Angkor Wat - no sanuk

[Lamock Chokaprret]

My gf and I would like to visit Angkor Wat. I've heard 3 days is about right for the trip but I'm unwilling to spend more than one day away from the office. I'd like to do it like this:

Friday night - fly to Phnom Penh, stay overnight.

Sat morning - take boat to Siem Riep in morning, get a hotel, visit Angkor in afternoon.

Sunday - spend day at Angkor & maybe the Vietnamese floating (?) market I just heard about

Monday morning - boat back to Phnom Penh, return flight to BKK

Does this sound reasonable?

[Lamock Chokaprret]

I included a boat ride thinking there might be stuff to see along the river and lakeshore. Maybe only need to do it one way and take a flight back. Can you recommend an airline of reputable stature?

And thanks for the hotel recommendation. I don't suppose that for $15 you'd get a flush toilet and hot water?

[ August 23, 2001: Message edited by: Lamock Chokaprret ]

[Guest]

I've never taken the boat, so I can't give you any opinions. I've read a couple of trip reports and some others here can probably give you their ideas. Personally, I took a 4-hr boat ride from Ayuttaya to Bkk and after the first hour, one mile looked like the last mile :-) One person did say that if you are taking the lake/river route, to take a light sweater/jacket. Can get cool and wet.

Bangkok Airways has flights to/from BKK and PP and Siem Reap/BKK. So, if you wanted to book BKK/PP and Siem Reap/BKK (open jaw) it should be no problem--and no more expensive than if you did a round trip BKK/PP.

The Bakong Guest House is really pretty good. The room I had was furnished with a double bed (not kingsized); refrigerator, color TV and air conditioned (individually controlled.) Private bath with shower. The room was on the "smallish" size, but I think larger rooms are available--and perhaps larger beds.

Phone number I have for the guest house is 063 380 126; email: bakong@rep.forum.org.kh

I'll tell you. I don't like dirty hotels and I like creature comforts. I'd stay there again. You can pay 3x as much 200 yards away, but I'm not sure the accomodations are that much greater. Staff is friendly, but English-challenged :-) I looked at about 6 guest houses/hotels before I chose this one.

Oh, no matter where you stay, take a small flashlight with you. Power can go out in the city once in a while.

[robaus]

If you take the boat ride check something like the Lonely Planet site http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/thorn/branches.pl or guide book to make sure the water level is high enough. The boats sometimes get stuck on sandbanks in dry season .. have met folks who've had problems. I didn't myself about 4 years ago.

A one day ticket entitles you to entrance from about 4pm the afternoon before, then full day the next. Use that option to see the main temple at sunset.

Angkor is mindblowing... a true wonder of the world.

[Guest]

Sounds like you might be going to PP just to catch a boat for a ride. If PP and the boat ride are not "musts", I'd recommend:

Sat. morning flight BKK to Siem Reap

check into hotel, walk around the city a little.

Sun. take in Angkor Wat--starting fairly early (8 a.m.)

Mon. take a morning or afternoon flight back to BKK.

Would also recommend the Bakong Guest House. In the city near the market and lots of places to eat. Don't let the "guest house" label fool you. Really a small hotel. About 20 rooms and cost me $15 for a single. About 3 years old and very clean. The hotel can arrange for a driver/car for about $20/day.

[Guest]

One thing you will see is an interesting Vietnamese floating, fishing village on the lake. Note that the boat and the drop off point are real crappy. Also, the drive into Siem Reap is long. I agree that if you want to see Angkor and only have a few days, then fly directly to SR, and use Bangkok Airways. Don't expect good food in SR. But, do expect some moving and memorable ruins. The cooler the weather, the better. I sound like a wimp in this post, but I'm not ashamed to say that there is some damn-awful hot and dirty touring to be had in Cambodia.

[Guest]

I will have to agree with the response that after a mile everything starts to look the same. And, after you get away from those floating villages, there is a good part of the ride where you see nothing but water on all sides. I did the boat trip from PP last year. A friend of mine who is living in PP told me not to sit inside the boat; if it sinks, you will be stuck. We sat on the roof and it was not too comfortable. The sun is a killer and, on the boat that we were on, the roof was slightly convex (and, of course, metal). It was also completely full of people. Unless you really just want to take a boat ride, I think that you'd be better off flying especially since your time is limited. You will save time and possibly some money since you won't have to overnight in PP. Not too mention that you will arrive in much better condition after a short flight than a long boat ride. I did the boat from PP and Siem Reap andflew Bangkok Airways from Siem Reap back to BKK. No problems on Bangkok Air. In Siem Reap, I stayed at a place called the Red Piano. Run by a Belgian guy; Rest/Bar on the bottom with decent western and asian food. About $15 or $16 a night with a flushing toilet, A/C, TV and a hot shower (from a box on the wall though).

Good luck.

[homeboy03]

Hi, I think if you're on a short trip, there is no need or no sense to take one of these boats from PP to Siem Reap. I took a flight back in April with Royal Air Phnom Penh which was adventuros enough, they got just one plane, an very very old Rostov turbo-prop. Don't you ever watch at them tyres, you won't (don't want to) believe it. In Siem Reap I stayed at The Bakong Guest House, very friendly, but very guest-unfriendly too. It was allright for me, but a big sign at the reception says "No prostitutes". They got a nice verandah to chill out after a day at the temples and have some cans of strout! The district is a little bit red-lighted, but there are very good restaurants around. I enjoyed Angkor Wat very, but maybe just one and half day isn't enough. Bye, DL

[Guest]

With your timeframe, don't bother with the boat trip. It's not _that_ interesting and it takes a lot of time.

Fly Bangkok Airways to Siam Reap on Friday night or Saturday morning, spend two nights, then return Monday night. That's enough time to let you see the really good stuff at Angkor Wat.

[Crash999]

quote:

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Originally posted by borracho13:

I will have to agree with the response that after a mile everything starts to look the same. And, after you get away from those floating villages, there is a good part of the ride where you see nothing but water on all sides.

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I took the boat from Siem Riep down to Phnom Penh and thought it was one of the most memorable parts of my trip. Our driver picked us up at the crack of dawn and we drove through all of these small sleepy villages just as people were getting up in the morning. The road heads all the way out to the dock lined with small huts on either side. It was an amazing site seeing all the people (you can see right into their living rooms sometimes!), chickens, kids, and hearing the Cambodian music being played on loudspeakers outside. We bought some snacks and headed onto the roof of the boat. The shape is convex but it was not uncomfortable, especially as I kept one duffel bag full of just clothes and used it for a pillow. I also had a windbreaker and sunscreen so I was good to go. The first part of the trip is through the mangrove forest, winding among many floating houses (some with pet cats onboard). I fell asleep when the boat got out into the lake and woke up as we started to enter the river section, heading from one village to another. I took some fantastic shots and my friends and I almost all had a good time- except one poor guy who forgot to put sunscreen on his nose.

Cheers!