|
|
|
Preparing for Arrival |
In Phnom Penh
| Beyond Phnom Penh
| The Angkor temples |
 There are two ways to go to Angkor Wat. I
suggest going up the river to the town of Siem
Reap, near Angkor, by boat. It takes four to six
hours, but you get to see the countryside and
the riverine villages, many of which are
populated by ethnic Vietnamese. Then fly back to
Phnom Penh. There is usually no shortage of
tickets for the boat or the plane, but you take
your chances if you don't reserve.
Is the boat safe? You be the judge. I have seen fishers firing warning
shots (they're angry over boats cutting their
lines and nets). Also, boats have run out of
fuel in the middle of the Tonle Sap lake,
leaving the passengers stranded for hours in the
blazing sun. One of them swamped at the dock in
Siem Reap because of overloading, and yet
another burst into flames in Kompong Chhnang
because a guy was smoking while he sat on top of
the drums that served as extra fuel tanks. Also,
the smaller speedboats are grossly overpowered,
go too fast, and if one was to hit something or
go out of control on the lake there would be
many casualties.
OK, so it's not for everybody. But I would still
go by boat. Bring earplugs and drinking water,
and if you plan to ride on the roof
(recommended) use plenty of sunblock and bring a
scarf (krama) to tie around your head. |
|
Sihanoukville |
Buses to Sihanoukville, Cambodia's main beach
town, run all day from early morning until early
afternoon. The trip takes about 3.5 hours and
costs about $5. The bus companies are near the
southwest corner of Psar Tmei (the New Market in
the middle of Phnom Penh). Just go there and
take the next bus. If there isn't a convenient
one, go the the street off the NW corner of the
market and you will find many car and van taxis
going to Sihanoukville. $5/person to be stuffed
in there, $20 if you want the whole car (which
also means you can leave immediately instead of
waiting for the car to fill. Specify "air-con"
if you want it, and choose a car with the
steering wheel on the left side if you are
concerned about safety.
The trip to Sihanoukville is generally safe. I
have only heard of one case of a bus crash, and
one case of a mass robbery of the whole busload.
As of a year ago, there was one checkpoint near
Sihanoukville where police want to see
foreigner's passports. We didn't bring ours, but
they simply gave up and let us pass. |
|
Kompong Chhnang |
|
Kompong Chhnang is at the the southern end of
the Tonle Sap lake. Boats from Phnom Penh to
Siem Reap stop on demand at its port, while
Route 5 to Battambang passes by the main part of
town. The two parts are connected by a road
along a long dike. The guesthouses in Kompong
Chhnang are reputed to be unpleasant. The only
real hotel is the Rithisen, facing the
trash-strewn riverside. It has overpriced rooms
at $10/$12 with AC (in Battambang you get
satellite TV, a refrigerator, and hot water for
that price). The Rithisen will face competition
as soon as the Halfway House
restaurant/bar (tel 026-988-621) adds guest
rooms, now under construction. The owner of the
Halfway House is Paul Greaves, formerly of the
British Special Forces and later the project
manager for the enormous, if stalled, Kompong
Chhnang cargo airport project. His restaurant is
about 1 km north of town on Route 5, and is
amazingly well-supplied and equipped--you would
not know you were in the Cambodian countryside.
Whether that's a plus or a minus is up to you. |
|
|
| |
|
