tycosiao

What would be a good price for a tuk tuk to the riverside?

and is $9 bucks for a cab worthwhile from the airport to the IC?

Heading over to phnom penh this saturday.

Chinatrvl

They won't take a foreigner for less than 3 or 4 USD IC <--> riverside, and probably first give you a price around 6 to 8 USD that you need to haggle down.

Cab and tuk tuks at the airport are fixed price - you need to buy a voucher before leaving the arrival hall (can't miss). The hotel offers a car (Toyota) for 20 USD. Taxis seem fine; I've so far always opted for an arranged transfer, though.

tycosiao

Thanks. Would crossing the street to be further away from the IC bring down the price for the tuk tuk from IC - riverside?

holtju2

You just take one of the motorbike guys. Was a dollar or two when I was there last time. Probably going back sometime this spring.

honu

Well, I'm in the minority here, but I don't find a tuk-tuk ride in the traffic and fumes of Phnom Penh that much fun. And as for it being a city worth visiting, well, I'll take Vientiane (or Siem Riep or Luang Prabang) any time over Phnom Penh. I enjoyed my first visit there a couple of years ago, but I was just there a few weeks ago (second visit) and I promised myself that, if I want to see the Angkor temples a third time (and they're well worth it), I'll fly directly into REP from BKK or KUL and skip PNH altogether. YMMV, I guess...

As for airport transportation, a taxi is only a couple of bucks more than a tuk-tuk, and your lungs will thank you for it. I didn't use the overpriced hotel service; for half the price (including driver tip) I had a comfortable and clean aircon taxi. You'll find a few taxi services advertised in the phone book; one specifically advertises English-speaking drivers. I forget the company's name at the moment, but that's the one we called and we were happy with the service.

The IC has now a free shuttle service which stops at the Russian market, the central market, and the riverside. It runs about 3-4x day, but it's a nice alternative to a tuk-tuk if the schedule works for you.

Anyway, getting pretty OT here...

Chinatrvl

Too many Lonley Planet hordes for my taste. Nice, fairly unspoilt places are around Kep/Kampot and up to Koh Kong. Battembang doesn't see many tourists either, but is a really beautiful town.

And I think many people don't like PNH - pollution, traffic, riverside touts.

I've notified a mod...

wannagoexplore

I was in PNH about 4-5 years ago due to a mistake fare out of LAX (LAX-PNH rt) for about $300. I was there for 3 days and loved it. Stayed at IC. I've done lots of rough-backpacking in my day (mostly eastern Europe and many countries in Africa), but now that I am older, fatter, and have achy bones, I enjoy finer hotels but still have that adventurous side in me and PNH fit the bill nicely for that. I'm also a bit of a cheapskate and PNH fit well within my budget.

I am thinking of returning next week for about 7 days on the PB deal at the IC. I have already visited the Riverfront, S21 Prison, the Killing Fields, and Wat Phnom. Is it necessary that I visit them again? Probably not, but I found all of the places very interesting, especially the S21 Prison, which was quite moving. One of the best things I remember was hiring a tuk tuk for the day (maybe $10-15 for the day) and I told him to take me to some local places, where he would go for lunch, etc... he took me to some out of the way roadside restaurants for drinks and eats (almost like someone's home along the side of the road). I remember sipping some sort of cane sugar "juice" from a bag and was allowed to make it myself when I had a second. Zipping in and out of traffic. These are the memories I will always remember.

I enjoyed the IC last time, I especially remembered the fantastic breakfast spread. Although it is expensive by Cambodian standards, it is not by Western standards.

If I go this coming week, I think I may go to the coast Kem Pot, Snooky, etc... for a few days. I may also look at a cooking school.

For 5K points per night at the IC is a bargain IMHO.

Cheers

camsean

We last visited Phnom Penh in 2000 and are very exciting to be returning in a couple of weeks. Even more excited to have scored pointbreaks at the IC. PNH was very, very sleepy 12 years ago, so we are expecting lots of changes.

lsed

Hey guys,
Thanks so much for the replies and links.
I was initially rather apprehensive about PNH as it would be the most undeveloped place I would be traveling to (not counting a 14 day community service project in the slums of Batam but that was with a group of people)

But now I’m adding PNH and Siem Riep to my list of must see destinations.

Thanks again!






Read your TR pertaining to PNH seems you had a blast.
I do know what it feels like to have people staring at you weirdly.
Was in Bratislava last Oct and felt like I was the only Asian in the city.
When I went clubbing, people looked at me like I was an extra terrestrial.
Some even gave me disapproving looks.

wannagoexplore

I am in PNH now (for the second time). Since my last time here several years ago I have noticed several hi-rise buildings in the construction progress (and some already built). There also appears to be more luxury cars on the roads...all seems to point that there is a lot of money being invested here.

I'm also staying at IC on PB deal....maybe I am getting more critical in my older age, but hotel is not what I remember it to be. I remember it having the wow factor about 5/6 years ago, but not now. If you are staying on PB....you will get no upgrade, lounge access, or free internet even if Platinum with PC. They did offer to upgrade me to the Executive Club Lounge floor for $45 ++ (total would have been $53/night), but my room would have stayed the same. I took a look at the Club floor lounge and the offerings were slim and IMHO it is definitely not worth the extra $$ (at least not $53). I have a feeling they are trying to get as much $$ out of you as they can if you are staying on PB deal (front desk clerk confirmed that may people booking this)...as if you do a "dummy" booking on web-site for a base room, the difference between base room price and Executive Club was only $30++, not the $45 ++ they offered me for same dates.

There is also no wi-fi in the room, just broadband with a very short CAT 5 cable. And they charge $15/day for it. Not very good for a business class hotel. Also, the TV is a very small old CRT (no flat screen) that seems to cut off every once in a while. All in all I am glad I am staying here on PB (and they are following the rules to a T), but if I was paying cash I would have probably gone to Raffles.

If anyone has any questions please ask as I am here for another few days.

Chinatrvl

Indeed and as many have reported, a 'soft refurb' wouldn't be a bad idea. The penny pinching seems to be pretty obscene on reward nights (and the 8 USD Angkor beer at the bar isn't nice either); although I presume their RevPAR is probably disastrous, even for Cambodia

wannagoexplore

Ha!..I stopped at a liquor store on the way back from the Central Market this afternoon and loaded up with Ankor beer at 2500 Riel each...which is .62 cents each. The stalls at the Central Market wanted 4000 Riel each (or $1). I loaded up my empty mini-bar

mister__big

This hotel is indeed in desperate need of refurbishment. There's mold (fungal growth) growing everywhere; on the doors, in the closet, in the drawers etc. which is too much even for a tropical and humid country like Cambodia. Changing to a different room didn't make things better as apparently all rooms have this issue. Even the corridors smell of mold and dampness. This is one hotel which I wouldn't stay in again, even on point breaks (which I did before).

IAN-UK

Platinum is a level with benefits more closely aligned to Holiday Inns. So, for a Platinum member on a reward night, expecting lounge access at an IC is probably heading for disappointment.

Royal Ambassadors on paid nights sometimes get club access at IC hotels. It happens, but it's "goodwill", not something they are entitled to.


To get anything decent at Raffles you need to pay for a room significantly above entry level.

honu

This description matches my recent impression. I stayed here for the first time a little over a month ago, and I wasn't too impressed. Because I've stayed at other non-affiliated hotels in Cambodia, the IC seemed only a passable deal on PB.