CAMBODIA
Travel Information |
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Getting
In/Out
Cambodia is served by an increasing number of flights
from neighboring countries to both Phnom Penh and Siem
Reap, though the best choice is from Bangkok in Thailand.
There are now five overland crossings open to foreigners,
two from Thailand, and two from Vietnam and one from Laos.
Even if you have obtained a Cambodia visa before entry,
it is essential to obtain an entry stamp in your passport
when crossing overland, as failure to do so will cause
serious problems when you come to leave the country.
THAILAND
From Bangkok, there are regular daily
flights to Phnom Penh, taking around
an hour, with Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways and Royal
Phnom Penh Airways; the last of these offers slightly
cheaper fares than the other two, but can't be booked
from outside the region. Bangkok Airways and Siem Reap
Airways also fly daily to Siem Reap, with slightly higher
frequency in the high season of December to February.
Overland trips to
Cambodia from Thailand have increased in popularity and
are well publicized in Bangkok, particularity on the Khao
San Road, where travel agents try to sell their Bangkok-Siem
Reap trips by alleging that doing the trip independently
entails various problems (dealing with Cambodian border
officials, sorting out onward transport, etc). In fact,
it's straightforward enough to do the journey by public
transport, and the convenience of using one of these private
firms can be offset by much waiting around until the required
number of passenger's turns up. Though most of these companies
are reputable, a small minority of travelers has reported
being ripped off over visas, and even being left for hours
at the border waiting for onward transport; therefore
it's worth asking fellow travelers of staff at your guesthouse
about companies they would recommend or avoid.
The Aranyaprethet/Poipet border crossing
is ideal if you want to start your visit to Cambodia in
the north at Battambang and Siem Reap, while Trat/Koh
Kong is good for Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh.
From Bangkok, you can reach Aranyaprathet by train (7hr)
or by air-con bus (4hr); there are also air-con buses
to Trat 95hr). Both borders are open daily (7am-5pm) and
visas are issued on arrival. From Poipet, onward transport
by shared taxi or pick-up is readily available to Sisophon
( for Siem Reap) and daily boats from Hong Kong to Sre
Ambel (for Phnom Penh) and to Sihanoukville. Poipet is
in fact derelict, the nearest train station being at Sisophon.
VIETNAM
There are several regular daily flights to Phnom Penh
and to Siem Reap from Ho Chi Minh City, operated by Vietnam
Airlines and Royal Phnom Penh Airways. Border
crossing are open to foreigners at Moc
Bai/Bavet, 200km southeast of Phnom Penh, and
at Chau Doc on the Bassac River, through note that Cambodian
visas are not issued at either crossing point. From Bavet,
it's easy to get shared taxis to Phnom Penh (6hr); though
the road has been in appalling condition, the journey
time should be reduced when repairs are completed at the
beginning of 2003. If you've crossed over at Chau
Doc, you may be able to get a moto the 60km to
Phnom Penh, but given River, it's easier to take a short
moto ride to the Mekong village of K'am Samnar, where
you can get a boat north to Neak Leung (3hr), 37km east
of Phnom Penh and connected to the capital by bus and
shared taxi.
Note that only Cambodians and Vietnamese are permitted
to cross east of Kep, despite assurances to the contrary
from Sihanoukvill's Vietnamese consulate.
LAOS
Laos Aviation and Vietnam Airlines operate daily flights
from Vientiane to Phnom Penh, with stops
in Siem Reap on Tuesday and Fridays; sometimes there's
also an unscheduled stop in Pakxe.
Adventurous travelers may wish to try the crossing between
Voen Kham, an island in the Mekong, and the Cambodian
town of Stung Treng. Visas are not issued on either side
of the border, so you'll have to haggle with officials
to get your passport stamped (Cambodia officials have
been known to0 demand $60 for this, but you can bargain
them down to $15). Private boats can be chartered on the
Mekong between Voen Kham and Stung Treng ($25; 2hr). |
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