1

Yes definately too rushed. I think you're not being realistic about how much time is involved in traveling. A 6 hour bus ride that leaves at 8am means by the time you get to your destination, find a hotel and get settled it's late afternoon and that's if you actually arrive on time. In other words, a full day gone. If you travel to 5 places that's 5 days - more than half your trip - spent traveling.
Maybe you could take the boat (if it's still running) from Siem Reap to Battambang for a couple days then down to Kompong Chhnang (yes stay there a night or 2 or 3) and on to Phnom Penh. Personally I didn't find too much of interest in PP except some of the Khmer Rouge related sites and the Royal Palace which is nothing compared to the one in BKK. You could also go from SR to Kompong Thom then on to Kampong Cham and PP for your flight back to BKK. I think it would be good to spend 2-3 nights in each place just to get a feel for it. Do some more research and choose some places that look interesting to you but don't try to do too much in that amount of time.Otherwise way too much time will be spent in a bus.

2

Either fly from place to place or cut out one country.

3

Skip Laos this time. Cut one night off PP and get down to Kep/Kampot for a few days.

4

I go along with both Henning and Herbie, ie skip Laos and go to the coast. But we did not enjoy Kep - speaking to others Kampot is a more acceptable option - altho' this geriatric enjoyed chilling out in Serendipity Beach, Sihanoukville - not a normal choice for oldies.but cheap.

5

First of all thank you for your advices. I have read mixed reviews about Kep and Kampot - actually I'm not so much interested in beach life in Cambodia: when I'll be back in BKK I'm going to south Thailand and stay some time there on the beaches. Looking at the itinerary I drafted, it looks like the "hard" leg is the PP-Lao border, a whole day completely "wasted" travelling. The BKK-SR and the SR-PP legs seem easy to arrange and quite straightforward (about half a day on the road, leaving early in the morning). I'm splitting the costs of the trip with 2 friends, what about hiring a private taxi from PP to the border instead of the 10+ hours bus? Maybe this could save some time. I have read that the road has been improved lately, so I thought it was possibile to make it in "only" 7-8 h. I could also add one more day to the whole trip, staying one day more near Champasak for example.
I don't want to go to Laos at all costs, but I have read my Cambodia guidebook and I'm not able to find a place where to experience something different (people, landscape, etc) from what I'll find in SR, PP or Kompong Chhnang (for example). Would you recommend a side trip to Koh Ker and Preah Vihear?

6

For most travellers, there is very little merit in visiting Laos South of VTE just for a coupladays, so you are going to chill out on the islands, then? and? After SR, Champasak, Pakse etc is a non event.
You can quite easily spend 9 -10 days in Cambodia, if you need to use up time then return to Th on the coast road via Trat.
Leave Laos for another day and spend a couplaweeks enjoying it..

7

Kep/Kampot is not really about beaches although there is one at Kep, food is good in Kep. Kampot is a small laid-back town, the countryside very scenic around there esp. between Kep and PP. PP to Laos is about 12 hours or more. PP to Kampot or Kep is only 3 hours now. I enjoyed Kampot prob. my favourite place in Cambodia but will not suit everyone. You could get a taxi to near the border but then what after that, I would go to Steng Trung and then get a bus over but it will still take 12 hours, may as well get the vIP bus all the way. HAving been to 4,000 islands, Champasak and Pakse I would say it is not really worth it with your timeframe, PAkse I will add has little of interest, Champasak is fine for 1 day or so, 4,000 islands aslo are fine for a few days. Plus you will have the visa at border to consider. 10 days is not really enough time for Cambodia.

8

Hello, does anyone know anything about the situation of Preah Vihear? I´m going to travel to Cambodia in may...
Thansk a lot!
Rena

9

I'm just back from my trip in Cambodia (I followed your advice and skipped Laos). Prasat Preah Vihear definitely deserves a visit, I went there by taxi (daytrip from Siem Reap) sharing with another guy, with a stop in Anlong Veng. I booked the taxi in a travel agency in Siem Reap 2 days before for 85$. It would have been also possible to visit Koh Ker on the same day for 30$ more but I refused (too rushed imho). I found the temple pretty safe, even if the army is still there. A new ugly road is being built, but you still need a moto or a pickup ride for the last stretch. It's still an adventurous trip, at least unless the new road is finished or the Thai border is opened again.