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The overland
routes into Cambodia are generally improving; however even the main
routes to Siem Reap are unpaved or in a very poor state of repair
. We recommend taking the air con
public bus from Bangkok (Morchit) Northern terminal. If you catch a bus
at 7am or 7:30 you can get to Aranyaprathet at 1 pm. A
short Tuk Tuk ride (5Km) takes you too the Cambodia border (cost 80 THB)
The train from Bangkok is
a good and enjoyable option. Trains leave at 5:55 and arrive at
Aryanapathet around 12pm. There are many willing tuk tuk drivers to take
you the 6kms to the border.
Don't
be persuaded to buy onward tickets on the Thai side as you are likely to
have long delays waiting for a bus and you will be likely to suffer the
same fate as those buying a ticket from Bangkok,
The Poipet Border
The Poipet
Border has not a very good reputation for touts and scams. It is not a
place for the inexperienced or uninformed traveller; as there are a
number of touts who’s primary purpose is to extract money out of any
unsuspecting tourist who passes through.
Those who try the “easy way” and get
a through ticket from Bangkok are most likely to be scammed for
excessive visa fees, money exchange scams and excessive travel delays.
A “cheap ticket bought in Bangkok is likely to cost a lot on both time
and money. It happens every time regardless of that the agency says.
The
couriers and touts are professional con men; make fortunes at the
expense of the visitors and severely damage the reputation of Cambodia
for all the budget tourists that pass their way. The bus companies
use delaying tactics and often well rehearsed breakdowns to increase the
length of the journey so the passengers arrive late at a commission
paying guest house.
The GH owners involved in these
scams are not usually very cooperative (even to those who have booked
accommodation elsewhere). The GH owner pays thousands of dollars in
advance for the companies to bring guests to their door. there are no
refunds if the guest goes anywhere else ; so the owner can put a lot of
pressure on people to stay.
The more informed independent
traveller who follows the advice below and has transport organised
through us in advance will have an easier time and considerably less
cost.
To avoid any problems with
touts and scams please follow these instructions
· When you arrive at Aranyaprathet the Thai Border town,
take a tuk tuk from Bus or Train station to the Border 6kms; approx
80THB per tuk tuk. the Tuk tuk will stop 50 metres from the new
covered border post and Thai immigration. If
anyone approaches you with offers of assistance do not take any
notice.
·
You will find boys with trolleys to assist with
baggage. If you really have to use them; keep one of your party
with the trolley and do not let your baggage out of sight. Only pay
$1 once you on the Cambodian side of the border.
·
If anyone on the Thai side claims to be from
us and has your name; it will be a certain scam. Our driver will
always be on the Cambodian side of the border .
·
On exit from Thai immigration walk thru the no mans
land with the Casinos 500metres to the Cambodia immigration.
·
If you do not have your visa in advance keep $20 bills
to pay for your visas. The official Visa charge is $20. If you pay
in Baht you will almost certainly be overcharged.
·
If anyone tells you to change cash for reils don’t do
it; as USD is accepted almost everywhere. You will get a poor rate
of Exchange on the street.
·
On exit from immigration you will find a shuttle bus
to take you to the taxi stand; where our driver will be waiting.
·
Look out for our orange and white Peace of Angkor
board with your name pre printed.
·
If you have any difficulties or cannot find our
driver; please phone our reception 063760475.
We
have a car service to take you from Poipet to Peace Of Angkor with no
hassles. just let us know 2 - 3 days in advance.
The fixed taxi fare has risen to for tourist
cars to Siem Reap. This has been enforced by the authorities by putting
up the fee that drivers have to pay per journey $10 for cars with
foreigners) Prices can vary between $50 and $60 depending on
demand.
The cost of the bus service to Siem
Reap is $11 per person. The bus is ending its journey at the new
Bus Station East of town. We understand that there can be delays waiting
for the bus to fill up; but the bus drives direct to Siem Reap Bus
Station with a short stop and is taking up to 5 hours due to the poor state of
the road.
The new bus station is a
chaotic entry to Siem Reap. Please be patient if you have pre arranged a
pick up. There are a lot of drivers and in busy periods it will
take time to find our driver with our orange peace of Angkor Board.
Tales of
Asia has a useful information on this
subject which makes interesting reading
Road conditions
are still rough but improving. It is rough in places from Poipet
to 30kms east of Kralanh (that is two thirds of the 180kms )
Allow 3-4 hours for the journey in dry season.
The route to Phnom
Penh is now much improved; 314 kms of tarmac road; buses take 5 1/2
hours; cars 4 1/2 hours. If you are travelling by bus, we will pick
you up at the bus station. |
The
Rainy Season: May to November can bring many rewards. Although the weather can be humid at times, the
temples and countryside look quite stunning. 
Visas can be obtained on entry to
Cambodia at airports and many overland crossing points.
Air Asia 
The new Terminals at Siem
Reap Airport were completed in 2006 giving much improved and attractive
facilities. 
There are 3
Temple Passes currently available; all
are purchased at the Ticket Office on the road to Angkor Wat. For the
multi day passes there is a web cam at the booths so get a photo
on the spot. In busy periods, queues can be
long.