The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO CAMBODIA
3
GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND
Penh is completed, this border crossing is
set to become more and more important.
An hour away from Trat and only a couple
of hours from Koh Chang, this is the gateway
to all things south including the
Cardamoms themselves, Sihanoukville,
Kampot, Kep, and indeed a through route
to Vietnam and the Mekong Delta. The
border is open between 7am and 8pm.
From Vietnam
From Bavet Checkpoint in Moc Bai, Vietnam, to Bavet
in Cambodia This is the main route from
Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
on Rte. 1. There is a river crossing at
Neak Loeung and when the road is busy
there can be a long line for the ferry.
From Kaam Samnor, Cambodia, to Ving Xuong in Vietnam
This is the crossing on the Mekong
River to the delightful riverine town of
Chau Doc in Vietnam. A slow river trip is
one of the most interesting and beautiful
ways to travel from Phnom Penh to Vietnam.
Chau Doc is the gateway to Vietnam’s
Mekong Delta.
From Xa Xia in Vietnam to Prek Chak in Cambodia
This crossing takes you from the Ha Tien
in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta directly to
Kep, Kampot, and on to Sihanoukville in
Cambodia. It completes the coastal route
from Thailand to Vietnam.
Le Tanh in Gia Lai Province in Vietnam to O’Yadaw in
Ratanakiri, Cambodia This is a newly opened
international border crossing.
BY BUS
From Laos
Traveling overland to Cambodia from
Laos involves several legs pieced together.
It can be done one of two ways. First, take
a boat from Voeung Kam in Laos to Stung
Treng in Cambodia, crossing at Koh
Chheuteal Thom. The boat should cost
$10. You can also take a shared minibus to
the crossing at Dom Kralor, which is
becoming the easiest and most popular
way to do it. Stung Treng is then served by
buses on Sorya Transport, and a ticket to
Phnom Penh costs 42,000 riel.
Although a Cambodian visa on arrival
exists in principle, there have been some
reports that it is not as straightforward as
at other entry points. To be on the safe
side you should get your Cambodian visa
beforehand. There are no Lao visas on
arrival if traveling the other way.
From Thailand
Getting from Bangkok to either Siem
Reap or Phnom Penh by bus is very easy
and straightforward. Take a standard bus
from Morchit Northern Bus Terminal in
Bangkok (near either Morchit BTS Skytrain
or Chatuchak MRT subway stations).
Buy a ticket to Aranyaprathet. The
trip takes about 5 hours. Once in Aranyaprathet,
take a tuk-tuk for between 50
baht and 100 baht to the border. You can
also take a minibus direct from the Khao
San Road area, which is faster but very
uncomfortable. Once you have completed
immigration formalities and are in Poipet
on the Cambodian side of the border you
have the option of taking a regular bus, a
shared or private taxi, or a seat in a
crowded pickup truck to your destination
in Cambodia. There is a free shuttle bus
from the border to the place where the
buses and taxis are parked.
Given that the journey is a long one
and the lines at immigration can be long
and dusty, it is advisable to break the journey
with a night in Aranyaprathet. There
are a number of serviceable hotels in town.
The Aran Garden 2 Hotel (200 baht
without fan, 250 baht with fan and TV,
370 baht with A/C and TV) is right in the
center of town. Tuk-tuk drivers will know
it. Expect to pay about 50 baht to get there
from the station. Reception staff will be
able to hail you a tuk-tuk to take you to
the border in the morning. There are also
a number of resorts and hotels between
town and the border. Expect to pay
approximately 500 Thai baht. You could