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Sihanoukville & Siam Reap


unit731

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Pattaya to Sihanoukville:

 

Very early morning bus from the station on E. side of Sukhumvit just S. of Pattaya Klang to Trat and then a mini-bus from there to Had Lek.

 

Or take a mini-bus from Pattaya to Had Lek (700 baht last year).

 

After Cambo Immigration take a moto-dop (motorcycle taxi) or a shared taxi into Koh Kong. Hotel overnight then the 08:00 boat to Sihanoukville which will arrive around noon.

 

In S'ville: "The Small Hotel", Swedish owned - popular so I'd book ahead, is in town and the "Ochheuteal Guest House" back from the beach is Aussie owned.

 

You can go to PP by taxi or bus (road is good) and fly back to BKK or from there go to Siem Reap by boat (if the water is high enough), bus or fly. I'm not up on the hotel scene there.

 

Bangkok Air flys BKK to Siem Reap. The road from Poipet is really bad I'm told.

 

And Air Asia BKK-PP.

 

Also air service now Siem Reap-Sihanoukville on ptmair.com

 

Lots of info here: http://www.canbypublications.com/

 

US dollar ATMs now available in PP, SR and Snooky.

 

-redwood

 

 

 

 

 

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Given the time you lose travelling by road, the potential scams along the way (not least from corrupt immigration officials) and the health risks of travelling across Cambodia getting eaten alive by Malaria-carrying mosquitos, you're far better off flying directly to Siem Reap, or flying to Phnom Penh and catching a bus or taxi to Sihanoukville.

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Easy to get to Sihanoukville from Pattaya or BKK.

Take the bus to Trat and minibus from there to the border. The minibus is 110 baht. There are lots of buses that go to Chanthaburi from Pattaya/BKK. Or there's a 6.30 bus that stops on the highway near Pattayaklang. And an 11.30 bus. They're direct to Trat without mucking around in Chanthaburi. About 150 baht for the bus or just under.

It's 50-60 baht on back of a moto from border crossing into Koh Kong. Plus you pay 11 baht toll for the bridge.

600 baht by minibus from Koh Kong to Sihanoukville. Depending on time of arrival in Koh Kong you may wish to spend the night there. A number of guesthouses starting at about 200 baht.

The journey to Sihanoukville is okay. 4-5 river crossings on little ferries. Takes about 5 hours.

 

Sihanoukville is spread out over three distinct locations. You've got Weather Station/Victory Hill, Downtown and then the main beach area by Serendipity Beach and onwards to Otres. There are quite a few hotels Downtown. The Small Hotel is clean and rooms are okay. They're about $13 bucks and up for a/c. It is fairly small and may be booked. There's a flophouse underneath Fisherman's Den which charges $5 a night for fan. Rooms fairly small and hot. Okay for a night or two. Also in town is Freedom Hotel which has freelancers. Towards Occhuteal/Serendipity Beach you are spoilt for choice. Lots of places for under $20 or just over. Rooms should have a/c, fridge and cable tv for that. Weather Station Hill has guesthouses of varying quality. Ranging from $3 a night mosquito havens to more expensive $30 bucks plus. You don't really need to book any of these. One place that people want to get into there is Sunset Garden. It's a nice location with terrace seating and great view. You're looking at $5 for fan room. Mealy Chenda is nearer to the strip of bars and starts at similar money. They also have some decent views. Guest friendliness doesn't appear to be an issue in the lower cost places.

 

From Sihanoukville to PP it's National Route 4. One lane blacktop either way. Lots of trucks hauling ass on this road as it goes to Cambodia's premier port, Snooky. It's a ferkin' jungle and might is right. You'll see guys getting squeezed off the road by bigger vehicles all the time. Several bus companies do the run. Probably the best of the lot is Mekong Limousine/Express. Penh Sorya (I think that's their name) were okay. In fact I'm using them to leave PP to go to Kratie on way to Laos. Penh Sorya drop at central market and it should be about a dollar in a tuk tuk to any hotel in central PP. Mekong drop at Street 102. You've got The Wooly Rhino guesthouse a few doors away. Plus The Green Vespa for getting pissed a short stumble the opposite way towards Street 104 which has the highest concentration of hostess bars. On St 104 there's The Pickled Parrot Guesthouse which is Aussie run and 24 hour. Both Pickled Parrot and Wooly Rhino are about the $15 bucks a night mark for an a/c room. If it's just a night or two in PP then either would do. It's straightforward to walk down the quay from this location or to walk to Wat Phnom. Plus if you want to go to the likes of Sharky then you can easily walk there.

 

Siem Reap. Use Mekong, again from St 102, up there. They will drop you at the bus station out of town. Can get a tuk tuk, again for a couple of dollars, into town. Was with a woman so didn't partake of the local sanuk scene. The main restaurant/bar strip is pretty much concentrated just near the old market. Lots of pubs and different foods to eat. Interesting joint on the road by the new night market is Dead Fish Tower. Beware if you get drunk in there as they have open drops and a crocodile pit.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Excellent report :thumbup:

 

We intend to proceed to Sihanoukville after a week on Koh Maak and Koh Kood in Trat.

I was just wondering, will it be possible to obtain a visa to cambo at the border? Or will it be wiser to get on prior to crossing the border in say bkk?

 

cheers

hn

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Depends on the land crossing. You can get it without a passport photo, but, depending on the crossing, you'll be charged and extra 100 or 200 baht. Also, although 20 USD or 1000 baht is the official visa fee, the immigration assholes will often insist on 1000 baht. Of course, they're just shaking you down for an extra $14 which they'll pocket. Welcome to Cambo, the most overtly corrupt country in SEA.

 

HH

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Thank you both.

On my last trip to Cambo I obtained a visa in bkk and went through immigration at poipet without any hassle whatsoever.

I`ll probably get one i bkk through an agent, probably money well spent to avoid any delay at the border and worth the few extra bucks.

 

But now I know I have the option of getting one at the border crossing.

 

cheers

hn

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Visa on arrival no problem. They may try to hit you up for extra cash though. Give you a load of crap about how they don't accept dollars at the border only Thai baht. Utter garbage. But they're the guys with the rubber stamps in hand which we need in our passports.

 

Upon exiting you may be asked for cash too. I was when leaving to enter southern Laos. They wanted to hit me up for a few bucks but I refused and the guy agreed I didn't have to pay. Then they hit my gf up $2.5 bucks. As she's khmer didn't want to piss things up for her so had to pay. Similar deal after passing through no man's land to the Laos border post. Had a bit of a Mexican stand off. Got off with a bribe of $1.5 each there. Tossers.

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