Cambodia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 66

drivers will often nod enthusiastically in a
show of understanding, only to proceed
to the nearest guesthouse or tourist site.
You can hire a moto for the day to visit
sights in and around towns all over the
country. For trips within a 20km radius,
a daily rate of around $15 is the norm.
hree-wheeled cyclos (cycle rickshaws)
are a more relaxing way to trundle
around Phnom Penh, but are only
practical for shorter trips. Cyclo fares are
subject to negotiation, usually costing a
little more than motos ($1-2), and a little
more still in the midday heat or pouring
rain. Faster and more comfortable are
tuk-tuks , motorbike-drawn rickshaws
that ply the roads of most major cities.
hese can comfortably carry up to four
people - although the under-powered
engines tend to struggle with more than
a couple of people on board. Fares are
usually around $1-3 for short trips
around town. With motos, cyclos and
tuk-tuks, agree a fare in advance.
Taxis aren't really used for short hops
around town. here are only a few
metered taxi services in Phnom Penh.
Otherwise, cars are rented by the day, or
by the journey.

Bicycles are available to rent cheaply
(usually about $1-3 a day), and except in
Phnom Penh, where tra c is intimidating,
cycling is a pleasant way to explore.

TRAINS
here have been no passenger train
services in Cambodia since 2009. Plans
to restore and reopen Cambodia's
dilapidated railway network with
Australian assistance have hit major
(possibly terminal) delays, and it seems
unlikely any progress will be made for the
next two or three years at least.

2

BOATS
Regular ferries run between Phnom Penh
and Siem Reap, and Siem Reap and
Battambang. Conditions are fairly
cramped so don't expect the luxury that
the foreigner prices imply. Many tourists
opt to sit on the roof for the views and
sunbathing.

PLANES
Cambodia Angkor Air runs domestic
flights between Siem Reap and Phnom
Penh, and Phnom Penh and
Sihanoukville. Flights are around $70
return, although by the time you've got to
and from the airports it's not an awful lot
quicker than going by bus.

VEHICLE RENTAL
Renting a motorbike is the most practical
self-drive option for Cambodia's
backcountry roads. At the rental shops in
Phnom Penh, you can pick up a fairly
good 250cc trials bike ($25/day), which
should be able to handle most terrain,
while elsewhere basic bikes can go for as
little as $5/day. Cars tend to come with a
driver. hey're almost exclusively white
Toyota Camrys, and cost around $50-70
per day depending on mileage.
If you do intend to self-drive any
vehicle in Cambodia, bear in mind that
road conditions are unpredictable. Really,
it's only practical if you've had experience
of driving in Southeast Asia already.
O cially, vehicles drive on the right,
but tra c regulations in Cambodia are
flexible and you may encounter people
driving on the left. Tra c on the roads
from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and
Kompong Cham is heavy and hectic, but
much lighter elsewhere.

ACCOMMODATION
here are basic hotels in every provincial
town, usually in fairly featureless modern
concrete blocks. In general, expect to
have an en-suite shower (sometimes, but
not always, with hot water). he cheapest
hotel rooms go for a bargain $7 or so.
Almost all hotel rooms have double beds
as standard - if you ask for a double
room, you'll get one with two double
beds in it.
Tourist-oriented budget guesthouses
are springing up in towns across the
country, though you'll find most of them
in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and
Sihanoukville. In some places it's possible
to get a bed for as little as $3 if you don't
mind basic facilities or the lack of a
window. hroughout the country, you'll
pay around $5-7 more per night for air