cambodia trip – Page 2 – soloflighted.com

Cambodia Trip: Shuttle Bus from Siem Reap to Bangkok, Thailand

Still not yet done with my posts about my trip to Cambodia but I figured I’d post an entry about how we got back to Bangkok, Thailand from Siem Reap.

I received a couple of notifications from readers about how to travel from Siem Reap to Bangkok so I’ll post this one quick as it was also an easy trip.

Still at our hostel (Bousavy Guesthouse), we asked for directions on how to get back to Bangkok. We initially planned on following our original steps on how to get to Siem Reap via train. But when we asked the owner, he offered to arrange a bus trip to Bangkok. We immediately agreed to their offer when we learned how cheap it was to get back.

8 USD – Siem Reap to Bangkok – Travel Time (8-9 hours)

We bought our tickets directly at Bousavy, arranged our pick-up for the bus and just went through with the trip.

back at the Cambodia border

Compared to the Bangkok to Siem Reap trip, we cut down our transportation expenses by almost half! We asked the owner of Bousavy Guesthouse why their bus line only has buses to Bangkok. He said that rules are more complicated from Bangkok to Siem Reap compared to Siem Reap to Bangkok.

lining up at the Cambodia Immigration center

We arranged a tuk tuk pick-up to the bus station and at around 9am, we were already inside the shuttle going to the border. I sat beside a Spanish woman and practiced whatever PR skills I had left.

“Sir, sir.“, I hear a faint voice calling.
“3 for 1 dollar, 3 for 1 dollar.” A sweet girl was selling her items in a small basket she was carrying. Trinkets and what-nots were inside.

She was about five years old but her frame seemed as if she were three.
I turned around, trying to shrug her away as I didn’t want to buy any of her goods despite the relatively cheap price.

After a long day of walking, I was heading for the loo to take a leak when this kid wouldn’t budge. She kept insisting that I should buy some bracelets as souvenirs; hoping I would give in any time soon. Only when I had to hurry my pace did she also attempt to walk faster; giving me a better deal for her merchandise “Ok, 4 for 1 dollar, 4 for 1 dollar.”

Khmer kids selling merchandise

Unfortunately, I still didn’t want to buy anything. Even after I got back from the bathroom, she still kept pursuing her items. I fell into a game of patintero (gatekeeper and trespasser), looking for a way to avoid her.

After realizing that I was too stubborn, she followed other tourists passing by. Going back to her old spiel, she was able to sell a few items from those foreigners.

people-watching

Bou Savy Guesthouse (Bed and Breakfast)
Siem Reap, Cambodia

I received a couple of questions from readers on where to stay in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Being the ever-resourceful person that I am (insert sarcastic tone), I relied on my friend to search through different hostels there.

My only criteria I wanted for hostels in Siem Reap was that it should be cheap and should have free WiFi. No need for air conditioning, TV and the like. After all those searches, we ended up staying at Bou Savy Guest House which is a family-owned inn and is located 5 minutes away from the main road. It’s about a 10-15-minute walk to the Angkor Night Market. If you don’t want to walk, you can always hire a tuk tuk taxi.

Perks include:
• FREE Pick up & Transfer
• Free Breakfast
• FREE 24-hr High-Speed Wi-Fi (if you don’t have a laptop, they have 5 computers available – free to use)
• FREE Daily Bottled Water in Rooms
• FREE Map of Temple & Town
• Hot Shower

Bousavy Guesthouse, lots of trees inside the compound

This hostel was highly recommended by Chyng Reyes (a fellow travel blogger) of chyngreyes.com.

We took advantage of their 3 nights/2 days package wherein we had a tour around all the temples good for two days. We didn’t have to bother negotiating with tuk tuk drivers or search for the temples on our end.

bousavy guesthouse compound

Learned the art of haggling in the night markets in Siem Reap. Only a couple of hours after arriving at the Bousavy Guesthouse, we proceeded to the downtown area to have dinner and dropped by the Angkor Night Market which was a playful sight to behold. So many goods being sold and at cheap prices too.

Me: How much is shirt?
Vendor: 12 dollars.
Me: Last price?
Vendor: 10 dollars.
Me: Never mind.
Vendor: Ok, how much you want?
Me: I pay 6 dollars.
Vendor: No, I give you 8. I no profit if I give you 6 dollars.
Me: Ok, thank you. I come back, I come back. *walks away*
Vendor: Ok ok! I give you 6!

…and so the item was bought. This is usually the scene whenever attendants manning their booths would catch you fancying their merchandise.

Angkor night Market in Siem Reap, Cambodia

At first, you’ll probably get confused on why they have so many labels for their markets. Angkor Night Market, Siem Reap Night Market, Noon-Night Market, Central Market, Old Public Market etc. They have so many names for every area of their markets but all of which usually carry and sell the same stuff.

colorful corners and goods in Cambodia

Earrings, bangles, Buddha statues, scarves, dresses, knock-off bags and shirts and other useful and decorative items. Prices vary as they are dependent on your haggling skills. After a series of purchases, you’ll get the hang of haggling for these merchandise to get a good price.

Note: Cambodians use Riel as their currency but during transactions, vendors quote prices in US Dollars. I guess it’s because of the number of tourists that go to the country. They will still accept either of the denominations but most of them prefer dollars as it’s more convenient too.

