Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kompong Thom, Sisophon (for Battambang), Poipet and
Anlong Veng run from the roadside at the junction of NR6
and the turning to Siem Reap's Chong Kov Sou transport
stop about 2km east of town.
Destinations
Anlong Veng (4 daily; 2hr); Kompong
Cham (6 daily; 3hr); Kompong Thom (12 daily; 2hr); Phnom
Penh (hourly; 5-6hr); Poipet (20 daily; 3hr); Sisophon
(20 daily; 2hr).
to the port; if you choose to make your own way to the
port, allow 30min by tuk-tuk.
TO/FROM THAILAND VIA POIPET
Arriving from Thailand
Many travellers arrive overland
from Thailand via Poipet (see p.130), easily done in a single
day, assuming you leave early enough. If you're on a
through ticket bought from one of the many travel agents
on Bangkok's Khao San Road the going may be fairly slow,
and you'll be dropped at one of their a
liated guesthouses
in Siem Reap.
Travelling to Thailand
A number of Siem Reap bus
companies run buses and minibuses from Siem Reap to
Bangkok via Poipet, where they link up with onward
transport operated by their Thai associates - although
given the various scams and delays associated with
buses/minibuses going in both directions, you might be
better off travelling independently. Numerous buses
(3hr) run to the border at Poipet; alternatively, a shared
taxi costs around $10 per seat, or $40 to hire the taxi
outright. From the border at Poipet it's a further 4km to
the Thai town of Aranyaprathet (around 60-80 baht by
tuk-tuk). Getting to Aranyaprathet early will give you the
option of choosing your onward transport in Thailand -
either by bus, minibus or on the lunchtime train for the
(approximately) 5hr trip to Bangkok.
BY BOAT
Arriving in Siem Reap
Boats dock south of town at the
port at Chong Khneas on the Tonle Sap about 15km from
Siem Reap; the boat from Phnom Penh gets in between
noon and early afternoon, while from Battambang it
arrives mid- to late afternoon. Hotels will arrange for you to
be collected from the port if you're staying with them;
otherwise there's no shortage of tuk-tuks to take you into
town ($4), not to mention guesthouse touts.
Leaving Siem Reap
A boat leaves the Chong Khneas
port daily at 7am for Phnom Penh ($35; 5-6hr) and at
8am for Battambang ($25; 6-8hr depending on water
levels). You'll need to book your ticket at least a day
ahead. If you buy through your guesthouse or hotel, a
minibus will collect you from the door, which may mean
setting out as early as 5.30am, as the vehicle will pick up
passengers from various locations before heading down
3
INFORMATION
Tourist o
ces
There are three tourist o
ces:
one in the
southwest corner of the Royal Gardens (in theory daily
8am-9pm), one on Sivatha Blvd near Psar Chas (daily
8am-9pm), and another on Vithei Charles de Gaulle
(Angkor Wat Rd) on the way to the temples. It should be
possible to hire temple guides at any of the three of
ces
($25/day), and also arrange a car and driver (from $30/day).
Siem Reap Angkor Visitors Guide
This useful guide,
published three times a year and available from some
hotels, guesthouses and the tourist o
ces, contains
detailed listings of places to stay, eat and drink; it's also
available online at
W
canbypublications.com.
Website
For up-to-the-minute listings, and a wealth of
other information, check
W
siemreappost.com.
GETTING AROUND
By tuk-tuk
or
moto
It's almost impossible to walk more
than 10m in any direction in central Siem Reap without
being offered a tuk-tuk or moto - useful if you're staying
somewhere out of the centre (count on $1/2 for journeys
across town). Note that although you'll see Cambodians
two, three and even more upon a single moto, the
government has decreed that motos can only carry one
foreign passenger.
By motorbike or car
Tourists are barred from renting
motorbikes or driving rental cars in Siem Reap - if you see
Westerners on motorcycles and scooters, they are probably
resident expats or have driven in from somewhere else.
By bike
Bicycles available for rent in many places: try
Camouflage (see opposite) or the useful shop on the
roundabout just east of the river at the junction of 7 Makara
and River Rd (just a minute's walk from Psar Chas), which
has basic gearless bikes for $1/day, or fancier mountain
bikes $3/$5. Alternatively, so-called white bicycles ($2/
day, with profits going to local charitable causes) can be
rented from a few outlets around town, including the
Rosy
guesthouse and
La Noria
hotel.
Temple transport
See p.190.
TOURS AND ACTIVITIES
There are tours aplenty in Siem Reap, although many budget outfits offer identical temple or Tonle Sap itineraries, with
rushed schedules and large group sizes. Rather than booking the first tour proposed by your guesthouse or hotel it's well
worth checking out the
operators
below, both for general sightseeing and other activities, which frequently offer far
more rewarding insights into local culture and history than you'll experience sitting on a tour bus. In addition to tours of
