Cambodia!

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Rib

Original Poster:

2,548 posts

188 months

Wednesday 5th November 2014
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after 2 years holidaying i Thailand I want to explore some of the boardering countries. top of my list is Cambodia, Im just trying to gauge how long I need there. Is the majority of it in Siem Reap or is there anywhere else worth visiting? I have 2 1/2 in total so was planning a week in Siem Reap to have a day or 2 to relax after arriving and plenty of time to explore the temples etc) the other end of the holiday we will have the last night or 2 in Bangkok to do the markets etc before we fly back so its the bit in the middle, do we go somewhere else in Cambodia or go find a beach somewhere and relax?

FunkyGibbon

3,781 posts

263 months

Wednesday 5th November 2014
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3 days to fully do the temples in Siem Reap plus couple of days R and R is about right.
Don't know your budget but the park Hyatt is a fab boutique hotel.

Also consider Phnom Penh for a couple days of days. Visit S21 and the killing fields.
You can fly or take the boat down Tonle Sap.

Sianoukville is OK for beaches, but I'd rather tack on a visit to Loas.

FG

Rib

Original Poster:

2,548 posts

188 months

Wednesday 5th November 2014
quotequote all
cheers FG, I had just been looking at the killing fields and looked worth a visit. will have a look at laos! the beach isnt a must as we will be relaxing at the Lebua in Bangkok and we are actually going back in 2016 for my sisters wedding which will be either in Phuket or Phi Phi so will have plenty of time to go diving then.

FunkyGibbon

3,781 posts

263 months

Wednesday 5th November 2014
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If you go to loas and head for luang prabang the maison souvanaphoum is a delightful hotel a 5 mins walk from the main attractions.

Enjoy.

z4RRSchris99

11,221 posts

178 months

Wednesday 5th November 2014
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grand d'hôtel ankor -

after a serious days temple wandering you'll thank me

Philplop

341 posts

173 months

Thursday 6th November 2014
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Phnom Penh is definitely worth a few days.
Sihanoukville beaches are ok but not as good as Thai beaches.

Battambang has the bamboo train, which is worth a go on if you are looking for more places to go. We did a boat ride from Siem Reap. Took about 8 hours I think, seeing the people that live on the river and young kids rowing to school. Need to check the season for this though, as the tour operators will still book you on even if the water levels are right down, meaning it takes a lot longer and you have to pile out and all 30 passengers get in the back of a pickup to be taken the last couple of hours drive to Battambang. Apparently.

The bamboo train is a bamboo platform on a couple of axles that whizzes along the old train tracks courtesy of a tiny engine. Only one track so when you meet somebody coming the other way they just take the train apart to let them past.

Kenty

5,029 posts

174 months

Thursday 6th November 2014
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Phnom Penh and S21 a must
Killing fields just out of town also
Tonil Sap is wonderful and well worth visit.
Ta Prom, Bayon and Ankor not to be missed I would say
Few days in N Thailand also good, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai - can fly from Bangkok for £100

I really like Cambodia, good choice for trip in this area.

Rib

Original Poster:

2,548 posts

188 months

Thursday 6th November 2014
quotequote all
Done ching mai twice now along with kanchanburi, Bangkok and koh samui. I'd only fancy exploring beaches and the nature reserves now in Thailand but that'd require a good month or so away I reckon. Will look at all those places.I think this will be my only trip to Cambodia so might aswell spend as much time exploring there as possible rather than going elsewhere.

nitrodave

1,262 posts

137 months

Thursday 6th November 2014
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I've spent A LOT of time in Camobida, and personally I would not recommend Phnom Penh. Only way I can describe is that it's like vice city on grand theft auto - by day it's ok, but by night it's gang lands. Fun if you're street wise and feisty, not so fun if you just want to relax and enjoy yourself.There are some touching sights to see like the killing fields, but that's about it.

Siem Reap is delightful, you defo have go to Angkor Wat and see the 5am sunset there.

The best experience I had in Cambodia was going to Beng Mealea and Preah Vihear temples. Let me know if you're interested and I'll send contact details of a good guide I know there who can get you into these places. You can't get there without one.

Beng Melea is the most impressive temple in the country. Just google it and check out the pics. Absolutely magical place and guarunteed to be deserted - you will have the place to yourself as it is so far out of the way.

The best experience I had there, and possibly the bes travel experience of my life was getting up to and into Preah Vihear.

The foreign office advises against any travel there as there is a big army presence and technically a warzone still, but if you got with a pro-guide you can get in. Again, google it and check out the pics. So much ancient and modern history. The Thais have been trying to conquer it for decades but Unesco have made it a heritage site and the Thais have been forced to retreat.

The army will welcome you with open arms, as long as you bribe them with cigarettes and noodles. They let you go into their bunkers and look at the thai army through their binoculars. Amazing to look over the border and see an entire thai troop looking back at you from their base.



Edited by nitrodave on Thursday 6th November 10:14

Shaoxter

4,048 posts

123 months

Thursday 6th November 2014
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nitrodave said:
The best experience I had in Cambodia was going to Beng Mealea and Preah Vihear temples. Let me know if you're interested and I'll send contact details of a good guide I know there who can get you into these places. You can't get there without one.

Beng Melea is the most impressive temple in the country. Just google it and check out the pics. Absolutely magical place and guarunteed to be deserted - you will have the place to yourself as it is so far out of the way.
Beng Mealea was by far the most impressive temple we saw, not in terms of size or anything but just the fact that it's deserted, hasn't been maintained and you can climb all over it. Feels like you're right in a Tomb Raider game.

LimaDelta

6,508 posts

217 months

Thursday 6th November 2014
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If you are in Sihanoukville pop into G'Day Mate bar opposite the bus station for a beer! My Brother's place for the last two years. Good for local knowledge if you need it.

