PCheng

I will be in Siem Reap for 4 days in August. After visiting some of the travel agent websites, none of the packages appeals to me. As a result I have decided to book the hotel and airfare myself, and join local full and half tours after we arrived in Siem Reap.

So far I have no luck finding any travel agents that specialise in half and full day sightseeing trips, and the few that I found are asking for an arm and a leg (100 per person for a one day trip to Angkor is highway robbery if you ask me). Can anyone recommend a reputable travel agent in Siem Reap that does good one day tours, specifically to Tonle Sap lake, Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom at a reasonable price (60 dollars per person including entry)?

1000k00

Not sure if this will help. I will be in PP and SR 30jun-3jul. I will be on a private tour(car, driver and guide). The above mentioned places are on my itin..

Try [email protected] and see what he might be able to put together for you,

Google search does not show much in the way of half or full day tours SR area. Good luck!

rjh

One day entry to the Angkor sites is US$20. Three day entry is $40. How much time would you spend at Angkor sites and how much on the lake. Usually 1/2 day for the lake is plenty.

Are you looking for an air con car or are you ok with a tuk-tuk (cheaper) or riding as a passenger on a motobike (even cheaper)? You wrote your post in English. Is that your preferred language?

Michael

All of these things can be easily arranged on arrival through your hotel. I would not bother to arrange this in advance, unless you have particular needs (e.g., a guide who speaks something other than English). When we have gone to Siem Reap, or when we have sent our friends and relatives there, we have always found it easier and cheaper to arrange visits and guides once there.

I suggest a three -day pass ($40), which gives you some flexibility (you may not want to spend the full three days seeing the temples, but the three-day pass allows you to spread out your temple sightseeing and to intersperse other activities -- shopping, handicrafts production, visit to the lake, etc.).

A certified guide should run around $25 per day; a car and driver (with air con) should run another $20 per day. There are other transport options as well, including tuk-tuk, moto and bicycle (which I would avoid in August - when it will either be hot or raining). Some hotels (the more upscale ones)may charge a big mark-up on these prices -- in which case the hotel is simply taking a bigger share: the guides are exactly the same, and they are all certified through the same government office. I would email your hotel in advance and ask them what they charge for these trips.

Enjoy the temples,
Michael

PCheng

Thanks for all the replies.

I will most likely be staying at the Prince D' Angkor hotel. Another possibility is the Le Meridien, but I am leaning towards Prince because of its central location, which should make it easier to find meals and travel agents.

Most hotels are charging a substantial mark-up on the price, so I am leaning towards finding an independent local travel agent instead of the hotel's own travel desk. Any good recommendations?

Michael

In Phnom Penh, PTM Travel http://www.ptm-travel.com/ is one of the agencies I use a lot -- I've found them to be consistently better than the average. They have a Siem Reap branch also, but I haven't used them there. I'd give them a try, though.

Good luck,
Michael

GolfTravelr

I can whole heartly recommend Journey's Within. They may be found on the web at http://www.journeys-within.com/ I used them for both lodging and tours. Journey's Within is run by Brandon and Andrea Ross....expats with extensive experience in the region. Very Very reasonable rates for the entire package (car, driver, guide, lodging, meals....the whole nine yards). I sincerely don't have enough good things to say about them. Besides they do a great deal of community work in Siem Reap.