fun) but quite spectacular views. Figure on a total travel day of 8 hours (to hotel) but can be more in the dry season if low water and sandbars interfere.

Yes but there's always the risk of delays which can leave you scratching your head why you didn't pay less and go for one of the other modes.

Ranking from best to worst (in terms of pain, or at least the attempt to limit it): plane > share taxi >> bus >>>> boat.

Toula

We did a private taxi when we were there in November and would do the same again in the future.

Speaking with other travellers and some had had extensive delays on buses. From what we head boat was slower than the road and comfort levels depend on river levels.

We organised the private taxis we used through the hotel we were staying at. Remember to request a car with seat belts, however that said that is no guarantee they will work.

dsquared37

The boat is simply uncomfortable. Full stop.

The time spent being uncomfortable is dependent upon river levels (and flow direction).

And it's absurdly expensive!

Goldorak

If you can afford the price of the ticket and if your time in Cambodia is limited, for me it's no brainer : fly !
K6 (Cambodia Angkor Air) has affordable one-way fares and has 4-5 daily flights on PNH-REP.

dsquared37

Prices are around $100 per person which isn't outrageous but might be more than a family cares to spend.

For 3 or 4 people a Camry at $80 (+/-) might be a better option. Taking the plane would likely consume about 3 hours hotel to hotel while for a car expectations should be around 5.5 hours. The additioanl savings could justify the additional time (and pay for a night or two of hotels).

That's a calculation everyone needs to make on their own depending upon time/cost.

IAN-UK

This is a well-covered topic, perhaps best handled in the excellent Candy website

http://www.canbypublications.com/sie....htm#phnompenh



First, forget the boat. It's a long, uncomfortable and expensive trip. A lot can go wrong.

If you are one or two passengers, the bus is an efficient solution. It's cheap, and there's break in the six-hour journey at Kampong Thom (make it an event rather than a chore!). Most SR hotels will arrange for someone to meet you at the SR "bus station".

More of you and the taxi becomes attractive. Just make sure you get the car and driver you want, and stay in control in terms of driving speeds! The driver might turn out to have no idea at all where your hotel is, so make sure you have the telephone number handy so he can get directions.

Flying clearly has time advantages, but there's a measure of faff involved in the transfers to and from airport. It also insulates you from what just might be a fun, and easy, overland journey. And, of course, it's a pricey option for two or more in a group.

Nickolash27

You don't say where you're coming from but I wonder what is the point of half a day in PNH?

MXS

Thank you all for your responses. The boat is out! The driver I had lined up bailed on the long drive so I may find another driver or we may opt to fly.

To answer the question about the partial day in Phnom Penh - Ended up there because the airfare was a lot less expensive than flying to REP. Then I found a few things I wanted to see downtown in Phnom Penh that I could do in a few hours (I understand that some people could spend days there).

Thanks again!

cph_flyer

I used the Giant Ibis busservice from Siem Rep to PP two years ago. Made the reservation and bought the ticket from the hotel I was staying at. Was picked up by minibus from the hotel and taken to the main pick up point and the bus to Phnom Penh. And yes , we did make a half hour rest stop along the way. Fine with me ,to get a chance to stretch your legs and get some fresh air.
All in all , I had only a good experience with the Giant Ibis: Modern busses and everything just worked from pick up at the hotel to arrival at PP.

MXS

After arriving in Phnom Pehn we thought we would fly but then the ticket price for the flight we wanted went way up. The hotel arranged for a taxi to take us to Siem Reap for $75. We had a good driver and I am not sure how he could have made it any faster. It took us 6 hours with a small stop in between. There were maybe 2 cars that passed us the whole time.

For those who might read this thread in the future. Part of the road is paved and part of it is dirt. It looks like this road will be under construction for a very long time. There were parts of the road that they were working on but it did not look like they were in a hurry to finish any of it. You do drive by a lot of farms, fields, and small towns. You see a different way of life. There were a lot of cattle (sometimes in the middle of the road), buffalo, hogs, chickens and other farm animals.
I would not want to be on this road at night. Trucks, cars, busses, motor cycles, bikes, pedestrians, hand carts, and sometimes animals all share the road.

adampenrith

I went by car from PNH to Battambang , took 5 hours and was very interesting.

I then did a boat trip $25USD started at 7am and got to Siem Reap at 330pm, apart from very primitive toilet action, it was comfortable.

The trip up the river was facinating, lots of floating villages, lots of people fishing and living on the river.

A real tourist experience.

Much more exciting than flying

Goldorak

For sure if you have sufficient time. But, in any case, for PP-Battambang and Battambang-SR, you can't fly. The only domestic air routes in Cambodia are PNH-REP and REP-Sihanoukville (with a few flights making a triangular route REP-Sihanoukville-PNH-REP).