Cambodia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 65

narrow and bumpy, while regular
wet-season inundations play havoc with
transport (and often wash away large
sections of tarmac in their wake). Regular
boats run between Phnom Penh, Siem
Reap and Battambang, although these are
even slower than travel by road, while the
last passenger train departed in 2009.
Fortunately, Cambodia isn't a big
country, and most journeys between
major centres take no more than a couple
of hours - even the trip between Phnom
Penh and Siem Reap can now be done in
as little as five hours.
he rapidly expanding bus system
provides connections between all major
towns and is likely to be your standard
means of transport. Minibuses and share
taxis can be useful if you want to get
somewhere not served by bus. hey also
cover all the same routes as the buses do,
and often slightly faster, although any
slight savings of time are usually far
outweighed by the sardine-like conditions
on board. In short, buses are generally
preferable unless you're in a serious rush
- in which case you probably shouldn't be
in Cambodia at all.

information; otherwise you'll have to visit
all the individual bus company o ces in
order to get this information. Fares are
generally much of a muchness on all but
the most-travelled routes, although you
might find one company's timings more
convenient than another's.

2

MINIBUSES
Minibuses provide the main alternative to
buses, at a similar price. hese generally
serve the same routes as buses, and also
go to smaller destinations not served by
bus. hey also tend to be slightly faster.
On the downside, most usually get
absolutely packed and can be horribly
uncomfortable, especially for taller
travellers (there's little legroom at the best
of times, unlike the buses, which are
relatively luxurious in comparison). here
are also a few “luxury minibus” services
on the main inter-city and international
routes (Mekong Express's “limousine bus”
services, for example), although these get
mixed reviews, and you can never be
entirely certain of what you're getting
until it's possibly too late.

SHARE TAXIS
Share taxis are generally slightly more
expensive but also slightly quicker than
buses and minibuses; they also serve local
destinations off the bus and minibus
network. On the downside, like
minibuses they get absurdly packed.
hree or even four people on the front
passenger seat is the norm - although you
can pay roughly double the standard fare
to have it to yourself, or indeed pay to
hire the entire taxi. he driving can often
be slightly hair-raising too. Shared taxis
usually leave from the local transport
stop. here are no fixed schedules,
although most run in the morning,
leaving when (very) full.

BUSES
Buses are the cheapest (and usually the
most convenient and comfortable) way
to get around, connecting all major
cities and towns. Some smaller places
aren't yet on the bus network, and others
- Banlung, Sen Monorom and Pailin,
for example - have only one or two
services a day.
All buses are privately run, operated by
a growing number of companies. Phnom
Penh Sorya are the biggest; others include
Rith Mony, GST, Paramount Angkor
and Capitol Tours, while other
companies like Giant Ibis and Mekong
Express operate luxury express buses on
the most popular routes.
Buses generally arrive and depart from
their respective company o ces.
Unfortunately, this means there are no
bus stations or suchlike in which to get
centralized information about the
timetables and fares of all the various
services available. Some guesthouses or
tour operators can provide this

LOCAL TRANSPORT
Motorcycle taxis, commonly called
motos , are the most convenient way of
getting around town and are inexpensive
- short journeys cost around $1.
English-speaking drivers can usually be
found outside hotels, guesthouses and
other tourist spots. Non-English-speaking