The Best of Cambodia & Laos

can be cold due to excessive air-conditioning.
Mekong Express (leaving from Sisowath
Quay on the corner of St. 102) buses
are a bit more expensive, but offer bigger
seats and are worth the extra dollar or two
to use them. Travel remains cheap, with
journeys from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
or Sihanoukville costing under $5. Unlike
elsewhere in Southeast Asia, there are few
night buses and most departures leave in
the early hours of the morning, with the
last ones leaving midafternoon. The easiest
way to buy tickets is through your hotel or
guesthouse, or a travel agent.
Main routes run from Phnom Penh to
Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Kampot (stopping
in Kep), Koh Kong, Battambang,
Kratie, Kompong Cham, Stung Treng,
Banlung, Sisophon, and Poipet. Buses also
run from Siem Reap to Battambang, and
Sihanoukville to Kampot.
By Boat
With the improvement in roads, river
travel is diminishing in importance. Ferries
do still ply many of the major waterways,
however, including from Phnom
Penh to Siem Reap and Siem Reap to Battambang.
Boats are not as fast as buses and
pickups, and charge more money and
Frommer’s lists exact prices in U.S. dollars
or local currency, both of which are widely
used. The currency conversions quoted
above were correct at press time. However,
rates fluctuate, so before departing consult
a currency exchange website such as www.
oanda.com/convert/classic to check upto-the-minute
rates.
When visiting Cambodia you can spend
enormous amounts. Since 2007, prices
have started to rise sharply and most things
such as food, hotel rooms, and transport
have risen by about 40%. On the whole,
however, most things remain moderately
4 MONEY & COSTS
often appear overloaded. Yet they allow
visitors a unique way to experience the
country including the Tonle Sap, which is
very much at the heart of the Khmer soul.
The boat from Phnom Penh to Siem
Reap leaves the pier on Sisowath Quay
(near St. 104 opposite the River View
Guest House) at 7am. It costs $30 to $35
and takes between 4 and 6 hours. The boat
from Siem Reap to Battambang is very
much a slow, expensive, and awkward
option, particularly at the height of the
dry season from April to May when the
waters are low and one often has to transfer
to lighter and smaller vessels in the
middle of the journey. What it does afford
is a fascinating glimpse of the everyday life
of the people along the banks of the Tonle
Sap and the Sangker River. The ferry
leaves Siem Reap at 7:30am, costs $16,
and takes between 8 and 10 hours.
The open-air boat journey from Koh
Kong to Sihanoukville is presently suspended.
Going from Phnom Penh to
Chau Doc in Vietnam is a great way to
make it to the Mekong Delta. The boat
leaves at 9am, costs $15, and takes 4 to 5
hours. See the information on getting to
Vietnam by boat on p. 35.
priced. Very little tourism money reaches
ordinary Cambodians. Sadly, poverty is still
very much a daily reality in Cambodia for
the majority of people.
You can get a hotel room for as little as
$3 a night in Siem Reap or Sihanoukville
(though we certainly won’t vouch for the
quality). On the other hand, you can drop
$1,000 on the whole luxury package.
Cambodia has a wealth of options in the
midrange. For between $15 and $80, you
can find some excellent accommodations
even in expensive Phnom Penh. Battambang
is particularly blessed with wonderful
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PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO CAMBODIA 3
MONEY & COSTS