BKK/Pattaya->Angkor Wat
Jul 3, 2007, 9:23 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Osaka, JP
Programs: United-1P!!!! (WOW!)
Posts: 313
BKK/Pattaya->Angkor Wat
Looking to visit Angkor Wat (in Cambodia) over a weekend in Dec.
Has anyone travelled and/or stayed there?
Recommendations on travel means and hotels (or other random info) would be much appreciated.
Has anyone travelled and/or stayed there?
Recommendations on travel means and hotels (or other random info) would be much appreciated.
Jul 4, 2007, 10:15 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: SQ *gold / Starwood
Posts: 134
Jul 4, 2007, 8:59 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: CMH, sometimes AVP, formerly down the Shore
Programs: UA 1K/3MM, AA EXP/3MM, DL MM, former fan of TWA
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I have found the information at www.talesofasia.com to be accurate and up to date. I relied heavily on its information when I did the overland route from BKK to Angkor. That won't work so well for a weekend trip, but the site has other valuable information about Siem Reap.
Jul 5, 2007, 2:00 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Terra Australis Cognita
Posts: 5,350
To be more precise, PG has the monopoly and prices accordingly, so it's their way or the highway. I wouldn't recommend going overland for a weekend though, as it can easily chew up 10 hours one way. Some people find it cheaper to fly to Phnom Penh on Air Asia and take the bus/domestic flight back to Siem Reap...!
Jul 6, 2007, 8:35 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: STO
Programs: SK EBG *G
Posts: 203
PG is a very nice airline that cares about their passengers, I have travelled with them a couple of times within the last year and have nothing bad to say about them.
You could of course fly into Phnom Penh and take one of the frequent buses to Siem Reap, takes about 4-5h and is cheap (I paid $3.50!). I don't know if there's a bus from the airport to Siem Reap or if you need to go to the city and find a bus there. The road is not too bad so the ride is ok but don't expect much from the buses. Going overland from BKK as jpatokal wrote can take much time and the road is said to be bad between the border and Siem Reap.
There are loads of hotels in Siem Reap, for example a Hilton a little bit outside of town if I remember correctly.
Visit the Landmine museum as well, it's free and all donations go to landmine victims.
You could of course fly into Phnom Penh and take one of the frequent buses to Siem Reap, takes about 4-5h and is cheap (I paid $3.50!). I don't know if there's a bus from the airport to Siem Reap or if you need to go to the city and find a bus there. The road is not too bad so the ride is ok but don't expect much from the buses. Going overland from BKK as jpatokal wrote can take much time and the road is said to be bad between the border and Siem Reap.
There are loads of hotels in Siem Reap, for example a Hilton a little bit outside of town if I remember correctly.
Visit the Landmine museum as well, it's free and all donations go to landmine victims.
Jul 9, 2007, 3:59 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2004
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I'm actually just back in the US from a trip to Bangkok and Siem Reap. Great experiences in both places. Bangkok Airways is the only way to fly BKK-REP for now, and as much as it sucks to pay over $300 for a 35-minute flight in economy class, you really don't have any choice. Be aware that most of PG's flights on that route are prop-operated, though I managed to get Airbuses in both directions.
As for hotels near Angkor, you can find them by searching FT for hotels in Siem Reap. It seems that the top hotels there now are the Hotel de la Paix (modern boutique design, where we stayed, recommended but gets very pricey in the high season), La Residence d'Angkor (a VSOE property), the Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, Le Meridien Angkor, the Sofitel, and--in a league of its own--the Aman resort. All are within a short distance of one another, with LM and the Sofitel closest to the entrance to the archaeological park. As Siem Reap is small (a grand total of six traffic lights for a city of 1 million people), location of your hotel should not be of principal concern; I'd focus instead on getting a hotel that offers the kind of experience you're looking for.
As for hotels near Angkor, you can find them by searching FT for hotels in Siem Reap. It seems that the top hotels there now are the Hotel de la Paix (modern boutique design, where we stayed, recommended but gets very pricey in the high season), La Residence d'Angkor (a VSOE property), the Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, Le Meridien Angkor, the Sofitel, and--in a league of its own--the Aman resort. All are within a short distance of one another, with LM and the Sofitel closest to the entrance to the archaeological park. As Siem Reap is small (a grand total of six traffic lights for a city of 1 million people), location of your hotel should not be of principal concern; I'd focus instead on getting a hotel that offers the kind of experience you're looking for.