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