Angkor Borei & Phnom Da Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Angkor Borei and Phnom Da are about 20km east of Takeo town along Canal No 15, built in the 1880s to connect Takeo with the Tonlé Bassac and the Mekong Delta. Clearly delineated in the dry season, the waterway is surrounded by flooded rice fields the rest of the year.

For great, bracing, open-air fun, zip along the canal in a fibreglass motorboat (US$25 return, 35 minutes to Angkor Borei, 10 to 15 minutes more to Phnom Da) or, in the dry season, a smaller wooden motorboat (US$15 return), both available for hire at Takeo’s boat dock. All but a small part of what you pay will be spent on fuel. In the wet season the water can get rough in the afternoon, so it’s a good idea to head out early. Bring sunscreen, a hat and, in the wet season, rain gear. Many of the heavily laden boats you pass are bringing terracotta tiles and smuggled fuel from Vietnam.

Larger boats (3000r per person, two hours) depart from Takeo’s boat dock at 1pm or 2pm and from Angkor Borei at about 7.30am. Another cheap option is to wait around for enough locals to fill a share motorboat (8000r per person).

Phnom Da used to be an island during the wet season but a causeway now assures year-round land access. From Angkor Borei, wooden long boats (3000r per person) travel frequently to Phnom Da, or you can take a moto (US$2 return).

Angkor Borei can also be visited on an overland day trip from Phnom Penh. By car, take NH2; drive east on Highway 107, which passes south of Phnom Chisor; and then turn south at Prey Lvea.