South Coast - Cambodia - page 416

GETTING TO VIETNAM: KEP TO HA TIEN

Getting to the border The Prek Chak/Xa Xia border crossing has become a popular option for
linking Kampot and Kep with Ha Tien and the popular Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc. It is easy
enough to travel between these destinations in one day with some smooth transport connections.
The easiest way to get to Prek Chak (open 6am to 5.30pm) and on to Ha Tien, Vietnam, is on a
minibus from Phnom Penh (US$16, five hours), Sihanoukville (US$16, five hours), Kampot (US$10,
two hours) or Kep (US$8, 1½ hours) to the border. Buses are no longer allowed to make the crossing
through to Ha Tien itself. Virak Buntham has a bus from Phnom Penh; Virak Buntham and two other
companies ply the Sihanoukville-Kampot-Kep-Ha Tien route.
A more flexible alternative from Phnom Penh or Kampot is to take any bus to Kompong Trach,
then a moto (about US$3) for 15km, on a good road, to the border.
In Kep, tour agencies and guesthouses can arrange a direct moto (US$8, 40 minutes), remork
(US$13, one hour) or taxi (US$20, 30 minutes). Rates and times are almost double those from Kam-
pot. Private vehicles take a new road that cuts south to the border 10km west of Kompong Trach. It is
also possible to buy through tickets to Phu Quoc, including the boat, and these cost US$18 from Kep.
At the border As always, it's necessary to have a Vietnamese visa for travel to Phu Quoc, the
Mekong Delta and on to Ho Chi Minh City.
At Prek Chak, motos ask US$5 to take you to the Vietnamese border post 300m past the Cambodian
one, and then all the way to Ha Tien (7km). You'll save money walking across no-man's land and
picking up a moto on the other side for US$2 to US$3.
Moving on Travellers bound for Phu Quoc should arrive in Ha Tien no later than 12.30pm to secure a
ticket on the 1pm ferry (230,000d or about US$11, 1½ hours). Extreme early risers may be able to
make it to Ha Tien in time to catch the (slower) 8.20am car ferry to Phu Quoc. The scheduled buses
from Cambodia to Ha Tien arrive before the 1pm boat departs.

TOP OF CHAPTER

Around Kep

Sights

Wat Kiri Sela
( 7am-6pm) This Buddhist temple is located at the foot of Phnom Kompong Trach, a dra-
matic karst formation riddled with more than 100 caverns and passageways. From the wat,
an underground passage leads to the centre of a fishbowl-like karst formation, surrounded
by vine-draped cliffs and open to the sky. Various stalactite-laden caves shelter reclining
Buddhas and miniature Buddhist shrines. There's major rock-climbing opportunities
around here, but no established operator to date.

BUDDHIST TEMPLE