The Best of Cambodia & Laos

62
PHNOM PENH
5
ORIENTATION
have a stand of affiliated drivers. If you find one you like, take his phone number and
hire him again. Most residents of Phnom Penh will have their own recommendation for
good drivers or motodups, as they are called in Khmer. The dups are even thought to be
mystically “all knowing” by Phnom Penh residents. Most trips around town will cost less
than a dollar during the day. At night you normally double the fee. Most people don’t
wear a helmet, but they should, given the dubious quality of both the motorcycles and
the driving.
BY CYCLO A gentler but slower way to see the sights is by cyclo (p. 36). They operate
under the same rules and pretty much the same rates as the motorcycle taxis. Cyclos take
a lot of the stress out of getting from point A to point B. They are also good when it
rains, since the cyclo driver will bring out plastic sheeting to shelter you from the elements.
You will always find lots of cyclos around Psah Thmei (the Central Market), as
people use them to transport bulky or heavy goods. As the traffic chaos of Phnom Penh’s
streets increases, the experience of touring the city by cyclo becomes harder as these
gentle vehicles are forced out by land cruisers and trucks. At the moment, however, it
remains feasible.
BY TUK-TUK Tuk-tuks are a fairly new development in Phnom Penh and are readily
available. The name is taken from the Thais, but these tuk-tuks have little in common
with the noisy, Bangkok two-stroke three-wheeler. Cambodia’s tuk-tuks are a twowheeled
cart pulled by a standard motorbike, attached through a fairly ingenious coupling
device. They are shaded, and the padded seat seats two (or three if you are thin).
There is often a small shelf at the front of the cart, usually with laminated maps and
advertisements, and, in a pinch, you can seat two more, but it’s not very comfy. It costs
between $2 and $3 for trips around town, while a ride farther out to places like the Killing
Fields will set you back $15.
BY TAXI Metered cabs have now made an appearance on the streets of Phnom Penh,
though they are limited. Global Taxi (& 011/311-888) is generally reserved only by
phone, though occasionally you might’s see one waiting for a fare near a tourist spot late
at night. The flag fall is 4,000 riel for the first 2km and then 400 riel per kilometer. Taxi
Vantha (& 012/855-000) is unmetered and reached by phone only. Expect to pay
around $4 to $5 for a short journey.
Enterprising taxi driver Yinn Vannak (& 016/639-852; www.cambodiadriver.com)
has his own website for bookings and is available for hire on a long- or short-term basis.
There are many unofficial cabs. All guesthouses and hotels will be able to get you are
a car within half an hour. A ride to the airport costs between $5 and $7.
BY MOTORCYCLE Driving in Phnom Penh is not for the fainthearted. In fact, unless
absolutely necessary, it is best avoided. If you don’t heed this call, you can hire motorcycles
at a number of places including Lucky! Lucky!, at 413 Monivong Blvd. (& 023/
212-788), which has been in the business a long time. You can get a step-through type
100cc-to-125cc scooter for $5 a day. Some of them are good, but some of them are
unsound in the extreme and you should examine them and refuse them if you have
doubts. They also rent bigger 250cc bikes for touring at $9 as well as jeeps and even
luxury cars. Driving a motorcycle in Phnom Penh requires experience. It is a chaotic,
aggressive, and often nerve-racking experience with traffic going in all directions, often
straight at you. Keep space around you, drive slowly, and wear a helmet (if not available
when renting, you can buy one for $10–$20 from a shop at Monivong or Kampuchea
Krom).