Our Cambodia Adventure

All you need to know about Cambodia - Phnom Penh & Siem Reap

My friend - Chuan and I are lovers of the lesser developed countries. Although there is a stigma on how unsafe Cambodia is as compared to your developed countries. Nonetheless, we decided to take a leap of faith and ventured there. It was an adventure of our lives. One good trip worth remembering. Cambodia is nice and rustic, a place to dwell, to slow down, to enjoy and to live well.

Without much planning and some very hasty decisions, we whizzed ourselves away to a 5 days 4 nights adventure to Cambodia covering Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, spending 2 nights in each destination.

The trip started with our matching bimbo looking Kate Spade passport covers. We were already feeling the travelling buddy camaraderie.

1. Flight

We took budget air to Cambodia - Phnom Penh, Tiger air there and Jetstar air for the return flight, the total cost is $140SGD, a good price for an impromptu trip booked in 2 weeks. The flight was a very bearable one with the planes albeit small, but short ride of 1 hour 45 minutes. Our flight was at 3pm, so in a short nap's time, I woke up feeling refreshed at our destination. Time check 4.15pm Cambodia Time. No taxes or additional costs needed to enter or exit Cambodia.

The Phnom Penh international airport is a well-developed one with many DFS and food selections. When we checked out of the airport, we were immediately greeted by their Telcom service.

2. Services

Cambodia, although taking flight in its developing process, is a very tech-savvy country. The cost of internet services is kept low and affordable for both locals and tourists alike. I would not say that it has a fantastic network comparable to Singapore, I was able to use whatsapp and surf the net at most places we travelled in Cambodia.

We each spent $3 for a new sim card and 5 days worth of 3G services, SMS and phone calls!

We also managed to change some local currency, Riel, at the airport for ease of travel. But in Cambodia, USD is king. Most of the shops are priced in USD. And it is pretty impossible to find a money changer who will buy Riel in exchange back, so please remember to use up your Riel in Cambodia!

3. Transportation

When we headed out of the airport, there were many Taxi and Tuk tuk drivers flagging for our patronage. They were priced at $7 per Tuk Tuk, and $15 per Taxi. We managed to negotiate our fare down to $10 for the taxi ride downtown. I would recommend the Taxi as the route from the airport downtown is a pretty long and dusty one. With your luggage or backpack would be a little inconvenient for a long tuk tuk ride. For Taxi contact, you can call Mr Men Sophan @ 012 442785/069 565765, but the second driver on our way back tried to charge us $12 instead of the $10 that we agreed upon, so be sure to agree on the prices with him.

As for transportation means around Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, we travelled mostly by Tuk Tuk or walk. I do not feel unsafe walking although the street lights were spaced far apart and it does get abit eerie and uncomfortable walking along the streets at night. We were acquainted with the Tuk Tuk driver at Phnom Penh who brought us around Phnom Penh on our last day. He has a fancier and more comfortable Tuk Tuk. Most Tuk tuks costs USD$1-2 depending on the distance. The tuk tuk driver we were acquainted with is Mr Chonnei (Johnny), he is a nice man that is honest and really goes all out to help you. His contact +(855)15648164, +(855)975880404, or you can find him on skype @ Mel - chanmorny.

For the long ride to Siem Reap, we travelled there by coach - Giant Ibis which was a tourist catered, fully air-conditioned bus. The bus was similar to the ones in US, the greyhound with electronic plugs where you can charge your electronic devices. The price of the bus is USD$15 for one-way, and you can book your coaches with most of the hotels that you reside in. The prices are competitive so dun you worry!

The route was a long 7-hour duration with only 2 stopovers, and we had lunch at a place known as Banyan Tree. The food is really mediocre and expensive there, so if it is possible please pack for your bus ride along the way.

4. Accommodation

As for our accommodation, we stayed in very decent 4-star hotels with swimming pools. Our first night at Phnom Penh is at a boutique hotel - Teahouse Asian Urban Resort.

