Hello All,

Planning a trip to SE Asia. We already know we want to include BKK in the trip but am contemplating adding Cambodia so we can visit Angkor Wat. We are using miles for the airfare and probably will fly r/t ORD-BKK since award availability in/out of PNH is next to impossible to find. Wanted to know if anyone had any recommendations on traveling BKK to Cambodia. I know that Angkor is closest to Siem Reap, but it seems like flights to Siem Reap pull a much higher fare. For those who have maybe traveled in that area before, is it best to fly BKK to PNH and then travel by bus between PNH and Siem Reap? Is it worth the premium to fly in or out of Siem Reap? We are looking to spend about four days total in Cambodia and have heard good things about Phnom Penh as well as Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. Any feedback from those who have made similar trips would be greatly appreciated.

Scott

PNH is a rather dusty, chaotic city. It reminds me a bit of the scene of Vietnam city scenes in Full Metal Jacket. It is interesting to say the least, but I didn't find it that enjoyable.

You could probably find a fairly cheap fare direct to the area of Angkor Wat from Bangkok. I'd guess in the $200 area, but haven't checked recently.

The "must see" in PNH is the national palace, which has a temple with solid silver floor tiles. The complex overall is smaller and less impressive than, say, Thailand's national palace in BKK, but it is still a nice afternoon. Other activities include the massive central market and a trip outside of town to the killing fields museum and memorial. I flew in and out of PNH a few years ago. From there, I took a "slow boat" to Siem Reap and then flew back to PNH. (At that time, the roads were a lot worse, so the bus, even at a price of about $3 USD wasn't such an attractive option.

In Siem Reap, you can buy a 3-day pass to the temples, and certainly stay occupied that whole time seeing the various temples. It is really a judgement call for you as to which way to split your time, or whether to include PNH.

The road between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap is fully sealed and in good condition. Taking the bus between the two cities is no big deal, but a waste of time given your overall schedule.

I'd just fly into Siem Reap and pass on Phnom Penh. There are lots of places in Cambodia worth visiting besides Siem Reap/Angkor, but the Angkor sites need three full days.

It's interesting to take a couple of hours on the Tonle Sap lake, too, which works out to 1/2 day with transit time. If there's time, another 1/2 day to Banteay Srei. So, I'd optimize around Siem Reap and eat the added cost. Stay at a mid level/cheapo place such as Two Dragons guesthouse and eat cheap food, easily available, to make up the difference. Ride motos to the temples instead of air con car, avoid taxi mafia at airport, etc. etc.

The Angkor temples are amazing and certainly worth a visit, but you need to give yourself more time. If you must dash in and out, pay the premium to fly through Siem Reap. If you have more time and less money, go through Phnom Penh. There's really not much to see there (by some standards, but I really like the markets), so use it as a sort of hub. You can get a cheap bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (the roads are good), but I recommend the fast boat. It leaves at dawn and takes a half day to get across the Tonle Sap lake, an adventure in and of itself. You can get your three-day temple ticket that afternoon so you can see the sunset from the temples for free.

What does the rest of your itinerary look like? We may be able to make other suggestions.

It's probably true that you can't get a BKK to Siem Reap round trip airfare for less than $320 or so, because Bangkok Airways has a monopoly on the route.

But, if you are doing any OTHER side trips out of Bangkok in Thailand, you can save quite a bit by purchasing a Bangkok Airways discovery Airpass. The main caveat is that you need to buy the ticket while you are still within the U.S., and you need to purchase a minimum of 3 legs, up to 6. I personally used this to get a great deal on both BKK to Siem Reap, and BKK to Koh Samui routes, both of which are expensive, Bangkok Airways monopoly routes. By using the AirPass, I paid about the same for BOTH trips combined as either one would have cost me independently (about $350). Again, you can only buy this in the U.S. either from a U.S. Bangkok Airways ticket office, or a travel agent - not on line.

http://www.bangkokair.com/en/airpass.php#

FYI, my experience is that if you hire a guide and a driver, you can do the main Angkor temples (Angkor Wat, Angkor Tom, Ta Prohm, and some of the other nearby temples) that are close to Siem Reap in one long full sunrise to sunset day. Another day would be useful for seeing anything else in Siem Reap, such as the landmine museum and the floating village on Tonle Sap, or seeing some of the more far removed temple sites.

If you want cheap go to http://www.airasia.com for BKK-PNH. It doesn't get much cheaper than that. You can see much of what Phnom Penh has to offer in a day and if there is more than one of you it's probably economical to just hire a taxi from Phnom Penh to Siem Riep. IIRC it cost me about US$50 one way last year so if there are 2 or more of you it is pretty cheap per person. Gas is very expensive in Cambodia so I would imagine it is a little more now but the road is now good and it is a pleasant drive.

+1 on those recommending direct BKK-REP. The BangkokAir multi-segment promo sounds fantastic and would allow you to see a bit more than you might have otherwise planned. If still available next time I am in BKK I would certainly look into using it.

However, I have considerable respect for how budget and time often conflict. If you have more time than money, there are cheap ways of travel between PHN and REP, including boat.

That said - get to REP as quickly as possible. I can not properly convey how lovely the experience was for me and my travel companion. I do know, however, that the city is changing and it will lose a lot of its charm and, dare I say, innocence, as tourism increases.

My only additional advice is to recommend taking some simple face masks, ala Tokyo Traffic Police, if dust bothers you significantly. If - hell, when, I return I plan to use them while riding in the Tuk-Tuks, but not while wondering the streets or the temples.

Safe travels!