Phnom Penh and around - The Rough Guide to Cambodia - page 72

1 KINGDOM BREWERIES

Cambodian beer might not be world famous but a brewery tour offers a fun diversion from
Phnom Penh's more conventional sights. Kingdom Breweries , 1748 NR5, 200m north of the
Chroy Chung Va Bridge (tours Mon-Sat 1-7pm by arrangement; $6; T 023 430 1802,
W kingdombreweries.com), was established in 2009 as a boutique label. The 45-minute tour
gives you an insight into the brewing process - interesting if you've never witnessed this sort
of thing before - and includes a tasting at the end. The beer's not bad either!

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE PHNOM PENH
If you're travelling to Phnom Penh by road or boat , you'll most likely arrive at one of several terminals that lie within
1.5km of Psar Thmei. Flights arrive 8km west of town. Wherever and whenever you arrive, there are always tuk-tuks or
motos available. Most towns and cities in Cambodia can be reached directly from Phnom Penh. Siem Reap is particularly
easy to get to, served by a daily boat up the Tonle Sap, plentiful road transport along NR6 and regular, if expensive, flights.

the latest timetable. At the time of writing, Cambodia
Angkor Air was the only domestic carrier operating
(expensive) services to Siem Reap.

BY PLANE
Pochentong International Airport The compact
airport is 9km west of the city on NR4, a 30-60min drive
from the centre, depending upon the tra c. Facilities in the
international arrivals hall include several 24hr ATMs,
money exchange, phones, luggage storage, a post o ce
(daily 8am-6pm), a tourist information desk (see p.77)
and an e cient tuk-tuk and taxi booth operating a fixed-
price ($7 tuk-tuk; $9 taxi) service to the city. Motos are not
allowed to hang around the terminal, but there are always
plenty waiting on the main road, about 200m across the car
park; the fare into town is $3-5.
Airlines Bangkok Airways, 61 Street 214 ( T 023 966556,
W bangkokair.com); Cambodia Angkor Air, 206 Preah
Norodom Blvd ( T 023 666 6786, W cambodiaangkorair
.com); China Southern Airlines, 53 Monivong Blvd ( T 023
430877, W cs-air.com); Dragon Air, A4-A5 Regency Square,
168 Monireth Blvd ( T 023 424300, W dragonair.com);
EVA Air, Suite 11, 79 Street 205 ( T 023 219911, W evaair
.com); Jet Star Asia Airlines, 333B Monivong Blvd ( T 023
220909, W jetstaraisa.com); Lao Airlines, 58C Sihanouk
Blvd ( T 023 222956, W laoairlines.com); Malaysia Airlines,
35-37 Street 214 ( T 023 426688, W malaysiaairlines.com);
Qatar Airways, Intercontinental Phnom Penh , 296 Mao Tse
Toung Blvd ( T 023 424013, W qatar.airways.com); SilkAir,
Suite 2-4a, Street 217 ( T 023 988629, W silkair.com); Thai
Airways, 298 Mao Tse Toung Blvd ( T 023 214359, W thaiair
.com); Vietnam Airlines, 41 Street 214 ( T 023 215998,
W vietnamairlines.com).
Destinations: international Bangkok (7 daily; 1hr 10min);
Doha via Ho Chi Minh (daily; 10hr 30min); Hanoi (4 weekly;
1hr 45min); Ho Chi Minh City (4-5 daily; 45min); Hong
Kong (1-2 daily; 2hr 25min); Kuala Lumpur (4 daily;
1hr 50min); Shanghai (daily; 3hr 40min); Siem Reap
(5-6 daily; 45min); Singapore (4 daily; 2hr); Taipei (1-2
daily; 3hr 15min); Vientiane (1-2 daily; 1hr 20min).
Destinations: domestic Domestic carriers in Cambodia
come and go with alarming frequency and schedules
change regularly, so it's best to check with a travel agent for

BY BUS
Bus companies There is no central bus station. Buses
depart from their own of ces or depots, many of which are
in the vicinity of Psar Thmei or near the night market (and
Street 104) at the northern end of Sisowath Quay. In
addition, an increasing number offer free pick-up from
city-centre hotels and guesthouses. Phnom Penh Sorya
(southwest of Psar Thmei) has the largest depot in the city
and serves all provincial towns, using smaller twenty- to
thirty-seat coaches for the more distant or less popular
destinations, including Kompong Chhnang, Kompong
Cham, Kompong Speu, Neak Leung, Oudong, Tonle Bati and
Takeo. They also run daily a/c coaches to Bangkok,
Vientiane and Ho Chi Minh City. Giant Ibis and Mekong
Express offer the most comfortable services to Siem Reap,
Battambang, Sihanoukville, Kampot and HCMC. Virak
Buntham's night buses (some with flat beds) travel to Siem
Reap, Sihanoukville, Battambang and Bangkok via Poi Pet.
Most operators schedule long-distance departures for the
morning, although those for the most popular destinations,
including Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, leave throughout
the day. As at all bus stations and depots, it's a good idea to
keep a close eye on your bags, whichever company you
travel with.
To HCMC Journeys to HCMC, which is still often referred to as
Saigon, can be made without joining a new bus across the
border, and any o cial dealings are done with the assistance
of the bus operators (although you still have to get your visa
at least 24 hours in advance from your guesthouse).
To Bangkok Getting to Bangkok from Phnom Penh
involves a change of vehicle after crossing the border
(whereas from Siem Reap you can now take a direct bus).
To Laos If you're not heading direct to Vientiane check if
your ticket is just to the border or through to Don Det, 4000
Islands.