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Cambodia

Cambodia

Old Jul 8, 2019, 6:53 am
  #31  
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Originally Posted by milepig
Im not sure I understand the current tourist visa situation. You read all sorts of things from needing to appear at a consulate with multiple passport pictures and various photocopies of things, specifically on A4 paper, which is essentially unheard of in the US and paying $US108, to just fill in the online form and you get a certificate and youre done. In the middle is get the cert online but then still needing to appear at immigration with photos and photocopies.

I think some is old info.

Is it really now sort of like Turkey where you show up with the certificate they stamp your passport and youre done?
Did it online. Took 5 minutes. Was approved in about 2 days. Was easy.
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Old Jul 8, 2019, 8:13 am
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by rjh
26 27 28 29: SR, 3 day temple ticket + Angkor Museum. Get a guide/driver in advance. 3-day pass is valid for 10 days from the issue date
--
Rich
She said one day maximum of temples at Angkor.

22, 23, 24, 25: PP. Spend 3 full days there.
26: Drive to Battambang. Get off bus and negotiate hard on the all day tuk tuk trip. They bring you back to the hotel at dark (after the bats have flown out of the cave).
27: Next day drive to Siem Reap. Relax in the town, at your hotel pool, and go out for dinner.
28: Next day do a day of Angkor. That evening hang out at your hotel pool, and go out for dinner.
29: Head back to PP, drive or fly.
30: Phnom Penh
1: Fly home
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Old Jul 8, 2019, 9:32 am
  #33  
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Originally Posted by CrazyInteg
She said one day maximum of temples at Angkor...
Really? Didn't see that.

Anyway, I'd still keep the schedule I suggested. Trading travel time to/from Battambang plus the minor sights there for less time at Angkor seems a missed opportunity.

Coming to Angkor for a one day rush through Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Ta Phrom, I guess, seems pretty hectic. Cambodia, like Lao, rewards a slower pace.
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Old Jul 8, 2019, 12:50 pm
  #34  
 
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You're right, another poster said they didn't want to see many temples in Siem Reap. I got confused.

Geogirl, rjh has a good itinerary.
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Old Jul 9, 2019, 1:18 am
  #35  
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Yeah, Angkor really shouldn't be done at a rushed pace. Pretend you're Angelina Jolie and just absorb.
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Old Jul 10, 2019, 9:15 am
  #36  
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Originally Posted by rjh
So 8 days on the ground? I'd skip Battambang and Koh Rong Samloen/Sihanoukville. Sihanoukville is a toilet and travel to/from in your time constraints doesn't make sense. Luang Prabang also not really possible. I'm basing this on recent, last month experience, and maybe 20 visits.

22 Nov: arrive PP (from where? Jet lag recovery? Grab (Uber like) to town); eVisa
23, 24: PP (Penh House hotel on Street 240, book using Agoda; Grab to get around)
25: travel to Siem Reap, take Giant Ibis bus (6 hours end to end); stay at Angkor Village, Wat Bo road
26 27 28 29: SR, 3 day temple ticket + Angkor Museum. Get a guide/driver in advance. 3-day pass is valid for 10 days from the issue date
30: travel to PP. Giant Ibis bus
Before flying from PP to/from SR, work out the time. I think I may in the minority recommending the bus, but I also may be one of the few here that's done both and recently.
1 Dec: leave (allow 1 hour to get to the airport, use Grab)
--
Rich
Thanks Rich! This information is exactly what I was looking for. I don't want to spend alot of time going from place to place so this itinerary makes good sense. I really like the idea of the bus between PP and SR. Is flying recommended by others just to save time? We are flying from LAX through Seoul to PP and arrive late on Friday the 22nd. Should we just grab an airport hotel when we arrive or should we make our way to PP? I'll look into the Penh House hotel, is it a good location for getting around PP? We depart at night on Dec 1 so we will also have a full day in PP before our return flight.
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Old Jul 10, 2019, 9:44 am
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Geogirl1234
Thanks Rich! This information is exactly what I was looking for. I don't want to spend alot of time going from place to place so this itinerary makes good sense. I really like the idea of the bus between PP and SR. Is flying recommended by others just to save time? We are flying from LAX through Seoul to PP and arrive late on Friday the 22nd. Should we just grab an airport hotel when we arrive or should we make our way to PP? I'll look into the Penh House hotel, is it a good location for getting around PP? We depart at night on Dec 1 so we will also have a full day in PP before our return flight.
Bus vs fly vs private car from SR to PP: IMO you don't save a lot of time flying once you factor in waiting around the airport, check in, security, and the 45-60 min ride from PP airport into town. Basing this on making the same decision in June with cost not being a factor. Others clearly have differing opinions.

Arriving in PP: take Grab or, barf, tuktuk/taxi into town. Tuktuk is ok unless it's raining with essentially the same speed. Traffic will be less for you since it will be late, which is a big factor. Cambodia really doesn't do airport hotels, though there are hotels near the airport. The country isn't really developed in a way you might recognize for things like airport hotels, not even like HCMC.