Lozw86

871 posts

131 months

Friday 7th November 2014
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From Sihanoukville go across to an island called Koh Rong. Very beautiful and comparable to some of the Thai and Indonesian paradise islands. There are no roads etc. Very chilled out and unspoilt.

If you stay in Sihanoukville, stay at Otres beach

SimonV8ster

12,543 posts

227 months

Sunday 9th November 2014
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You can buy a 3 day pass for the temples which lasts for 7 days in total so you don't have to go temple bashing for 3 days solid !! 50 dollars i think currently. That'll be enough for most.

Just stayed at the Borei Angkor Resort and was very impressed by it, there are now loads of 5 star resorts so you can't really go wrong finding a good place if thats the accomodation you are after.

Sihanoukville is just another tourist trap by the beach, bars/pizzas/kebabs/irish bars/aussie bars, bla,bla,bla,etc. The beaches aren'tvthat great unlessnyou travel to the islands as has been said. Otres beach as suggested is probably the best place for a more refined chilled out time.

If you go to Phnom Penh you can get away with a couple of days to see most things. Royal Palace and National museum one day, School 21 & killing fields the next. If you don't have the time you could skip the killing fields, its basically scrub land with a few pieces of clothes poking out the earth, there is a large monument there filled with skulls but thats pretty much it. I've just returned to PP after going there 8 years ago, its really changed for the worst. The tuk tuk drivers are really a pain in the arse now, constantly calling out to you, hanging out outside bars/restaurants and as soon as they see you go for your wallet they jump up and are ready to pounce on you as you step out. As soon as the sun goes down they give up trying to offer you a ride and just shout 'hash/marijuana/cocaine/ice/girl/boom boom'etc,etc,etc. They are just a pain in the f*cking arse. I must admit i never felt threatened when i was there even though i went to some late night bars and stumbled back via different short cuts and alley ways.

Kampot is a lovely little place, a small town by the river, very relaxing with a small expat community. Theres not a lot to do there apart from chill out but thats the beauty of the place, some people go there for a weekend from PP and never leave, but you probably haven't got time for that.


Rib

Original Poster:

2,548 posts

188 months

Thursday 13th November 2014
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right, Think I am abit further along in my planning, rough idea of Itinerary now:

Land in Siem Reap 15th Jan Stay 9 nights @ V&A Villa or Siddharta Boutique Hotel

fly to Phnom Penh 24th stay 2 nights

bus to Kep stay 5 nights

bus back to KP and fly to BKK stay 2 nights @ Lebua

fly home

given myself longer in SR to spend plenty of time to relax and take in tours and photography etc I wasnt going to bother with PP but after looking at Kep and kampot looks like an ideal area to relax after all the temple madness along with sunsets and jungles to still keep me entertained. what you reckon?

SimonV8ster

12,543 posts

227 months

Friday 14th November 2014
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I'd go to Kampot as well. Spend 3 days there and a couple in Kep. I didn't actually like Kep, very spread out and the only beach is a small man made beach, the rest is rough coastline.

Good idea about only 2 days in PP though, just right.

pteron

275 posts

170 months

Friday 14th November 2014
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We had an excellent guide, specialised in organising trips for the best photo opportunities.

He took us to Banteay Srei and bribed the guards to let us wander inside the restricted area - cost us $5.

Another day we sat at the top of one of the lessor temples and watched the sun rise and listened to the jungle waking - fabulous and shared with a dozen others rather than the hundreds waiting at Angkor Wat.


Rib

Original Poster:

2,548 posts

188 months

Friday 14th November 2014
quotequote all
Ye I plan to split it between kep and kampot.

v&a villa seems to get very good reviews for being really helpful in organising things and a good price so hoping we will have a good few tours. Also with staying longer in Siem Reap I will be taking in some of the more obscure tours which won't be quite so busy so hopefully should get some fantastic pictures ...... oh and enjoy the time with the girlfriend obviously hehe

GT03ROB

13,210 posts

220 months

Friday 14th November 2014
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I'm going to show my age here, but I went to Cambodia 20yrs ago. It was a fascinating experience, from being adopted by the pet baby bear in the hotel in Phnom phen, being the only westerners in the Russian Market, the chaos of the airport, wandering around Angkor seeing more minefields than tourists, being the only guests in the hotel in Angkor and sorting out with chef what we'd eat by sign language & pointing in the kitchen.

Unspoilt days, great experience, that can never happen now

nitrodave

1,262 posts

137 months

Friday 14th November 2014
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sounds like a good plan, although 9 days in Siem Reap is rather long!

You could very easily break up that time and hop on a quick flight for $40 into Laos and spend a couple of days in Luang Prabang.

The airport in siem reap is very easy to get to and likewise at the other end in Luang prabang. both 5 minute tuktuk rides from town.

it's about the only place worth visiting in Laos with a short amount of time. Vang Vieng is for teenagers wanting to get high and Vientiane is just a dive of a city and would not recommend anyone goes there... but if you got a couple of days to kill in your 9 day siem reap stint, i'd really recommend doing that. another country ticked off your list too smile

Rib

Original Poster:

2,548 posts

188 months

Friday 14th November 2014
quotequote all
Cheers dave will have a look tonight, I did have a quick Google of getting to Laos and it just brought up horror stories of border crossing but didn't realise you could fly up there.

I thought 9 days would be about right to give a couple of days to relax and explore after the flight, and then say around 6 days of temples and various tours to see the touristy stuff aswell as the things that are further afield or not so popular but will make a list of what I deffinately want to do and see just how much h time I need.

Thanks again for the advice.

Jon