1 USD = 4000 Cambodian Riel/Khmer Riel

people flocking at night

Second day of our tour of the temples in Cambodia. We were supposed to meet with our driver at 8am but we departed at around 9. The destinations were far from each other which explains the early call time. But it didn’t matter, we still ample time. I wanted to rent a bike (1 USD … Read more

Cambodia Trip: Walking Barefoot at Angkor Wat Temple

I removed my sandals and went barefoot in Angkor Wat. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision which wasn’t a big deal as dirt already gathered inside my footwear. I was hoping to connect with the temple when my skin touched the stones of the shrine but I was unsuccessful. It wasn’t the day to reflect as … Read more

Cambodia Trip: Trees in Ta Prohm Temple, Siem Reap

Trees, tall trees are abound in all the temple areas in Siem Reap, Cambodia. But one can noticeably distinguish Ta Prohm from the rest because of how these trees grow from stone ruins. After Angkor Thom Gate, Bayon Temple and Elephant Terrace, we proceeded to this temple which is known for having a lot of … Read more

Cambodia Trip: Angkor Thom Gate, Bayon Temple and Elephant Terrace

We took advantage of the 2 days/3 nights package of our guesthouse wherein we paid for our room (which includes free breakfast) as well as a tour of the temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia. My friend was the one who booked the reservations in advance as I didn’t really give the whole trip much thought except for the expenses. I give props to her for ensuring that we were settled properly.

Siem Reap Temples Tour
January 20, 2011

Angkor Thom Gate
Bayon Temple
Elephant Terrace

elevation

Woke up late in the morning as we were still tired from the travelling during the previous day. Rode the Tuktuk and we started our tour. At around 10:30am, the weather was cold even if the sun was high up. There were a number of trees surrounding the road to the temples which explains the cool atmosphere.

one with the statues

Pon, our tuktuk driver, brought us to the ticketing booth for the temples. In Siem Reap, for you to go inside the temples, you need to purchase Temple Passes. They come in 1-day, 3-days and 7-days tickets wherein you’ll have your picture taken and you can use this pass to enter the temples. This is only good if you want to go inside as guards will check them before you can enter the temple premises.

a three-day ticket pass to the temples at 40 USD: don’t forget to smile for the camera

I spent 36 hours travelling and waiting during our trip from Cebu to Siem Reap in Cambodia. It was the longest I spent to reach one destination. I guess that’s the challenge when you live in a region that doesn’t have a lot of options when it comes to flights to international destinations. Cebu Pacific Airlines used to have direct flights from Cebu to Bangkok but it stopped probably due to the minimal number of passengers going to that country.

In any case, we were lucky to get a discount due to promotional fares a couple of months before the schedule. Here’s a breakdown on how we got to Cambodia from Cebu.

online at Clark terminal

Cebu to Manila: We arrived 5 minutes late at the check-in counter so we had to pay the regular price and turned into chance-passengers at 5200 bucks more than the promo fare. Just mentioning it is already a pain in the buttocks since we already had a limited budget.

7000 Php (ouch) – Cebu Pacific Air Fare (original price was only 1800 Php)
200 Php – Terminal Fee

Cebu Pacific airlines

Lesson learned, arrive 2 hours earlier than the scheduled flight! I never want to be pay extra again as these are circumstances that we can control.

Siem Reap in Cambodia and Bangkok in Thailand was fun. I’m glad that we didn’t rush into scenes and had time off to retreat. Most of my travels usually were getting to different tourist spots and other famous destinations. Sure, we also did some sight-seeing in Siem Reap and Bangkok but we weren’t in a hurry which made it all the more worthwhile.

temple-hopping in Cambodia

I was able to travel to two cities in two countries over the past week and I thought I could easily update this site with pictures and snippets just to give out glimpses of the places and things we did. However, I’m having difficulty where to start. With so many pending entries and backlogs from different trips, it’s a challenge for me to maintain this site and keep it current. But I’ll figure out a way.

fish spa at 3 USD

For now, let me just post a few photos of scenes in these countries. Each place has its own charm and story to tell which enriches one’s knowledge on how people go about their way of life.

Just sending out a quick update from the Bousavy Guesthouse in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Yeah, soloflightEd is in Cambodia!

It was an extremely long travel (36 hours from Cebu to Cambodia) and actually the longest I’ve ever had in order to reach one destination. Usually, I’d spend one day in one place and then head to another spot. From Cebu to Manila to Clark to Bangkok to Siem Reap, this was our route and I’ll most likely write a guide of my experience from the whole thing.

Aranyaprathet train to the border of Thailand and Cambodia

My friend Doi,who’s been here, said that it would be a better option to head directly to Siem Reap and just spend the remaining days of this one-week leave in Bangkok, Thailand. This is to maximize the time that we have for this trip.

The good thing is that we’ll be able to spend time in each country and it won’t be that rushed.

photo courtesy of Den
jump shot at the border in Cambodia

Cambodia Trip: Shuttle Bus from Siem Reap to Bangkok, Thailand

Cambodia Trip: Those Khmer Kids Selling Merchandise

Where to Stay: Bousavy Guesthouse in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Cambodia Trip: Haggling Prices in Angkor Night Market

Cambodia Trip: Pre Rup, Banteay Srei and East Mebon Temples

Cambodia Trip: Walking Barefoot at Angkor Wat Temple

Cambodia Trip: Trees in Ta Prohm Temple, Siem Reap

Cambodia Trip: Angkor Thom Gate, Bayon Temple and Elephant Terrace

Cebu to Manila to Clark to Bangkok to Aranyaprathet to Siem Reap

Siem Reap and Bangkok Chronicles

Quick Update from Bousavy Guesthouse in Siem Reap, Cambodia