Penh House location: yeah, street 240 is good. Walking distance to several major sights, but you can also easily use Grab. I go out the back door and ask for Grab to meet me at the Box Office pub on Street 244 to avoid hassle with the tuk tuk guys waiting/preying on hotel guests out front. I used to stay in BKK1, south of Victory monument, but moved to Penh House. Don't get the "Jungle" rooms listed in Agoda, which are actually on 244. Roof bar is decent, but a little pricey. Local and above average restaurants next door/close by. Cash laundry up the street. Walk east on 240 and north on 3 to get to major sights or FCC. You may spend a fair amount of time at FCC. Very atmospheric, though I wouldn't stay there.

Google Maps is good for directions and even traffic conditions. Several approachable, non foreigner restaurants very close to Penh House or $1 Grab away in BKK1. Sovanna I & II. Khmer Women Food. Even Malis, though I wouldn't go there again. Hoang Yen is good for Vietnamese. Friends and Bright Lotus Guesthouse restaurants are better food deals than FCC and nearby FCC.

Usually better for a foreigner to take Grab than crossing a lot of streets, but check out Travelfish's walking tour.
--
Rich

Last edited by rjh; Nov 27, 2019 at 6:31 pm
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Old Jul 10, 2019, 9:49 am
  #38  
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Meant to clarify that the 3 day Angkor pass is good for any 3 days in 10 from issue date, which probably was clear from the context, but... That is, you don't have to do a 3 day consecutive death march as we had to in the old days.

Make sure your guide shows you the Apsara showing her teeth, there's only one. I've got a guide recommendation, if you want one.
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Old Jul 11, 2019, 6:12 am
  #39  
 
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Been to Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia so not too worried about visiting Cambodia and pretty much know what to expect. We will visit Angkor and that will pretty much be it when in Siem Reap other than venturing out on our own and relaxing! Then off to PP for three nights before heading back to Bangkok to fly out.

I see some talk about the visa situation. I was just planning on taking a couple of pictures with me and doing it at the airport? Is that all I would need, albeit now reading some of the posts it sounds like the e-visa works 100%. We are not going until February so how soon would I have to do that e-visa to make sure we both have it? We are coming from Canada and is there just one site to do this on or numerous sites?
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Old Jul 11, 2019, 8:39 am
  #40  
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Originally Posted by Bravada04
...I see some talk about the visa situation. I was just planning on taking a couple of pictures with me and doing it at the airport? Is that all I would need, albeit now reading some of the posts it sounds like the e-visa works 100%. We are not going until February so how soon would I have to do that e-visa to make sure we both have it? We are coming from Canada and is there just one site to do this on or numerous sites?
The only issues with visa on arrival instead of eVisa:
  • Visa on arrival process is disorganized and unpredictable. If another plane arrives around the same time, the wait can be long.
  • Visa on arrival means you get one full passport page taken up by a visa sticker
I now get the eVisa. It took me a couple of hours, as I recall, from submission to receipt. Allow a couple of days.
--
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Old Jul 12, 2019, 5:55 am
  #41  
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Originally Posted by rjh
Meant to clarify that the 3 day Angkor pass is good for any 3 days in 10 from issue date, which probably was clear from the context, but... That is, you don't have to do a 3 day consecutive death march as we had to in the old days.

Make sure your guide shows you the Apsara showing her teeth, there's only one. I've got a guide recommendation, if you want one.
Ive downloaded the Grab app, thanks for the recommendation. Also would love to get a guide recommendation as well. Ill try to use the driver recommended in the other thread. Hope to do some detailed planning this weekend.
Can the E-visa be purchased several months in advance or do we wait until closer to November?
Thanks!
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Old Jul 12, 2019, 9:22 am
  #42  
rjh
 
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Originally Posted by Geogirl1234

I’ve downloaded the Grab app, thanks for the recommendation. Also would love to get a guide recommendation as well. I’ll try to use the driver recommended in the other thread. Hope to do some detailed planning this weekend.
Can the E-visa be purchased several months in advance or do we wait until closer to November?
Thanks!
Grab: put a couple of different cards in the app. I had problems with a card that otherwise works fine.

eVisa: just get a couple of days/week before. Follow guidance on the website, though, since that's authoritative.

Guide/driver I use is Darith Touch, [email protected] Usual disclaimers apply.

Last edited by rjh; Jul 12, 2019 at 12:12 pm Reason: try again on email link
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Old Jul 12, 2019, 10:08 am
  #43  
 
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That link you keep including doesn't go anywhere but the yahoo home page.
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Old Jul 12, 2019, 12:13 pm
  #44  
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Originally Posted by Hoyaheel
That link you keep including doesn't go anywhere but the yahoo home page.
Sorry, email didn't resolve so I brute forced it.
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Old Jul 12, 2019, 5:48 pm
  #45  
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The email link works for me...Thanks!
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