The boutique hotel is very comfortable and homely considering that we only paid $32USD for a night's stay with an international breakfast inclusive in the price. They gave us a free upgrade to a deluxe room as well.

There is a a nice lobby area but unfortunately, they were renovating their pool which was pretty devastating to us. Cambodia's average temperature is at 40 degrees Celsius which makes swimming a necessity for us. They tried to make it up with complimentary sangria which we requested to enjoy it by the patio of the restaurant.

The room is a basic one with a queen-sized bed and a single bed, perfect for a family of three. I opted to sleep on the single bed but the air-con was blowing directly at me the entire night and I was freezing. So I crawled on my friend's queen size for the night. Haha!

My only complain about the hotel is that it is not exactly soundproof, so as light-sleepers, we find ourselves waking up several times in the night due to noises outside.

The international breakfast was a decent fare which we filled our tummies in the morning. There was even an egg station where you can choose your favorite choice of eggs. I really love the Cambodian porridge, it was so flavorful! For $16 USD per pax per night, its really worth it!

The hotel staff are all hospitable and always ready to help us in every way. To top it all, there was no language barrier as they are all able to converse in English. As for location, it is pretty secluded but not too far from the city-centre. It is a nice and budget accommodation that I would recommend. We made our booking via the trusted booking.com without any additional taxes or service charges.

Teahouse Asian Urban Resort

# 32, Street 242, Sangkat Chaktomuk, Khan Daun Penh, Daun Penh

http://www.booking.com/hotel/kh/teahouse-asian-urban-resort.html

Our next accommodation in Siem Reap is the best of the three different hotels we stayed in for our trip. It is a boutique hotel known as the Landing Point Hotel. It is centrally located, approximately 15-minute walk to the central market. We had a free upgrade as well, and our room was just by the pool side.

We also called to arrange with the hotel for a free tuk-tuk pick up at the bus station where the tuk tuk driver picked us up with a big placard with Chuan's name on it.

We settled in quickly when we arrived at the hotel. We had our complimentary pineapple juice while the hotel staff slowly explained to us about the check-in, what we can do in Siem Reap and how to go about to book our Ang Kor Wat day trip for the next morning. We also made friends with two Malaysian girls there where we toured Ang Kor Wat together.

The room was very spacious with a Queen size bed and additional single bed. There was an open bath tub for couples who wants some saucy time together. The decor of the place resembles that of a nice beach resort with the rounded pebbles. Full hotel facilities was provided with a nice salt water pool where we would lounge around every afternoon.

The breakfast was also very well-prepared. For one early morning where we had to get up at 4am to catch the sunrise at Ang Kor Wat, they prepared pastries and tea for us. The next morning, there was a selection of all-day breakfast suited to accommodate for any time of your arrival. We opted for the omelette which was delectable.

I really enjoyed my stay at the Landing Point Hotel. It costs $79 USD for 2 nights inclusive of GST and service charge. It is a really affordable and awesome place to stay if you are at Siem Reap and I would highly recommend. My only complain would be the pretty dark and secluded road prior to arrival at the hotel entrance, but overall the location is safe and good.

Landing Point Hotel

Wat Bo Road, Street 22, Cambodia

+855 17 561 615

http://www.landingpointhotel.com/

Our last hotel was the most expensive of the three accommodation - Frangipani Fine Arts Hotel. The Frangipani chain hotel is successful chain of local boutique hotels. It was the most expensive of the three, priced at $49.50 USD per night.

The hotel also has complimentary free drinks with free bicycles for our usage. But, it does not have a swimming pool for our use. Being swimming enthusiasts, we were super disappointed. We had to walk about 300 metres to another Frangipani Royal Palace hotel for the swim. But the staff there were really helpful with our many requests which made up for it.

The room was decent as seen in the photos with two single beds. As all Frangipani hotels, there is a hint of flowery scent in the room which feels very adequate.