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 Whether
you're looking for the perfect room, perfect photos, or just a great
evening out, cambodiahome.com is where insiders go to
maximize their experience and discover the best of Cambodia. |
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Getting to and around Cambodia is
getting easier and easier. As the country opens up to
tourism, more and more of the services available are
tourist-friendly. However, take a look at the tips below
and remember that the country is still developing. It
still can be difficult to communicate in some places,
and in the countryside there are far fewer people who
can speak English. |
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There are no city bus services in Cambodia. The most
common way to get around is by motorbike taxi (motodop)
or tuk-tuk (three-wheeled open-air taxis). Hire a
motodop for around 2,000 Riel (US$0.50) for a short
trip, or US$7 per day. A tuk-tuk will be more expensive
(US$1-2 and around US$10), but you can take more people
(up to six). This will be cheaper in other cities than
Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. Taking a cyclo can be exciting
– a bicycle with a chair in front – and is a little
cheaper than a motodop, but much slower.
Please, remember that Cambodia is a developing country
and, despite the seeming affluence of some areas of
Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, there is great poverty. Many
travelers are arriving in Cambodia and trying to bargain
drivers into impossible prices. Most drivers are not
cheats and are trying to make enough money to support
their families, and fuel prices are increasing to an
unmanageable level. If you pay a fair price, you will
always get a good service, and a good driver who is
treated fairly will look after you well in terms of
information, fun and security. If you cannot pay a fair
price, ask yourself why you are traveling in a poor
country. |
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The national bus system is pretty good and cheap. You
can get to the bigger cities (Siem Reap, Phnom Penh,
Sihanoukville, Kompong Cham etc.) safely and fairly
comfortably, for a very reasonable price (e.g. US$3-4
from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap). Buy tickets through your
hotel/guesthouse or a travel agency. Also by road to
anywhere in Cambodia, you can take a hired taxi, also
arranged through your hotel/guesthouse, or a pick-up if
you are feeling adventurous. This last can be the
cheapest, but comfort levels are not high and they will
be very crowded with Khmer travelers who will be great
fun and extremely interested to meet you.
You can also hire motorbikes (250CC dirtbikes) with or
without driver if you want to be outside and have some
independence on your way around Cambodia. Dirtbikes cost
around US$7-10 dollars per day, and a driver will be
about US$10 (he – there are no ‘she’ drivers currently -
will also expect you to help him with his lodging/food,
but if you have a good driver he can be invaluable in
terms of information and fun, so it’s not a bad deal).
Do not drive in Cambodia in the countryside if you are
not an experienced dirtbike driver: there are some
shocking roads and if you get stranded you could end up
in big trouble. Always wear a helmet – road accidents
are on the increase.
You can take a boat from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap or
back: this is a very exciting way to see the Tonle Sap
lake and the Cambodian countryside, but it is not
cost-effective. Compare the US$3 for a bus ticket with
the US$20-25 for a boat ticket. You can also take a boat
up to Kratie or Stung Treng in the center/north of
Cambodia if you are heading up to Cambodia’s wild east.
Cambodia’s train system is not developed. You can take a
train through Battambang below the Tonle Sap and
thereafter up towards the Thai border, or down to Kampot
and Sihanoukville. However, despite extremely cheap
tickets, you should avoid this means of transport unless
you are patient and interested in really seeing life:
the trains are incredibly slow, and security is an
issue. For those interested, though, there is no better
way to get to know Cambodia and its people better as
you’ll meet all kinds of life there. |
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For more information
about airlines & airports,
click
here. |
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